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Kelly Hughes Thompson

Agricultural Specialist Program Manager
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Louisiana, United States

Kelly Hughes Thompson is the Agriculture Specialist Program Manager for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), where she oversees the FSMA Produce Safety Program. Kelly and her staff educate and regulate fresh produce farms around the state covered by the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) with the end goal of a safer product for the consumer and Louisiana’s hardworking farmers. Kelly believes that food safety, not just produce safety, is for everyone.
Kelly has been involved in agriculture from a young age. Growing up in Saint Francisville, La on her parents’ farm, she has always loved being outside, riding horses and competing in 4-H and AQHA, hunting, fishing, etc. Kelly obtained her B.S. with a concentration in Animal Sciences from Louisiana State University in 2016 and her MBA from LSUS in 2022.
In her spare time, Kelly is the president of a volunteer ran non-profit horse show association, Deep South Stock Horse Show Association, that host horse shows throughout the year. She donates her time with local students teaching riding lessons and is also the GSYR Rodeo Queen, spending the year promoting the sport of rodeo in and out of the arena. When she is not riding horses, you will find her playing volleyball, scuba diving, hunting, camping, fishing, and working cattle with her husband, John and their three rescue cattle dogs as she finds spending time with family and friends is some of the most precious time in her life.


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