Louisiana-based startup company, FarmMind has been named the winner of The Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge and will be leaving the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention with $100,000 in startup funds. 

The Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge, now in its 12th year, provides opportunities for Farm Bureau members to showcase business innovations being developed for agriculture. Louisiana-based FarmMind is the winner of this year’s competition. The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, announced the winner from among four finalists at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention.

Louisiana farmers experiencing financial pressure from declining crop revenues and high input costs will receive federal assistance through a $12 billion program announced by the Trump administration.

With about half of Louisiana’s — and the nation’s — farmers facing dire financial straits, agricultural communities are hoping the $12 billion short-term relief ordered by President Donald Trump earlier this month will be enough to offset losses from trade wars, tariffs, depressed commodity prices, and increased planting costs.

For so many farmers, the effort is about family.

That is truly the case when it comes to this year’s Rotary Club of Abbeville Farmer of the Year Award. On Nov. 19, the club presented the honor to Kelsi and Amanda Duhon.

“It is definitely an honor,” Amanda Duhon. “We were very shocked. We’re just so thankful to be a part of this community.”

Louisiana agriculture is facing a difficult chapter and evolving challenges, but there is reason for hope, thanks in part to the work of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.

Louisiana consumers will spend even less this Thanksgiving, according to a statewide sample of prices for the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation Thanksgiving Dinner Price Survey. Louisiana was the second-lowest price-wise in the survey, only behind Arkansas, and residents should expect to spend almost $10 less than the national average for a classic Thanksgiving dinner for ten people.  

Registration for the inaugural 2026 Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation joint leadership conference, Rooted in Leadership, is now open! The conference will be held January 23–24 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited a Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in Louisiana Monday, marking her first stop at one of the 2,100 offices reopened nationwide following a presidential directive to resume operations during the ongoing government shutdown.

Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA), Governor Jeff Landry (R-LA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain held a roundtable discussion with Louisiana farmers, cattlemen, and aquaculture reps, focused on strengthening the state’s agricultural industry.

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple on Friday announced that Louisiana Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company will reduce auto insurance rates by 11.8% for more than 80,000 policyholders statewide beginning Jan. 1.

The reduction marks one of the largest single decreases in recent years, coming as insurers report fewer accidents and cite growing confidence in Louisiana’s legal reforms.

To find inspiration for his interior design of LSU’s latest University House, Kenneth Brown had to put down his pencil and put on his sneakers.

“When I finally said yes to this project, I just walked the lakes,” says Brown, an LSU alumnus whose design portfolio includes high-profile jobs both in Hollywood and here in his Baton Rouge hometown.

The home’s social calendar is packed many months out. Recent events have included a 50-person seated dinner, a breakfast meeting, and a luncheon for an LSU Foundation Board of Directors member who received an honorary degree. For a dinner held in conjunction with Louisiana Farm Bureau, the menu included biscuits made with LSU-grown sweet potatoes and a sweet potato cheesecake for dessert.

Louisiana-based startup company, FarmMind has been named the winner of The Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge and will be leaving the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention with $100,000 in startup funds. 

Recognizing the vital role that four-legged friends often play on family farms and ranches, Farm Bureau launched the Farm Dog of the Year contest several years ago – now a popular feature of the American Farm Bureau Convention.

The Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge, now in its 12th year, provides opportunities for Farm Bureau members to showcase business innovations being developed for agriculture. Louisiana-based FarmMind is the winner of this year’s competition. The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, announced the winner from among four finalists at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention.

Several thousand farmer and rancher Farm Bureau members will soon gather for a much-anticipated “Farm Bureau Family Reunion” aka the American Farm Bureau Convention, slated for Jan. 9-14 in Anaheim, California.

If you will not be in Anaheim, digital access can provide a feel for the lights, sights and sounds of this inspiring annual event. Check out a digital version of the convention program here.

FarmMind, an agricultural intelligence platform rooted in Louisiana’s sugarcane country, has been selected as a Final Four competitor in the 2026 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge, a national business competition hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation in partnership with Farm Credit.

The 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention is officially underway. The convention is being held through Jan. 14 in Anaheim, California, with a full slate of inspiring speakers, educational workshops and cutting-edge trade show displays.

In a letter sent today to congressional leadership, a coalition of more than 70 biofuel groups and agricultural organizations called for the immediate passage of legislation to allow year-round nationwide sales of the American-made E15 fuel blend, containing 15 percent ethanol. Year-round E15 would benefit drivers with savings of 10 to 30 cents per gallon and improve markets for America’s farmers.

Farmers need rules that clearly define federal jurisdiction of Waters of the United States (WOTUS). The American Farm Bureau Federation today submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers, detailing the impact WOTUS has on farmers and elements that must be included in the new proposed rule to ensure it can withstand future legal challenges.

The United Nations is recognizing 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, aiming to spotlight the contributions of women in agriculture and agribusiness. The American Farm Bureau Federation and 15 other U.S. members of an IYWF working group are collaborating to elevate this initiative on several fronts, including the launch of an information hub dedicated to celebrating and advancing women in agriculture.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture committees will all be featured speakers at the American Farm Bureau Convention.

With about half of Louisiana’s — and the nation’s — farmers facing dire financial straits, agricultural communities are hoping the $12 billion short-term relief ordered by President Donald Trump earlier this month will be enough to offset losses from trade wars, tariffs, depressed commodity prices, and increased planting costs.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on USDA’s announcement to provide financial relief and an economic bridge for America’s farmers and ranchers until benefits from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reach the farm.