Agriculture plays a vital role in Louisiana, contributing over $4.8 billion in agricultural products from 25,006 farms across nearly 8 million acres, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture.

Recognizing the industry’s importance, Louisiana offers specialty agriculture license plates as a unique way for residents to show support for the state’s farming community while directly funding agricultural education initiatives.

This week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited with farmers in Port Allen and Jennings, to discuss the next Farm Bill and what Louisiana’s farmers need to continue feeding our state and the world.

“Our farmers and fishermen produce the best sugarcane, rice and seafood in the world,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It’s my goal to protect them against unfair, foreign competition, to keep crop insurance affordable, and to prevent the cost of farming from rising. I appreciate being able to meet with Louisiana farmers and work together to reach these goals in the next Farm Bill.”

Congresswoman Julia Letlow joined Congressman Trent Kelly in introducing the Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation (FARM) Act of 2024. This legislation addresses the urgent need for immediate economic support for Louisiana farmers facing unprecedented challenges as they approach the crucial lending season for the 2025 crop year. 

The FARM Act will give farmers one-time assistance payments and will be a critical resource for farmers in helping them pay down debt relative to the 2024 crop year and assist them in obtaining financing for the 2025 crop year.

The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is urging federal lawmakers to create and enact a new long-term Farm Bill to help the state’s farmers and ranchers see opportunities for economic sustainability.

The Farm Bill officially expired on Sept. 30, meaning there is currently no federal safety net for farmers, said Richard Fontenot, president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.

The term “Farm Bureau Family” extends far beyond Louisiana. Members of the Kansas Farm Bureau recently traveled to the Bayou State, where they experienced unique agriculture and warm southern hospitality.

Over the course of a week, they explored several farms across the state, including Vermilion Gator Farm in Abbeville.

For the first time in Vermilion Parish, high school students with special abilities had the opportunity to learn about the agriculture industry and its economic role in the community.

The event brought together 35 students and 20 teachers for an interactive tour that began in Abbeville at the Sagrea Alligator Farm. There, students learned about the alligator breeding process, including how hatchlings grow to adulthood and are processed for their skins.

A friend called me today and asked me to explain constitutional amendment number one being voted on at Louisiana’s polls on November 5th. She also wanted to know if I thought it was OK for her to vote for the amendment. I couldn’t get back with her right away, so she sent me this text: 

“I guess my big question is. Will I have to pay any more money 💰. Big girl is tapped out!”

Dry conditions continue in many parts of Louisiana, as evidenced by the current U.S. Drought Monitor. There are eight parishes in the state where at least a portion is classified in a D2 severe drought. Better data allows state and national official to better assess conditions on the ground. That’s where you can help.

The official rumors have been confirmed. It appears Louisiana will enter into a 4th legislative session in 2024 down at the Capitol in Baton Rouge come November. The session should occur sometime after the November 5th election and before Thanksgiving. It will be a special legislative session that will address only matters related to taxation and revenue reform. Legislators say the support does exist to hold a third legislative session in 2024, but some say that they're not sure if a consensus can be reached in the short amount of time allowed by a special session.

Louisiana farms are facing another year of losses in 2024, according to the LSU AgCenter. Those losses would continue in 2025 if Congress does not pass a new Farm Bill this year.

Ag Economist Michael Deliberto, Ph.D. calculated with current commodity prices, production costs and price supports, a 1,500-acre farm would end 2024 with $306,097.50 in losses. A 2,000-acre farm would fare considerably worse with a balance sheet ending in 2024 with $564,482.50 in losses.

Many were left without power and others were devastated by flood waters and damaging winds after Hurricane Francine made landfall earlier this month. This storm was a major setback for cattle ranchers and sugarcane farmers and left them with weeks of additional work.

Cattle ranchers Colleen Landry and her fiancé Cody Batiste operate H&M Ranch in Terrebonne Parish. Despite their pasture being flooded by Hurricane Francine, the couple had no choice but to head out to check on their cattle.

Applications are now open for the American Farm Bureau Social Media Ambassador Program at the 2025 FUSION Conference to be held March 7-10, 2025, in Denver, Colorado! If you are seeking an opportunity to apply what you are learning through your coursework, get creative with social media and/or engage the public in a conference experience, apply today.

Cooking a Thanksgiving feast for your friends and family will cost less than last year but will still be more expensive than before the pandemic. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 39th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of this year’s classic holiday feast for 10, which is $58.08 or about $5.80 per person.

Air Force Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, a decorated F-16 fighter pilot, will address attendees as mid general session keynote speaker during the 2025 American Farm Bureau Convention on Sunday, Jan. 26. Rooney is founder and CEO of Folds of Honor, a nonprofit foundation that provides educational scholarships for children and spouses of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders. The foundation has provided nearly 62,000 military and first responder families with $290 million in scholarships since its founding in 2007.

A newly established award recognizes veterans or service members for excellence in farming or agriculture and positively impacting local communities. Retired Army Col. Joe Ricker of Indiana is the first recipient of the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence presented by the American Farm Bureau Federation with support from Farm Credit.

Ricker served 30 years in the Army before retiring from a logistics post at the Pentagon in 2022. His service also included tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, his commitment to excellence in farming and enriching the lives of veterans has blossomed in a myriad of ways in both his local community of Wilkinson, Indiana, and across the country.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on the election of Donald Trump to be the 47th President of the United States of America.

“Farm Bureau congratulates President-elect Donald Trump on his election to lead our great nation, as well as the representatives and senators elected to serve in the 119th Congress. We are committed to working with our nation’s leaders to strengthen agriculture and rural America, and we look forward to continuing that work in the days ahead.

Lawmakers are expected back on the Hill after tomorrow’s election, and farm groups are hoping they take action for America’s producers.

“A new farm bill would have taken care of a lot of these issues. But because we don’t have that farm bill, we have different needs across the country that have not been met by Congress,” said Joe Gilson.

This week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited with farmers in Port Allen and Jennings, to discuss the next Farm Bill and what Louisiana’s farmers need to continue feeding our state and the world.

“Our farmers and fishermen produce the best sugarcane, rice and seafood in the world,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It’s my goal to protect them against unfair, foreign competition, to keep crop insurance affordable, and to prevent the cost of farming from rising. I appreciate being able to meet with Louisiana farmers and work together to reach these goals in the next Farm Bill.”

Over 230,000 farms are up against a Jan. 1, 2025, deadline to file their detailed Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) with the Treasury Department under the requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Despite facing steep fines and possible jail time for failing to file, less than 11% of eligible businesses nationwide have filed their BOI. Efforts to protect small businesses from these invasive requirements and the harsh punishment for noncompliance have stalled in Congress. Let’s review what the Corporate Transparency Act means for farmers.

The farm bill is critical to the success of America’s farmers. It must be renewed every five years, and it provides farmers with a safety net to survive difficult times. 

Despite its importance, the farm bill expired in September 2023. Congress passed a one-year extension, but that too has now expired.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, communities across the Southeast from Florida to Georgia, through the Carolinas to Virginia and Tennessee are picking up the pieces. The devastation in rural and farm communities has been widespread, and it will be weeks—possibly months—before we know the full impact of the storm. Farm Bureau organizations across the region are providing resources for those affected and those looking to help their neighbors near and far.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the impact of the East Coast dockworker strike.

“America is bracing for the impact of the massive dockworker strike that threatens to paralyze traffic of goods in and out of the United States. Our nation relies on international trade for everything from electronics to machinery.”

Yesterday marked the expiration of the one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill, leaving farmers and ranchers anxious about whether Congress can secure a new, five-year reauthorization. Despite Congress giving themselves a full extra year to craft and pass a new farm bill, inaction remains the status quo in the halls of Congress.

September is National Honey Month, a tradition started by the National Honey Board in 1989, according to the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.

In the United States, honey collection season typically ends in September as the bees begin to secure their hives and prepare for winter.