Members of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Leadership Committee and Young Farmers and Ranchers brought their voices directly to lawmakers at the state capitol, advocating for policies that impact farmers and rural communities across Louisiana. 

For Courtney Gerace, life looked like everything she had ever hoped for – a growing family, a role in agriculture, and a life rooted in purpose. But behind that reality, she was quietly struggling.  

On the Gerace family farm, a typical day starts like many others across rural Louisiana.

Courtney Gerace balances the books, keeping the farm’s finances in order. Her husband, Nicholas, works in the shop, making sure equipment is ready to roll. Nearby, their children take a break from homeschooling—trading lessons for fresh air, imagination and the freedom to just be kids.

More than 130 head of cattle passed through the show ring April 10–11 at the Florida Parishes Arena in Amite during the Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Youth Livestock Show. The annual event brings young exhibitors from across the state together to showcase their livestock while gaining insight into the agriculture industry.

The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is calling on the federal government to investigate what it describes as unfair foreign trade practices impacting the U.S. crawfish industry.

The highly anticipated Farm Bill continues its slow climb through Congress, offering hope to farmers facing mounting financial pressure, but many key details remain unresolved.

Louisiana Farm Bureau President Richard Fontenot says farmers are entering the 2026 growing season with uncertainty on several fronts, from weather delays in the field to ongoing policy and labor concerns in Washington.

A group of Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation and advocate for issues affecting agriculture in the state.

The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation made farming in our parish quite a bit safer with the donation of a Grain Bin Rescue Tube and Rescue Auger to the Natchitoches Fire Department, Wednesday, March 4 at the Parish Fairgrounds. Grain Bin Entrapment is an extremely dangerous situation in which a person working in a grain bin falls in. Moving grain will cause the person to rapidly sink. The grain is heavy and exerts pressure on the body. A person in grain over their knees will not be able to be lifted out. As the grain rises, so does the pressure.

Louisiana Farm Bureau urges Congress to pass the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 as it advanced out of the House Committee on Agriculture on March 5, 2026. Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation President Richard Fontenot sent a letter to the state’s congressional delegation, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, outlining the urgent need for updated policy.

The show ring is packed with students putting their best foot forward for showmanship. When Jesse Daigle steps onto the dirt, he has his game face on.

The beef industry is evolving, and the producers who stay ahead are the ones willing to see what’s possible beyond their fence line.  

The 2026 Louisiana Farm Bureau Beef Tour is quickly approaching, offering an eye-opening experience for not only cattle farmers, but those eager to learn more and network in Central and Eastern Texas.  

Farmers are invited to submit nominations for the 2027 Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year contest, which comes with cash prizes and bragging rights. This is the ninth year of the contest, supported by Nestlé Purina PetCare, which celebrates farm dogs and the many ways they support farmers and ranchers.

Few agricultural sectors capture the identity of a state in the way crawfish defines Louisiana. From roadside boils to restaurant menus far beyond the Gulf Coast, crawfish is both an economic engine and a cultural institution. But behind that visibility, the industry is navigating a convergence of pressures - rising production costs, intensifying import competition, a critical labor supply disruption and increasing weather volatility - that are testing the financial resilience of producers across the region.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the House of Representatives vote to pass the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

The American Farm Bureau Federation says billions in federal aid are reaching farmers through the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, but warns financial pressures in agriculture are far from over.

Twelve farm and ranch women leaders graduated from the spring session of Women’s Communications Boot Camp hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation.The agricultural leaders completed an intensive four-day course that featured hands-on sessions focused on public speaking, working with the media and messaging. Program graduates will use their training to strategically support issues important to farmers and help tell agriculture’s story. This includes participating in local media opportunities, sharing information with elected officials and joining social media campaigns that spotlight modern agriculture.

The Ag Investment for America coalition, launched two years ago with USA Rice as one of the original partners, held a Congressional and stakeholder briefing on Capitol Hill yesterday to highlight the benefits of the Grown in America Act (H.R. 1707) and review newly released economic analysis by the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University. The briefing included remarks and an update on the bipartisan bill by the lead sponsors Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN) and Jim Costa (D-CA). There are currently 32 bipartisan cosponsors on the bill.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing over $2.5 million in payments through the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program (OFSCLP) to producers who suffered losses of eligible harvested commodities stored in on-farm structures in 2023 and/or 2024 due to a qualifying natural disaster event.

An overwhelming majority of America’s farmers who responded to a nationwide survey say they cannot afford to purchase enough fertilizer to get them through the year. The percentage who pre-purchased fertilizer varies significantly by region.

In celebration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer initiative, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Leadership program, together with a strong coalition of U.S. agrifood system stakeholders, will host a landmark national gathering to honor the vital role women play in agriculture and the supply chain.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is accepting online applications from entrepreneurs for the 2027 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge through June 5. Now in its 13th year, this national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on a memorandum of understanding between USDA and the Department of the Interior to strengthen public lands grazing and the partnership between ranchers and the agencies.

Each year, the Feeding the Economy report provides one of the most comprehensive looks at the full economic footprint of U.S. food and agriculture. While often discussed in terms of farm receipts or commodity production, the report highlights a much broader reality: agriculture is not just a sector, it is a foundational driver of economic activity that supports millions of jobs, trillions in output and significant tax revenue across every state.