For Eli Graham, farming has always been about more than being the next generation in his family to farm. It is about raising a family, working alongside people who have become like family and learning to take life as it comes.

What happens to a crop after it leaves the farm can be just as important as what happens while it is growing.

Avery Davidson sits down at the Port of New Orleans with U.S. Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Michael Rutherford, Port NOLA Chief Commercial Officer Kristi App and Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain to follow agriculture from the farm gate to the global marketplace.

For generations, Louisiana farmers have helped feed thousands while supporting an industry deeply connected to the state’s economy and culture. Today, maintaining that legacy requires farmers to balance longstanding traditions with new technologies, changing market demands and rising costs.

In honor of National Farmers Day on October 12, we take a closer look at the farmers behind some of Louisiana’s signature commodities and how they are navigating changes in agriculture while carrying on family traditions.

We now have Tropical Depression 9, and by the time you're reading this will likely have Tropical Storm Isaias. This system should gather strength over the next few days as it slowly moves eastward and then turns to the north. The initial forecast track brings this inland as a category 1 or 2 hurricane near the Alabama Mississippi border.

Long before football fans fire up the grill, stir a pot of jambalaya or gather around sweet treats on gameday, Louisiana farmers are working hard to make those traditions possible.

Rice, beef, crawfish, poultry and sugar are staples of Louisiana cooking, including countless dishes served before kickoff each week.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited Louisiana’s sugarcane industry Friday, touring the Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperative (LASUCA) in St. Martin Parish and meeting with Gov. Jeff Landry, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, Louisiana Farm Bureau President Richard Fontenot and industry leaders to discuss the state’s agricultural economy and challenges facing farmers.

The drought continues to expand and intensify. 85% of Louisiana is under at least moderate drought conditions with 25% experiencing severe drought conditions. I know that math seems weird, but the 25% of the state in the severe drought would qualify for “at least” moderate drought. So it’s really dry once again. I think that’s all about to change.

Farmers and loggers are getting much needed help from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as harvest is underway across Louisiana.

Governor Landry signed an executive order declaring an emergency due to the shortage and high cost of diesel fuel.

For generations, agriculture has helped shape the economy, landscape and culture of Vermilion Parish. Rice fields, crawfish ponds and sugarcane farms stretch across the parish toward Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.

Now, another industry is preparing to put down roots alongside them.

An extended period of heat can easily become a bit too much to manage when work is done outdoors.

Robert Duncan, a fourth-generation farmer, manages crops like soybeans, wheat, livestock, and more on his land in Boyce. He is the owner and operator of R&R Duncan Cattle.

You’ve likely heard the term “flash drought” being thrown around over the last week. We saw this in 2023, but that was a special case, and we were already seeing extreme to exceptional drought by late August. In this case, we range from abnormally dry to moderate drought, but 100 degree days, and little forecasted rain means we will likely see a quick surge upward in drought intensity and coverage. 

When it comes to corn and soybeans, states such as Illinois and Iowa are certain to be production juggernauts season after season. The sheer number of acres dedicated to these crops means that all eyes -- and the markets -- tend to focus their attention on these states, including the 2026 DTN Digital Yield Tour.

Yet, living on the buckle of the Corn Belt isn't a prerequisite for growing successful, and often high-yielding, crops, as this year's tour estimates reveal.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall tonight applauded the executive order signed by President Trump to ease limits on the use of tax-exempt dyed diesel fuel to give farmers a break.

The American Farm Bureau Federation announced the opening of general registration today for the 2027 American Farm Bureau Convention. The convention will be held Jan. 8-13, 2027, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Diesel is used throughout agricultural production, powering tractors, combines, irrigation equipment and the trucks that move crops, livestock and farm inputs. With diesel prices rising sharply in recent weeks, fuel costs have become an even larger concern during one of the most fuel-intensive periods of the year.

A recent Farm Bureau analysis detailed the global supply disruptions and tight fuel markets behind the increase in diesel prices. For farmers, the effects show up directly in the cost of operating equipment and indirectly through higher transportation costs.

As farmers and ranchers face record-high diesel costs, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall called on the president to take several steps to lower prices at the pump, including a temporary suspension of the federal highway diesel tax.

The American Farm Bureau Federation on Thursday called on President Donald Trump to roll back the additional 300,000 metric tons of beef imports authorized by his administration. The group cited new data showing little change in retail ground beef prices since the lower-tariff imports began entering the United States.

The Federal Trade Commission is hearing about a scam targeting some of the hardest working people out there: farmers. Scammers posing as farm equipment businesses are selling (fake) equipment to farmers, who end up empty-handed. Here’s how the scam works and how to avoid it.

Farmland is disappearing across the United States as development and other pressures reduce the amount of land available for agriculture.

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall says competition for farmland is growing as housing, businesses, solar projects, and data centers expand.

Farming requires significant capital. Producers pay for seed, fertilizer, feed, fuel and other inputs months and sometimes years before crops are harvested or livestock are sold. Buying farmland, machinery and other long-term assets often require even more financing.

Those needs are growing. USDA projects total production costs for major field crops to reach new highs in 2027.

Credit is an essential part of agriculture, helping farmers manage costs and invest in their operations. But as borrowing costs rise, what does increased reliance on credit say about the overall health of the farm economy? American Farm Bureau Economist Faith Parum breaks it down.

USDA's September 2026 net farm income forecast, released Sept. 3, projects that net farm income, a broad measure of farm sector profitability, will decline to $158.4 billion in 2026. That is $4.3 billion, or 2.6%, below the newly revised 2025 estimate of approximately $162.7 billion. After adjusting for inflation, the decline becomes considerably larger at $9.1 billion, or 5.5%.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement regarding small refinery exemptions, which impact biofuel demand by exempting refineries from blending renewable fuel as required under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

The beef production cycle is a long-term process that takes several years to complete.

Cattle farmers' daily decisions affect the beef supply and prices for years to come.

America's beef cattle herd is at its lowest level since the 1970s, reflecting the years of depressed prices, high input costs and persistent drought conditions ranchers have faced.