The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to review and revive key local food purchasing programs that have supported farmers and ranchers while providing fresh, nutritious food to schools and food banks across Louisiana.

For Aaron Lee, farming was never just a career choice, it was a legacy. 

That legacy challenged him to grow into leadership while carrying the expectations of five generations before him. Lee grew up on his grandfather’s farm, realizing from a young age that he wanted to pursue a career in agriculture. He’s now a sixth-generation sugarcane, livestock, rice, and crawfish farmer. 

An early sunrise in Vermilion Parish revealed a skim of ice still clinging to the water in Adler Stelly’s crawfish ponds — not enough to step on, but enough to stop the season in its tracks. 

Just north of Interstate 20 in Claiborne Parish, winter weather doesn’t stop the work at Marsalis Cattle.

When Mitch Marsalis began his morning chores, temperatures hovered around 23 degrees with sleet falling— conditions that would send most people back indoors. For Marsalis, it meant an extra layer of responsibility. 

With grain entrapment and engulfment incidents posing a serious danger to farmers, first responders, and ag workers nationwide, Louisiana & Mississippi Farm Bureaus are teaming up to bring vital grain bin rescue and safety training to communities in Grant, Natchitoches, Caddo, and Morehouse Parishes March 3–6, 2026.

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.  

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on EPA finalizing the registration of dicamba products.

Sunday’s big game will be the main focus for millions of America’s families, but what they eat during the game will be a close second. The NFL championship represents the second-highest day of food consumption, behind only Thanksgiving.

The 107th Annual American Farm Bureau Federation Convention, held January 10-12, 2025, featured a historic display of bipartisanship and a firm commitment to agricultural relief. Highlighting the event were two major sessions: a first-of-its-kind congressional roundtable and a closing address from the nation’s top agricultural official.

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall highlights the urgent need for legislation expanding the bridge support program for farmers, reinforced by new analysis indicating the economic crisis in farm country is likely to continue this year.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on President Trump signing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law.

Agriculture groups sound an alarm about the economic crisis in rural America in a letter sent today to Congress. 56 organizations representing a cross-section of agriculture signed the letter, sending a strong message to Congress.

Farmer and rancher delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 107th Convention today adopted policies to guide the organization’s work in 2026. Key topics ranged from labor to animal health to risk management.

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.