Rural cooperatives are the backbone of our nation and provide countless goods and services that people in rural Louisiana rely on to thrive.
Cooperatives have existed throughout the U.S. for more than a century. They are businesses owned and controlled by the people who use them. They differ from other businesses because they operate for the benefit of their members, rather than to earn profits for investors.
Read MoreThe LSU Red-N-Sweet watermelon will be featured on an episode of the PBS series “The Key Ingredient with Sheri Castle” during the show’s upcoming third season.
Red-N-Sweet was developed at LSU AgCenter Calhoun Research Station in Ouachita Parish. The first crosses that led to its development were made in 1972 and the variety was released in 1987.
Read MoreEstablished in 1949, the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station in Chase, Louisiana, stands as a testament to over seven decades of dedicated research, innovation and service to the sweet potato industry. Spanning 308 acres, this facility has been at the forefront of advancing the sweet potato industry in the United States, transforming its trajectory from a humble crop into a thriving specialty crop with a diversified market base.
Read MoreThe USDA has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.
These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA, according to a news release.
Read MoreThe Ruston Farmers Market, a beloved fixture in our town for the past 16 years, invites the community to a special evening on October 3rd from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Held in the market’s charming warehouse, the event promises a warm and inviting atmosphere enhanced by twinkling string lights.
Guests will enjoy a catered dinner by the Desi Bourgeois, complemented by an open bar and the lively sounds of Mixed Notes.
Read MoreClint and Raquel Manuel, co-owners of Manuel Farms Cattle Co., recently announced the opening of a new educational pumpkin patch in Evangeline Parish, designed specifically for local school field trips. This fall, the Manuels are inviting preschoolers, homeschool co-ops, and small educational groups to experience the magic of agriculture through a hands-on, interactive pumpkin patch experience.
Read MoreWith the late-summer sun beating down on them, attendees of the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station’s annual field day Aug. 29 stood before a plot where every couple of rows was marked with the name of a different variety.
Read MoreEvery Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m., the parking lot across from First United Methodist Church on Jackson Street bustles with the activity of the Alexandria Farmers Market.
And starting Tuesday (Sept. 3) it will be bustling with even more activity as it prepares to celebrate its 10-year anniversary at each market throughout September, with several special activities planned for each Tuesday of the month.
Read MoreCity Park Conservancy (CPC) and Grow Dat Youth Farm finalized a cooperative endeavor agreement (CEA) to keep urban farming at its current New Orleans City Park location for years to come.
“We appreciate the collaboration with Grow Dat and board support to develop this agreement and keep urban farming in the Park,” said City Park Conservancy President and CEO Rebecca Dietz.
Read MoreOn June 26th and 28th, NRCS was invited to participate in farm tours for the No-Till Organic Market Garden (OMG) NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) project. The purpose of these tours was to collect soil samples and have discussions about soil health plans with producers who are committed to sustainable agriculture. The program supports a diverse group of small-scale, urban, beginning farmer and ranchers measuring their production over a three-year period with help from the NRCS. We visited several notable farms, including: James Price, 3P Farm; Samantha Starkey, Starkey Farmstead; Sierra Torres & Becks Hilliard, Cicada Calling Farm & Market; Donna Isaacs & Waylon Breaux, DeLaTerre Permaculture Farm; and Anthony Hoff, Heart & Harvest Homestead. They have all been embracing and implementing no-till and organic practices.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced changes to the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) beginning with the 2025 crop year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage options to additional crops as well as increasing premium support to make the policy more affordable for producers.
“The Risk Management Agency is continually responding to producer needs and adapting our insurance coverage options to give producers more choices when it comes to managing their risks,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. “This expansion is part of RMA’s larger effort to provide more options for specialty crop producers.”
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the deadline for commodity and specialty crop producers to apply for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for 2022 natural disaster losses is Aug. 14, 2024. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting ERP 2022 applications in October 2023.
“If natural disasters impacted your farm or ranch in 2022, there’s still time to submit your application for Emergency Relief Program assistance,” said Ronald Guidry, Jr., FSA State Executive Director for Louisiana. “Don’t delay. Gather up your documents and contact your local FSA office to complete the application process.”
Read MoreIt can be harvested up to 30 days sooner than other sweet potatoes. It is a high yielder and tastes great, though its skin is a shade lighter than the sweet potatoes many Louisianans are accustomed to.
It’s the LSU AgCenter’s newest sweet potato variety, Avoyelles — named for the parish where scientists initially saw its potential and a parish that has played a central role in the state’s sweet potato industry for decades.
Read MoreThe general concept of Fullness Farm is simple.
Grant and Allison Guidroz grow seasonal, organic produce and vegetables, pick it, wash and bag it, and then bring it to weekly distribution points for their subscribers to pick up.
What sounds easy requires a lot of work leading to the end product, but the Guidrozes aren't complaining. This is what they signed up for in college.
Read MoreAmerica's most insane occupational licensing law is about to get a whole lot better.
Louisiana is the only state in the country that requires florists to be licensed by the government. A bill that is now on the way to Gov. Jeff Landry's desk sadly won't change that fact, but it will eliminate the mandatory test that prospective florists in Louisiana must pass before being allowed to earn a living by placing different types of flowers together in an arrangement.
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