USDA Announces Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Impacted by Unfair Market Disruptions
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $1 billion in Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program assistance for specialty crops and sugar, commodities not covered through the previously announced Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program. These one-time bridge payments will help address market disruptions, elevated input costs, persistent inflation, and market losses from foreign competitors engaging in unfair trade practices that impede exports. Specialty crop producers have until March 13, 2026, to report 2025 acres to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA).
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Freezing Temperatures Take Toll on South Louisiana Crops
South Louisiana may not have gotten the ice and snow seen further north, but parts were blanketed in white.
In Tangipahoa Parish, strawberry grower Joey Liuzza has been working to protect his crop while continuing to harvest. White fields dotted with frost cover aren’t snowdrifts—they’re protective row covers used to shield strawberry plants from freezing temperatures.
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Not Many Know About One of the Country’s Most Profitable Crops, Except This St. Francisville Farm
Running one of Louisiana’s biggest mushroom farms is not for the weak.
Mushroom Maggie's Farm grows and sells up to 1,200 to 1,500 pounds of mushrooms every week. The St. Francisville-based business cultivates a variety of fungi, at least eight different kinds like lion’s mane, oyster, pink trumpet, shiitake and chestnut mushrooms.
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It Is Fruit Planting Season in Louisiana. See What LSU Horticulturalists Say Should Be Planted Now
With November coming to a close and the cooler winter months rolling in, it’s time to start planting.
Despite misconceptions, the prime time to plant fruits and vegetables is the late fall, not the spring.
“You want to get them out during this cold season,” said Denyse Cummins, an extension horticulturalist at the LSU AgCenter.
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Eat Fresh & Buy Local At The Farm To Table Market In Lake Charles
How would you like to look and feel your best, all while helping out your neighbors? That’s the premise behind the Lake Charles Farm to Table Market.
For many families like Catherine Ange’s in the Lake Area, this has become a weekly tradition, "I love eating fresh. I love eating from places that I know are taking care of their animals. I know the nutritional value is better than what we can get at the grocery store, and it gets my kids to come out and have a whole new experience.”
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Liuzzas Farm: Five Generations Of Sicilian Heritage In Louisiana
October is Italian American Heritage Month, a time to honor Italian traditions and their impact across the country. In Independence, Louisiana, one family’s story shows how those roots continue to grow strong, five generations later.
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Exploring Hidden Food Markets In Louisiana That Tourists Miss
Louisiana’s food markets offer a special peek into the state’s vibrant culinary culture. From historic city markets to countryside specialty shops, these spots showcase the best Cajun, Creole, and Southern flavors.
Whether you’re hunting for fresh seafood, homemade sausages, or local produce, these ten markets deliver authentic Louisiana tastes that keep locals and visitors coming back for more.
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Event Being Held to Raise Money for Red Stick Farmer’s Market, Other Programs
An event is being held to help raise money for the Red Stick Farmer’s Market and other programs.
The event is called Farm Fete and is being organized by BREADA, which hosts the farmer’s market. Farm Fete will take place on Thursday, September 25, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Main Street Market on Main Street in downtown Baton Rouge.
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Keeping Ahead of Strawberry Diseases: LSU AgCenter Working With Strawberry Growers To Manage New Disease
Louisiana strawberry farmers regularly contend with a multitude of challenges, including labor costs, unfavorable weather conditions, insect and mite pests, and plant diseases. In February 2022, a new-to-Louisiana disease was identified when a Tangipahoa Parish strawberry grower asked me to look at a field where plants were dying.
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Pawpaws: An Old Native with Renewed Interest
The pawpaw (Asimina triloba), America’s largest native fruit, is experiencing a resurgence of interest from chefs, brewers and native plant enthusiasts. The LSU AgCenter has been encouraging the cultivation of pawpaws in Louisiana through an annual Pawpaw Symposium in partnership with the Meraux Foundation and through extension education outreach to specialty crop producers looking to diversify their offerings.
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This Louisiana Farmer Turned A Little-Known Tropical Plant Into A Thriving Business
There’s a booth at the Red Stick Farmers Market in Baton Rouge where the star attraction is hibiscus. But it’s not the showy ornamental plant you’ll often see adorning Southern front porches. It’s roselle hibiscus, the smaller, bloodred flower with a fruit that’s long been used in a variety of culinary applications. Clinton, Louisiana’s Lena Farms began cultivating it in 2012, tapping into a rising interest in hibiscus teas and other products.
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Easy-to-grow Okra is a Louisiana Tradition
Okra holds a special place in the hearts of many Louisianans. For some, it’s an essential ingredient in gumbo, and for others, it’s a must-grow crop in the summer vegetable garden.
It’s no wonder why: Okra is tasty and nutritious. It’s easy to grow and prolific, even in intense heat.
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Could Sweet Potatoes Be a New Crop for New York?
Sweet potatoes are a superfood rich with vitamins, minerals and fiber.
They’re also a great source for high-value phytochemicals, such as carotenoids and anthocyanins. These chemicals impart various combinations of white, orange and purple to the crop’s flesh and skin, contributing to their popularity.
Sweet potatoes are primarily grown in southern states — North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi — that offer ideal growing conditions, infrastructure and established markets.
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Strengthened Partnership to Expand Local Food System Work Across Cenla, North Louisiana
Shreveport Green and Louisiana Central today announced the official transfer of Louisiana Central’s Farm & Food Division to Shreveport Green, effective July 31. This strategic move deepens a longstanding partnership between the two organizations and enhances the capacity to build cleaner, greener, healthier ecosystems throughout Louisiana.
The Farm & Food Division, recognized nationally for its innovative programming and leadership, will now operate under the umbrella of Shreveport Green.
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Farmerville Prepares for 62nd Annual Louisiana Watermelon Festival
Downtown Farmerville is gearing up for the 62nd Annual Louisiana Watermelon festival, which is set to take place on July 25 and 26.
The event will feature more than 150 vendors this year, making this the largest vendor turnout in festival history.
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