USDA Designates 11 Louisiana Parishes as Disaster Areas
Agricultural producers in 11 parishes who suffered losses due to excessive rains that occurred from June 1 through November 2, 2022, may be eligible for assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA).
Many areas of the state, including Louisiana’s greatest row crop-producing parishes, suffered 18 or more inches of rain within just a few days.
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LDAF Requests Public's Help In Locating Stolen Logging Equipment
Agents with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Forestry Enforcement Division are asking for the public’s assistance in locating logging equipment stolen in St. Helena Parish.
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LDAF Encourages Preparation For Freezing Temperatures
With temperatures dipping near or below freezing in parts of the state over the next several days, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., urges livestock and pet owners to take necessary precautions to protect their animals. This is also the time to protect plants, pipes, and, of course, people.
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Vernon Parish Man Arrested On Timber Related Charges
Forty-eight-year-old James Travis Johnson of Travis Johnson Logging was arrested by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Forestry Enforcement Agents for failing to pay for $24,000 of timber in Vernon Parish. Johnson was charged one count of Harvest of Forest Products/Failure to Remit Payment.
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LDAF Recipient Of The SUSTA Outstanding Achievement Award
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) has received the Southern United States Trade Association’s (SUSTA) Outstanding Achievement Award for the Most Engagement of Special Events.
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Pointe Coupee Parish Man Arrested For Simple Burglary Involving Saddles
On November 21, a Pointe Coupee Parish man was arrested by Brand Inspectors with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission. The arrest resulted from an arrest warrant from Pointe Coupee Parish following an investigation conducted by the Livestock Brand Commission.
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Louisiana Honoring Longtime Family, Farmers,, Ranchers
Some of Louisiana's farmers, ranchers and timberland holders have held and worked their land for generations, going back 100 years or more. The state is trying to honor that commitment.
Since it was launched in 2014, the Century Farm Program has honored 75 such families, said Mike Strain, commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
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Elected Officials Seek Emergency Declaration for Louisiana Farmers
Gov. John Bel Edwards has asked the federal government to issue a disaster declaration for a number of parishes whose farmers were hit hard by extreme weather during the past growing season.
The request, which had been urged by U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, whose district includes many of the hard-hit parishes in the state's northeast, underscores a tumultuous year for the state's farmers.
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LDAF Commissioner Proclaims Louisiana Sweet Potato Day
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., has proclaimed November 15 as Louisiana Sweet Potato Day in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the Louisiana Sweet Potato Advertising and Development Commission.
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Concordia Parish Man Arrested For Illegal Possession Of Stolen Things
On November 10, 2022, a Concordia Parish man was arrested by Brand Inspectors with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Brand Commission. The arrest resulted from an arrest warrant from Concordia Parish regarding an investigation conducted by the Livestock Brand Commission.
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Nomination Deadline For Louisiana Agriculture Hall Of Distinction Approaching
The Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction is still accepting nominations through Nov. 18 for its induction ceremony, which will be held March 2, 2023, in Baton Rouge.
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Calcasieu Parish Woman Arrested For Simple Arson
On October 11, agents with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Office of Forestry arrested 39-year-old Tabitha Verdine for setting several fires on Jim Drake Rd. in Starks, La.
LDAF Forestry Enforcement Investigators found that Verdine set fire to the roadside, which spread into the woods and resulted in a seven-acre wildfire causing damages to private property. It was eventually contained by the LDAF Fire Eradication Units and the Ward 5 Starks Fire Department.
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Bienville Parish Man Arrested For Cattle-Related Theft
A Bienville Parish resident was arrested on October 6 by agents with the Louisiana Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Division and the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Department. The arrest resulted from an arrest warrant from Bienville Parish regarding an investigation conducted by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission.
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LDAF announces Apprenticeship Project for Growing New Beekeepers in Louisiana
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) announced an upcoming opportunity to participate in the Apprenticeship Project for Growing New Beekeepers in Louisiana. The LDAF will work in partnership with high school agriculture teachers to offer beekeeping apprenticeship projects to high school agriculture students.
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Mississippi Man Arrested For Theft Of Livestock In LaSalle Parish
A Mississippi man was arrested on September 21 by agents with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture in Copiah County, Mississippi. The arrest was a result of a warrant from LaSalle Parish, LA, regarding an investigation conducted by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission.
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