Agricultural producers, pesticide applicators, and homeowners can drop off pesticides for disposal during the Unwanted Pesticide Pick-Up Day on Thursday, March 23, 2023, from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the LSU AgCenter Extension Office in Assumption Parish, 119 Robin Street in Napoleonville.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry investigated James H. Rowland for withholding proceeds of timber during the months of Dec. 2021 to Jan. 2023.
Investigators of the Forestry Enforcement Division say that Rowland was hired to harvest timber in Caldwell Parish on a 1300-acre tract. According to LDAF, Rowland allegedly withheld proceeds from the timber that was harvested off the tract. He also failed to report and pay for the loads of timber, depriving the owners of their share from the sales. LDAF says the timber was determined to have a delivered value of $283,996.88.
Read MoreAs Lent begins for observant Catholics in the New Orleans area, crawfish season is picking up. Of course, that's not all Louisiana has to offer.
Read MoreState agriculture officials from across the country sought this month to remind a new crop of lawmakers in Congress of their states’ needs for a robust farm bill to address a host of food issues.
Read MoreNumber of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size - Louisiana: 2012 - 2022.
Read MoreLouisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., encourages senior citizens 60 years old and older who meet certain income requirements to apply for Louisiana’s Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). The program, which LDAF administers through a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant, provides food benefits to qualified low-income senior citizens to buy locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey sold at approved farmers’ markets and roadside stands.
Read MoreNestlé Purina PetCare Company is voluntarily recalling select lots of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL Elemental (PPVD EL) prescription dry dog food due to potentially elevated levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for dogs; however, ingestion of elevated levels can lead to health issues depending on the level of vitamin D and the length of exposure. Vitamin D toxicity may include vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, and excessive drooling to renal (kidney) dysfunction.
Read MoreThe Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Commodity Procurement Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) invite you to a live, interactive webinar on becoming an approved USDA food vendor. AMS purchases approximately $6 billion of U.S. grown and processed foods annually for both domestic and international food assistance programs. USDA purchases over 300 different food products that directly support the nutritional needs for millions of school children, families, and other qualified individuals. Find out how your company can participate in these purchases that support American agriculture.
Read MoreBaton Rouge, La. – The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., announced LDAF is now accepting applications for the 2023 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP).
Applications must be received no later than the close of business (4:30 p.m.) March 14, 2023. LDAF will administer the grant program funded through the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS). The LDAF anticipates nearly $325,000 to be allocated to fund Louisiana projects.
The grants will be used for projects that enhance the competitiveness of Louisiana-grown specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops, including floriculture and horticulture in either domestic or foreign markets.
Applicants must reside in, or their organization or educational affiliation must be in, Louisiana. All applicants are required to obtain a Unique Identity ID (UEI) number and include that number on their application.
Grant funds will not be awarded for projects that directly benefit a particular commercial product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual. Projects should focus on issues to help improve specialty crop industries as a whole, such as distribution, production, research, pest and disease control, market development, increased nutrition knowledge and consumption, food safety, promotion, and education. Producer associations, state and/or local organizations, state or local governments, qualified educational institutions, nonprofits, and other specialty crop stakeholders are eligible recipients. Single organizations, institutions, and individuals are encouraged to participate as project partners.
Once the deadline has passed, all applications submitted to LDAF will be carefully evaluated to determine if the projects are qualified based on the criteria listed in the guidelines. Qualified project applications will be reviewed and scored by a panel of industry stakeholders who will make funding recommendations to LDAF. All LDAF-approved projects will be incorporated into one state grant request, which will be submitted to the USDA.
LDAF has prepared a Request for Applications (RFA) document detailing application instructions, scoring criteria, federal forms, project format examples, and other helpful information from the USDA. The document may be found at https://www.ldaf.state.la.us/consumers/agro-consumer-services-dairy/specialty-crops-program/.
A complete list of eligible specialty crops may be found at https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/USDASpecialtyCropDefinition.pdf.
For more information on how to apply for the grant or how to become a Panel Reviewer, contact Commodity Promotion and Research Director Michelle Estay at 985-345-9483.
Read MoreU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued secretarial disaster declarations for an additional five Louisiana parishes due to excessive rains. Those parishes are Bossier, Caddo, Grant, Rapides and West Carroll.
Read MoreUnwanted Pesticides will be collected on Thursday, March 28th at the LSU AgCenter Extension Office - Assumption Parish for disposal at no cost to producers, applicators or homeowners. All pesticides will be accepted. Containers will be furnished for transport to the collection site if old containers are not in good condition.
Read MoreLouisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Strain says egg prices rose sharply over the holidays as demand increased. Since then, it has lowered slightly, but not by much.
He says due to inflation, the cost of feed, fertilizer, diesel fuel needed for transporting products, and the cost of keeping chicken coups heated have all driven up the price of eggs, and they will remain high unless conditions improve.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF), in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory (CAHFS), has confirmed the presence of Clostridium botulinum type C in alfalfa hay cubes linked to the death of at least 20 horses in Louisiana.
Read MoreAgricultural 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.
Read MoreAgents 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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