Jessie Hoover, 35, represented Louisiana in the semi-final rounds of American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) Discussion Meet at the 103rd Annual American Farm Bureau Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
Read MoreThe American Farm Bureau Federation presented awards to state Farm Bureaus at the organization’s 103rd Convention, which runs through Jan. 12. The awards recognize excellence in implementation of outstanding member programs and membership achievement in 2021.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction is still accepting nominations through Dec. 3 for its induction ceremony, which will be held March 24, 2022, in Baton Rouge.
The nomination form can be found online at www.louisianaagriculturehallofdistinction.com or at any parish LSU AgCenter extension office.
The nomination form should include the nominee’s major contributions to Louisiana agriculture, any leadership roles, honors and awards received by the nominee, and significant civic and public service accomplishments performed by the nominee.
Read MoreBring your friends and family back home to Louisiana for Thanksgiving dinner this year, because it will be cheaper for them to enjoy turkey and all the trimmings here than the national average.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction is now accepting nominations for its annual induction ceremony, which will be held March 24, 2022, in Baton Rouge.
Read MoreSky darkens, rain pours, wind blows and a hurricane roars, leaving in its wake mangled buildings, roofless grain bins, and uprooted foundation pillars. Barns, shops, equipment—gone. In 2020, Brandon Vail’s farm life was rolled by devastation on a grand scale. Pile on a truck accident from which he crawled from a crushed tin can to survive by a wafer-thin margin—and the pill of 2020 is all the more bitter.
Yet, mettle takes the day. Knocked to the mat in 2020, Vail found his feet, emblematic of the resilience of Louisiana farmers forced to reckon with another wrecking ball. Farming just 20 miles from the Gulf of Mexico in the teeth of hurricane country, battling saltwater creep and mosquito plagues, Vail is pushing back with grit against the elements. He will rebuild. “I belong here on this dirt,” he says. “I belong.”
Read MoreMore than one year after Hurricane Laura caused more than $1.6-billion in damage to the state’s agriculture industry, some farmers say assistance has been inadequate.
“It’s very slow to get any type of aid in your pocket,” said farmer Brandon Vail. “It's not a cheap deal to rebuild and rebuilding is going to take several years.”
Read MoreThe Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is gathering donations for Louisiana farmers and ranchers affected by Hurricane Ida.
Making landfall exactly 16 years after Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ida is ranked in the top three strongest hurricanes to make landfall in Louisiana.
Read MoreThe continuing resolution passed by Congress September 20, 2021 to fund the federal government included $10 billion to fund the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus, better known as WHIP+. This funding is important for Louisiana’s farmers and ranchers affected by the 2020 hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta, as well as the 2021 ice storm.
Read More"This Week in Louisiana Agriculture," the weekly TV show that showcases the state's largest industry on 18 broadcast and cable stations across Louisiana and nationally on RFD-TV, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month.
Read MoreTexas Farm Bureau (TFB) donated $10,000 to a disaster relief fund administered by the Louisiana Farm Bureau to benefit farmers and ranchers who suffered damages from Hurricane Ida.
The TFB Board of Directors authorized the donation at its Sept. 21-22 meeting.
Read MoreMark your calendar! October 2, 2021 is when Louisiana Farm Bureau, Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association, LSU AgCenter Extension Agents, along with St. Helena, Tangipahoa and Lafourche Parish Farm Bureaus and Lafourche Cattlemen’s Association will distribute donated fencing supplies to ranchers in need.
Read MoreThis week, the House Agriculture Committee passed its portion of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, including more than $94 billion in new spending related to agriculture.
For Louisiana, there is a glaring hole in that spending plan as it is lacking supplemental disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers after Hurricane Ida ravaged the state last month.
Read MoreBales of hay are headed to Plaquemines Parish to help cattle and horses impacted by Hurricane Ida.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry says that the hay will be used to feed cattle and horses stranded following the storm.
LDAF says the delivery was made possible thanks to their partners at the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, Louisiana Cattlemen's Association, the LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association Equine Committee, Texas Equine Veterinary Association, Texas A&M Veterinary Association and The Foundation for the Horse.
Read MoreHurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana exactly 16 years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. Ida’s 150 mph winds make it equal in strength and intensity as 2020’s Hurricane Laura and the 1856 storm that hit the community of Last Island. All three are tied as the strongest hurricanes to ever make landfall in Louisiana. Ida’s winds toppled electrical transmission lines that provide power to grain export facilities and small family farms alike. Ida’s storm surge sent cattle to higher ground along levees with hardly any forage and even less fresh water. Homes are damaged or destroyed. Our farmers and ranchers will feel the economic and psychological effects of this storm through this harvest season and beyond.
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