Louisiana Farm Bureau President Jim Harper sent letters to Congressman Clay Higgins and Senator Bill Cassidy to thank the two lawmakers for filing companion bills to help farmers and fishermen.

The Prioritizing Offensive Agriculture Disputes and Enforcement Act would identify trade barriers to U.S. agricultural exports and develop strategies to enforce violations of trade agreements, according to a press release.

In the sweltering heat and amidst challenging drought conditions, the rice crops in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, continue to persevere. Yet, the same tenacity can be seen in the farmers themselves, who grapple not only with the unforgiving forces of nature but also with mounting stress and mental health challenges. As rice farmer Allen McLain Jr. reflects, "It's probably one of the biggest mind games because you're spending all of this money... it's a mind game. And it's a life full of stress." 

Oliver Bryan Mitchell died Thursday, September 21, 2023, at The Carpenter House of St. Joseph Hospice in Shreveport, LA. He was born January 29, 1931, in Haughton, LA, the son of Robert E. Mitchell, Sr., and Minnie Irene Bryan Mitchell.

Bryan served on the Board of Bremco and Board of Swepco, The Life Board of Southern Farm Bureau, President of Bossier Parish Farm Bureau and Vice President of Louisiana Farm Bureau.

In the countryside, where sprawling fields in the breeze, and grain bins stand on the horizon, farming is a way of life. It's a life that brings with it a unique set of challenges and risks. One of the most underestimated and perilous aspects of farming is the grain bin—those seemingly innocuous metal tubes that dot the rural landscape. However, these towering structures hold hidden dangers that can swiftly turn a routine task into a life-threatening situation.

Emma Nicole Stelly represented Vermilion Parish Farm Bureau in the La. Farm Bureau Queen’s Contest at the 101st Annual Convention at the New Orleans Marriott June 22-25, 2023. Twenty-five young women representing their respective parish Farm Bureaus participated in the event.

Robert and Rachel Duncan received the Young Farmer and Ranchers Achievement Award at the Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention in June.

Their land has been home to the Duncans for over 70 years. Now, after many attempts to win the award, the Duncans can relieve that weight off of their shoulders.

Gracie Pepper said she felt her father's presence on stage with her when she was crowned Louisiana Farm Bureau queen less than three months after Lafourche Parish Det. Sgt. Nicholas Pepper was killed in the line of duty.

"My mom (Christie) said, 'Your daddy's on this stage working overtime,'" said Pepper, her voice cracking again recalling Saturday's pageant as part of the annual Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention in New Orleans. "We cried together."

Before the evening talent contest Friday at the Louisiana Farm Bureau convention in New Orleans, six gubernatorial candidates took the stage and told a room full of farmers what they most wanted to hear: They promised to invest in Louisiana and support agriculture including preserving the state’s tax subsidies for farming.