Donald Louis Zaunbrecher passed away peacefully on July 26, 2024 at 81 years old.
Born the youngest of 10 children to Joseph and Annie Dischler Zaunbrecher on September 7, 1942, he spent his childhood in Mowata with his family.
A farmer is who he was.
There is currently an interesting contrast between the "union busting" efforts in conservative Republican states and the anti-labor movement in America. While many conservative states have been working to dismantle union-related processes through legislation and the courts, the recent speech by Sean O'Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, at the Republican National Convention has created a dichotomy between these states and the national trend.
Read MoreLate last week, a group of Louisiana’s agricultural leaders sat down for a genuine conversation about the current state of agriculture in Louisiana and across the country with U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, at the Louisiana Farm Bureau (LFBF) office in Baton Rouge.
Read MoreU.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy spent this past Friday afternoon traversing the rich soil of Liuzza Produce Farm in Independence, hearing concerns from owner Joey Liuzza whose family has owned the business for several generations.
Cassidy, along with Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, a fellow Republican, spent much of the day visiting with farmers and state agricultural leaders, being provided a firsthand account of the challenges farmers are facing in a changing landscape.
Read MoreYou’ve probably heard of grass-fed cattle, but what about donut-fed cattle?
Louisiana Farm Bureau 2024 Young Farmers and Ranchers Outstanding Young Farm Woman of the Year Amanda Duhon is making sure everyone in her family, including her cattle, enjoy a sweet treat through the help of donuts.
Read MoreAs a first-generation sugar cane farmer and a fourth-generation cattle producer, Amanda Duhon has intimate knowledge of how the nation's meat, grains and produce make their way to grocery shelves and homes.
The food that her family farms on their 800 acres, spread between Lafayette and Maurice, is worked daily by Amanda and her husband, Kelsi Duhon. Often she's working with a baby strapped to her chest, or caring for the Duhon's three sons while her husband is out late during planting season.
Read MoreU.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) met with farmers and others in Louisiana’s agricultural industry with U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), the highest-ranking Republican member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. They participated in discussions and tours regarding Louisiana’s agricultural needs, in anticipation of a future Farm Bill.
The senators went to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation’s Baton Rouge headquarters to meet with officials with the Farm Bureau and various agricultural associations, including the American Sugarcane League, the Louisiana Cotton and Grain Association, Louisiana Rice Growers, the Louisiana Forestry Association, the Louisiana Loggers Association and the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.
Read MoreMembers of the DeSoto, Caddo, Bossier and Claiborne Parish Farm Bureaus will deliver fencing materials to ranchers who suffered damage during Monday’s tornadoes as Tropical Storm Beryl made its way across Texas into Arkansas.
The Shreveport office of the National Weather Service issued 67 tornado warnings on July 8. NWS officials later confirmed 19 tornadoes touched down in the area, including at least one in DeSoto Parish.
Read MoreWhat a wild ride Beryl was for parts of Louisiana. The National Weather Service in Shreveport and Lake Charles issued a combined 93 tornado warnings over their Parish/County warning areas. Those weren’t all in Louisiana, but at least 12 tornado tracks have been verified across Louisiana. Rainfall totals were manageable, and in most cases, beneficial across the state. And now, it’s right back to summer in Louisiana.
Read MoreThanks to Buck Leonards and the staff at Louisiana Farm and Ranch for providing the digital edition of the latest issue.
Read MoreRecently, there’s been speculation about whether there will be another special session of the Louisiana legislature in 2024. It brings to mind the question of how many licks it takes to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop, with the answer being three.
Interestingly, this legislative body has already gone through three sessions in 2024, and we are only halfway through the year. The legislators, who want to spend time with their families, are reluctant to return to Baton Rouge for another session. A second reason to not convene again is that the leges are exhausted from these three sessions, and the most obvious reason is, "for what?"
Read MoreOn June 28, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) implemented a new final rule to enhance protections for agricultural workers, both American and foreign, particularly those employed under H-2A status. This rule strengthens enforcement measures to ensure compliance with federal labor laws, boosting worker protection obligations in several key areas.
Read MoreTwenty-four of Louisiana’s most poised and talented ladies representing various parishes competed for the coveted crown. Eager to represent the organization for the upcoming year, this year’s slate of contestants participated in multiple rounds of competition, which included both interviews and evening gown presentations.
Read MoreParks native Hannah Devall takes home a title at the 2024 Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention held in New Orleans.
What started out as Devall’s high school passion led her to win the Young Farmers and Ranchers Discussion Meet Contest which focuses on cooperation, teamwork and critical thinking.
Read MoreOn Sunday, fourth-generation rice farmer Richard Fontenot of Ville Platte was elected the 13th president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau.
Fontenot, who in addition to rice farms soybeans and crawfish, succeeds Jim Harper of Cheneyville, in leading the more than 100-year-old organization.
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