Most of the worst drought conditions have weakened in the state, but it still made a dent in the plant nursery and garden industry in Central Louisiana.
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Some farmers are struggling to bear fruit this season because of the freezing temperatures.
75-year-old Daniel Romero owns Daniel & Anna's Orchard, a "pick your own" fruit farm in New Iberia.
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Current Farms is launching its third Winter Farm Share Season and it will continue until March 2024. According to Current Farms, this year they are partnering with 3 Board Farm to bring more locally-grown fresh food from the farm to the community.
“Our partnership with 3 Board Farm is more than just a business contract; it’s a shared vision for a healthier, more sustainable community,” said Conrad Cable, owner of Current Farms.
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Today on Louisiana Living, Cathy Agan, nutrition agent for the LSU Ag Center, joins Ashley Doughty in the kitchen to demonstrate how to make sweet potato hash.
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Joe Mitcham pulled a knife from the pocket of his jeans and made a few quick cuts in the root of a peach tree he had pulled out of the ground earlier that day.
Using the tip of the blade, he pointed at the white streaks visible in the soft, yellow wood.
“You see that?” he asked. “That’s the fungus.”
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Brandon Breaux started the first elderberry farm in Louisiana.
Michael Davis produced and marketed the first goat milk gelato in New England.
Joshua Morris developed a multi-speciated operation to create ecosystems on his farm in Missouri.
When each of these veterans returned home from their military service, they were driven to take their lives on a new path — farming.
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In Grant Parish, the pecan is the king of the crop. But just like every crop this year, pecan farmers are bracing for the record drought’s impacts.
“All we can control is our inputs. That’s what we can buy at the store and put out here. We can’t control the weather,” said Ben Littlepage, owner of Littlepage Farms on Highway 8 outside of Colfax.
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Projections show the saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico continues to push up the Mississippi River in the coming weeks, threatening the drinking water of thousands of people in Louisiana.
Farmers are also scrambling for ways to save their produce.
Commissioner for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain said Plaquemines Parish is the heartbeat of Louisiana’s citrus industry.
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Commercial citrus growers have dwindled over the past few decades in south Louisiana, where farmers have had to battle hurricanes, flooding, invasive insects, freezes and drought to keep their groves alive.
The latest hurdle comes from a slow-moving threat — a mass influx of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico that is creeping up the drought-stricken Mississippi River.
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U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced two bills to protect Louisiana rice and shrimp against China and India’s dumping of cheap shrimp and produce into U.S. markets. The Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act and the India Shrimp Tariff Act will both protect the Louisiana agricultural industry while ensuring that food that appears on U.S. store shelves meets U.S. health standards.
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In a summer replete with challenges for Louisiana farmers as they’ve dealt with a heatwave and extended drought conditions, there is finally some good news on the agricultural front. The state’s sweet potato crop is doing just fine, and although harvest may be slightly delayed this year, some producers are expecting bumper yields.
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On any given day, Mark Mese can field messages from growers and nursery owners around the world about acquiring some of the hundreds of plants in his Baton Rouge nursery. Mese, a retired attorney, has about 3,000 square feet of greenhouses on his property, where he carefully tends each day to bromeliads, rare ferns, begonias, succulents and more.
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There is an age-old debate about how to pronounce “pecan.” The pronunciation of the word changes across state lines, and sometimes even depending on how a person is using the word.
But in Louisiana, there’s not much debate. It’s “puh-kaan,” as could be heard in the Louisiana Legislature this session when lawmakers unanimously voted to make the pecan the official state nut.
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The LSU AgCenter will hold a field day featuring the latest sweet potato research and industry updates Aug. 31.
The event will be held at Black Gold Farms at 2305 La. Highway 17 in Delhi. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with field tours to follow at 9 a.m. The program will conclude with a sponsored lunch provided by Lamb Weston.
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A fresh tomato on a lunchtime sandwich. A cool slice of watermelon on the patio. Fresh peppers tossed into a pot to season an evening meal.
Thanks to Louisiana’s soil conditions and adequate rainfall, it’s easy to find these types of specialty crops at local farmers markets, roadside stands and some stores. This year, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is celebrating these crops and those who grow them, which creates an ecosystem that has economic benefits for people across the state.
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