USDA Announces Changes to Enhanced Coverage Option Insurance Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced changes to the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) beginning with the 2025 crop year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage options to additional crops as well as increasing premium support to make the policy more affordable for producers.
“The Risk Management Agency is continually responding to producer needs and adapting our insurance coverage options to give producers more choices when it comes to managing their risks,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. “This expansion is part of RMA’s larger effort to provide more options for specialty crop producers.”
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USDA Announces August 14 Application Deadline for Emergency Relief Program Assistance for Commodity and Specialty Crop Producers Impacted by 2022 Natural Disasters
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the deadline for commodity and specialty crop producers to apply for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for 2022 natural disaster losses is Aug. 14, 2024. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting ERP 2022 applications in October 2023.
“If natural disasters impacted your farm or ranch in 2022, there’s still time to submit your application for Emergency Relief Program assistance,” said Ronald Guidry, Jr., FSA State Executive Director for Louisiana. “Don’t delay. Gather up your documents and contact your local FSA office to complete the application process.”
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LSU AgCenter Pays Tribute to Avoyelles Parish Sweet Potato Industry with Release of New, Early-maturing Variety
It can be harvested up to 30 days sooner than other sweet potatoes. It is a high yielder and tastes great, though its skin is a shade lighter than the sweet potatoes many Louisianans are accustomed to.
It’s the LSU AgCenter’s newest sweet potato variety, Avoyelles — named for the parish where scientists initially saw its potential and a parish that has played a central role in the state’s sweet potato industry for decades.
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When You Don't Know What to Make for Dinner, Fullness Farm Always Has the Answer
The general concept of Fullness Farm is simple.
Grant and Allison Guidroz grow seasonal, organic produce and vegetables, pick it, wash and bag it, and then bring it to weekly distribution points for their subscribers to pick up.
What sounds easy requires a lot of work leading to the end product, but the Guidrozes aren't complaining. This is what they signed up for in college.
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Louisiana Finally Fixes America's Dumbest Licensing Requirement
America's most insane occupational licensing law is about to get a whole lot better.
Louisiana is the only state in the country that requires florists to be licensed by the government. A bill that is now on the way to Gov. Jeff Landry's desk sadly won't change that fact, but it will eliminate the mandatory test that prospective florists in Louisiana must pass before being allowed to earn a living by placing different types of flowers together in an arrangement.
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The Incredible Farm In Louisiana Where You Can Pick Buckets Of Berries
Just after the strawberry season ends in Louisiana, the blueberry season begins! Blueberries are a popular pick-your-own-berry in Louisiana, and Bachman Blueberries is the place to go. The blueberry season in Louisiana typically lasts from June through July, so make some time to visit this berry farm in Louisiana soon!
Bachman Blueberries is a farm in Bush, Louisiana where visitors can pick their own blueberries.
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USDA Accepting Applications to Help Cover Costs of Organic, Transitioning Producers
Agricultural producers and handlers who are certified organic, along with producers and handlers who are transitioning to organic production, can now apply for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) and Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), which help producers and handlers cover the cost of organic certification, along with other related expenses. Applications for OTECP and OCCSP are both due October 31, 2022.
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Urban Youth Loan Borrower Grows Lettuce and a Passion for Hydroponics
Trinity Waguespack is an 11-year-old urban farmer in Lafayette, Louisiana. When she’s not tackling her schoolwork, Trinity is busy growing lettuce in her three hydroponic garden towers. Through precision agriculture and artificial intelligence technology, the towers notify her when the lettuce needs water, even when she’s at swim practice.
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Barcelo Gardens Providing Farm Fresh Food on Urban Land
When fresh produce is unavailable or unaffordable, a healthy lifestyle is unattainable.
Ashley Webb and her husband, Andres Barcelo-Sanchez, moved to New Orleans four years ago and access to local groceries was extremely limited, so the couple decided to do something about it.
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Southern Blight Presents Challenges for Louisiana Growers
Louisiana’s warm, humid weather provides a conducive environment for plant pathogens to quickly establish and spread. As a result, an important plant disease called southern blight has started to show up in Louisiana vegetable and ornamental production.
Southern blight is caused by the soilborne fungus Athelia rolfsii (Sclerotium rolfsii). The pathogen has a wide host range and is known to cause disease on various economically important vegetables (cucurbits, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes) and ornamental plants.
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Sweet Potato Quality Analysis is Enhanced with Hyperspectral Imaging and AI
Sweet potatoes are a popular food choice for consumers worldwide because of their delicious taste and nutritious quality. The red, tuberous root vegetable can be processed into chips and fries, and it has a range of industrial applications, including textiles, biodegradable polymers and biofuels.
The study is part of a multi-state collaboration funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that includes researchers from Mississippi, North Carolina, Michigan, Louisiana and Illinois.
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Better Berries, Cold Tolerant Sugarcane, Precision Breeding Is Making It Possible
In a pocket of central Louisiana, a surprising crop for that area is taking root — sugarcane.
Sugarcane, a tropical crop, has traditionally been limited to south Louisiana. But by using precision breeding techniques, LSU AgCenter researchers are developing sugarcane varieties that can withstand colder temperatures.
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Nutritional Benefits of Strawberries
Strawberries can also guard against health conditions like cancer, heart disease or diabetes.
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Kicking Off Strawberry Season With Indian Village Harvest Farm
It is strawberry season in Louisiana! One patch just opened up in Calhoun.
The “u-pick” is a fun family activity heading into Easter weekend! Owners William and Rebecca Cook say the strawberry picking experience gets kids involved in agriculture.
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Louisiana Tech’s Fragrant, Colorful Greenhouses Featured in State Journal
Some of the most fragrant and scenic spots on campus, the Louisiana Tech greenhouses are featured in the most recent Journal of the Louisiana State Horticulture Society.
From begonias to basil, from moon vine to mustard, from lantana to lettuce, the University’s greenhouses bloom with both color and instruction.
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