Concordia Parish has 373 farms which encompass 301,766 acres of land, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the results last week. The document spans more than six million data points about America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them down to the parish level.
Read MoreGovernor Jeff Landry sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture seeking federal assistance in regards to the crawfish industry.
The letter, sent to Secretary Tom Vilsack, is seeking federal assistance to address the recent drought that is affecting the domestic crawfish industry and caused prices to skyrocket. The request would expand the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program to include drought as a cause of loss for farm-raised fish, including crawfish.
Read MoreThe Lafourche-Assumption-Terrebonne Parish USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) is relocating to 525 St. Mary Street in Thibodaux.
The phone number for the office is (985) 446-6293. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Read MoreAccording to the USDA, Louisiana lost two-thousand farms between 2017 and 2022, but the amount of land used to farm has stayed about the same. Neil Melancon with the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation says smaller farms are finding it impossible to remain economically viable, so we are just seeing bigger farms.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is inviting grant applications from organizations to provide hands-on assistance to agricultural producers applying for Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) funding, which will lower energy costs and make energy efficiency improvements in rural areas.
Read MoreDuring a sometimes prickly House hearing on Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urged lawmakers to buckle down and write a farm bill that does not cut SNAP or climate funds. Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee said the Biden administration has overlooked the needs of the large-scale farmers who produce the bulk of U.S. crops and livestock.
Read MoreJoin the Louisiana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative on Friday, February 23, for an informative workshop on composting led by Grant Estrade, a seasoned composter with over 15 years of experience. The workshop will cover various aspects, including understanding material handling challenges, delving into the science behind composting, learning how to start composting on both small and large scales, understanding the necessary equipment for compost creation and spreading, and exploring the costs and benefits of composting.
Read MoreLouisiana's sugar cane production is booming.
Despite a severe drought, the state's 2023 harvest produced more than 1.8 million tons of sugar. The number of acres of sugar cane harvested has been increasing over the past few years, as has the tons of sugar per acre, due to more sugar-intense varieties.
It's not just Louisiana.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing almost $1.8 million in cooperative agreements with six partner organizations for outreach and technical assistance to promote awareness and understanding of the Conservation Reserve Program-Transition Incentives Program among agricultural communities. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers the program as an important tool to help beginning, veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers access land, as well as keep agricultural lands in production.
Read MoreUSDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to eight national conservation practice standards. Comments are due March 4, 2024.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has a cooperative agreement with Louisiana under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). Through this agreement, USDA and Louisiana are working together to offer over $4.6 million in competitive grant funding for projects designed to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain. Louisiana is accepting applications for this Infrastructure Grant funding through April 15, 2024.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing over $70 million in 374 projects through the Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 program. The work will strengthen the country’s defenses against plant pests and diseases, safeguard the U.S. nursery system, and enhance pest detection and mitigation efforts. Universities, states, Tribal organizations, federal agencies, and others will manage these projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.
Read MoreThe U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing final Emergency Relief Program (ERP) payments totaling approximately $306 million to eligible commodity and specialty crop producers who incurred losses due to natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will begin issuing these additional payments to eligible producers this week.
Read MoreLouisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain asked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to fund the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-Raised Fish program, or a similar program, to aid Louisiana crawfish farmers affected by drought and cold temperatures. Strain made the request in a letter dated February 2, 2024.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter is partnering with USDA to offer the ASPIRE [Agricultural Sciences Professional Internships in Research and Extension] Program during the summer of 2024. Undergraduate students (from any college or educational institution, including LSU) are encouraged to apply for various 10- week paid summer internships. There are internships focused in animal science, horticulture, 4-H, nutrition, entomology and aquaculture.
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