Sixth grade science and social studies teacher Hannah Hebert has been named the 2023 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year.
Hebert, who teaches at Rene A. Rost Middle School, was recognized for her innovative teaching methods that use agriculture to teach core subjects. She has a passion for agriculture and believes that it is important for students to understand where their food comes from and how it is grown.
Read MoreState and national politics will take center stage for the 101st Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention. U.S. Senator John Kennedy will address the state’s largest general farm organization, and all seven announced candidates vying to become Louisiana’s next governor will be at the convention.
Read MoreWith temperatures nearing 90 degrees before 10 a.m., producers from across the state endured the heat and humidity to learn the latest on planting and disease control and to taste unreleased varieties at a commercial vegetable field day June 14 at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden.
Read MoreIf you find irregular patches of soybean plants that look generally stunted, yellow, or dead, the cause could be nematodes. Generally, nematodes jeopardize the root system of the plant. Therefore, the plants will often have symptoms that mimic other maladies such as drought and nutrient deficiency. It is not uncommon to find nematodes throughout Louisiana. A recent survey (2019-2021) detected Southern root-knot nematodes in 22% of 164 fields.
Read MoreFoliar symptoms are usually not evident until soybean is in the mid to late reproductive growth stages. Initial symptoms are small chocolate brown lesions on the petioles near the leaflet. As the disease progresses, foliar symptoms are expressed as a reddish brown to tan discoloration on the upper leaf surface in the upper canopy.
Read MoreAs anyone in South Louisiana knows, rice is a major part of one’s diet. It is the most widely consumed staple food for more than half of the world’s population, which continues to grow each year. With the production of rice increasing, so does the need for water to grow it. In order to not use up nature’s most precious valuable resource—water—one LSU College of Engineering professor is working with the LSU AgCenter to design a new variety of rice that will be able to withstand drought conditions, making rice production fruitful while not exhausting natural resources.
Read MoreSixteen children ages 5 to 14 helped plant, tend and harvest from the second Martin Luther King Children's Spring Garden in Covington. As part of their adventure, the youngsters also created garden art to embellish the grounds, helped put together a well-dressed scarecrow and used a meditation bowl to learn about mindfulness.
Read MoreBetween 2002 and 2022, soybeans were the second-most planted crop in the United States, behind corn. The exception was in 2018 when acreage planted to soybeans surpassed corn. While the total acres planted to soybeans generally have been less than to corn, the rate of growth in soybean sowings has exceeded corn since the early 2000s.
Read MoreFarmer and consumer groups warn that the planned agricultural megadeal uniting the grain-trading giants Bunge and Glencore-backed Viterra could leave farmers with fewer alternatives for selling crops and drive up consumers’ prices for food.
Read MoreDuring the heat of the production season, early risers and late nighters aptly describes the nature of a crop consultant. Their day typically begins before sunup as they head out to the field to start work at first light. A cell phone, laptop, notebooks, sweep nets and drop cloths adorn their rolling office. After arriving home that night, they spend a lot of time reviewing notes, sending reports to their farmers and preparing to go again in the morning.
Read MoreThe chair of the United Soybean Board says progress is being made on a project to deepen the lower Mississippi River and improve the efficiency of ag exports.
The Army Corps of Engineers is deepening more than 250 miles of the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to the Gulf of Mexico.
Read MoreA major goal of the Louisiana Farm to School Act is to promote the use of locally grown and raised foods in school nutrition programs. One avenue to achieve this is for school food service personnel to source ingredients for school cafeteria meals within the state. In doing this, school districts directly support their local economies and community members who grow these products.
Read MoreNominate an outstanding consultant for the Rice Consultant of the Year Award. It is helpful to include background information about the consultant and support letters from people who know him or her.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting nominations for county committee members for elections that will occur later this year. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is unveiling a new GIS tool to make it easier for producers to participate in the nomination and election processes for county committee members, who make important decisions on how federal farm programs are administered locally.
Read MoreOn Thursday, June 8, Forestry Enforcement Officers with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) arrested 32-year-old William Ogden Alexander of Jonesville for setting a fire at a Catahoula Parish cemetery.
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