Louisiana is home to some of the most destructive invasive species found in the United States. The LSU AgCenter has long worked to monitor and manage these non-native insects, weeds and wildlife.
To better understand and control invasive species, the LSU AgCenter is developing a Center of Research Excellence for the Study of Invasive Species.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will begin issuing more than $1.75 billion in emergency relief payments to eligible farmers and livestock producers. These much-needed payments are helping farming and ranching operations recover following natural disasters in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Read MoreLouisiana rice farmers will get a little extra help from the federal government this year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that rice producers will receive an additional payment through the Farm Service Agency’s Rice Production Program, which provides up to $250 million in assistance to rice farmers.
Read MoreThe search continues for those responsible for intentionally setting the wildfires that have left parts of Louisiana charred and damaged.
Read MoreFor the second consecutive year below normal water levels are being recorded along areas of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. US Department of Agriculture Meteorologist Brad Rippey notes how barge traffic along the Mississippi River has been impacted by a recent lowering of water levels.
Read MoreA man was killed in a crash involving a farm tractor on Sunday, September 24, according to Louisiana State Police.
Troopers said the crash happened just before 8 p.m. near the intersection of LA 441 and Herman Hutchinson Road in Livingston Parish.
Read MoreLouisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards submitted a request to President Joe Biden for a Federal Emergency Declaration on Monday over an intrusion of saltwater into the Mississippi River that officials say could impact the water supply in the region.
Read MoreThe historic drought has many Louisianans smelling a rat. Dry conditions are forcing rats and mice into homes in search of food and water. LSU Ag Center Professor emeritus Dr. Claudette Reichel says the rodents have less access to food sources due to the drought.
Read MoreMultiple wildfires in Rapides Parish that spread to Vernon Parish have resulted in the arrest of a Rapides Parish woman.
On September 22, 2023, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Enforcement Division investigators arrested Laura Mclaughlin of Pitkin.
Read MoreOn September 22, investigators with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Enforcement Division arrested Laura Mclaughlin of Pitkin, LA, for setting wildfires in Rapides Parish.
In the early morning hours of August 24, LDAF fire crews and the Plainview Fire Department responded to multiple wildfires set in the Union Hill area in Rapides Parish.
Read MoreIn the sweltering heat and amidst challenging drought conditions, the rice crops in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, continue to persevere. Yet, the same tenacity can be seen in the farmers themselves, who grapple not only with the unforgiving forces of nature but also with mounting stress and mental health challenges. As rice farmer Allen McLain Jr. reflects, "It's probably one of the biggest mind games because you're spending all of this money... it's a mind game. And it's a life full of stress."
Read MoreThe theme this year for the 94th annual Beauregard Parish Fair is “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Agriculture,” and the community can come out on Oct. 3-7 to enjoy the festivities.
The fair will be held on 506 West Drive in DeRidder.
Read MoreOliver Bryan Mitchell died Thursday, September 21, 2023, at The Carpenter House of St. Joseph Hospice in Shreveport, LA. He was born January 29, 1931, in Haughton, LA, the son of Robert E. Mitchell, Sr., and Minnie Irene Bryan Mitchell.
Bryan served on the Board of Bremco and Board of Swepco, The Life Board of Southern Farm Bureau, President of Bossier Parish Farm Bureau and Vice President of Louisiana Farm Bureau.
Read MoreQuestions over specifications for the proposed Mondu Solar project in the south end of the parish led Pointe Coupee Parish Council members to table the permit decision until next month.
Steve Loupe, a retired farmer who lives near Alma Plantation, spoke on behalf of residents in the parish who see it as a threat to the future of agriculture. He made his living cultivating sugar, corn, beans and wheat on more than 2,000 acres in the Glynn area.
Read MoreIn the countryside, where sprawling fields in the breeze, and grain bins stand on the horizon, farming is a way of life. It's a life that brings with it a unique set of challenges and risks. One of the most underestimated and perilous aspects of farming is the grain bin—those seemingly innocuous metal tubes that dot the rural landscape. However, these towering structures hold hidden dangers that can swiftly turn a routine task into a life-threatening situation.
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