Free Estate Planning Workshop Set for January 11 in Farmerville
A free estate planning presentation will be offered on January 11, 2024, in the Union Parish Police Jury Meeting Room in Farmerville, Louisiana. Attorney Paul Spillers will provide valuable information on wills and trusts, asset protection, tax consequences, property ownership, and estate planning tools. Mr. Spillers is senior counsel at the Law Offices of Theus, Grisham, Davis & Leigh in Monroe, Louisiana. He specializes in estate planning and probate; litigation; oil, gas, and mineral law; taxation, and timber law. This workshop is sponsored by Trailblazer RC&D.
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Scientist Trains Computer To Spot Invasive Weed
To manage johnsongrass, a noxious weed that crowds out cotton and sickens horses, farmers have tried herbicides, burning and hand-pulling. Now, researchers at University of California, Davis, have developed a more high-tech weapon against the invasive weed: artificial intelligence and machine learning.
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Advocating Cotton's Policy Priorities
Prior to and throughout 2023, the National Cotton Council (NCC) focused on policy development for the 2023 farm bill.
Through the NCC’s Farm Policy Task Force, the industry segments came together to develop recommendations for the new bill. The NCC has actively conveyed to Congress and the administration its priorities for a meaningful farm bill with an effective safety net and comprehensive risk management tools.
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Ag Economist Says Fed Could Lower Interest Rates In '24
An ag economist says there was a tone shift from the Federal Reserve after it held interest rates steady for a third consecutive month. David Widmar, with Agricultural Economic Insights, says there have been some gains in the battle against inflation. “And then they signaled the possibility of three rate declines for 2024,” he says.
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LSU AgCenter Researchers Take Center Stage At January Conference
Celebrating nearly three decades as an academic partner, the LSU AgCenter will present some of its top researchers as featured speakers in a group of conferences in late January.
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Louisiana 4-H Foundation Board Welcomes Two New Members
The Louisiana 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees is welcoming two new members — a longtime 4-H volunteer from Tensas Parish and the CEO of one of the state’s largest agricultural equipment companies.
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October Rainfall, Cooler Temperatures Ease Worries for 2023 Iberville Sugarcane Harvest
The worst drought Louisiana endured in decades brought concerns of significant declines in sugar tonnage this year at Cora Texas Manufacturing Co., but prospects now look brighter.
Rain and mild weather in mid-October fueled growth of sugarcane and a better outlook for the 2023 harvest, said Charles Schudmak, chief operating officer/secretary for Cora Texas in White Castle.
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USDA Offering Additional Assistance For Distress Borrowers
USDA officials want farmers to know that the deadline for a special loan assistance program is fast approaching. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included a provision to help borrowers who have taken extraordinary measures to continue making their Farm Service Agency loan payments. Those borrowers have until Dec. 31 to apply for assistance.
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Ranking Ag Democrat Blasts Speaker Over Farm Bill
As the House of Representatives headed home for the holidays, Agriculture Committee Ranking Democrat David Scott fired a parting shot at Speaker Mike Johson. The Georgia Democrat says Johnson failed to begin farm bill negotiations with the Senate as he previously proposed.
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Louisiana Signs Agreements to Build First Offshore Wind Farms in State Waters
Two foreign companies have signed agreements to build the first offshore wind farms in Louisiana waters.
Danish firm Vestas was granted nearly 60,000 acres off Cameron Parish and Mitsubishi-owned Diamond Offshore Wind was approved for a 6,162-acre area off Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, the state Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday.
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Louisiana Ag Week Sprouts Up March 18-22, 2024: Celebrate, Compete, and Grow!
Get ready to sprout your creativity and curiosity during the inaugural Louisiana Ag Week, taking place March 18-22, 2024!
This week-long celebration isn't just about exploring the roots of agriculture – it's about celebrating its vibrant present and growing its future one seed at a time.
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USDA Launches Workshops On Livestock Risk Management Practices
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is hosting more than a dozen in-person and virtual workshops this winter for producers to learn about new and expanded livestock risk management products. The “Livestock Roadshow,” hosted by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), will highlight policy improvements based on feedback from America’s livestock producers as part of the agency’s broader outreach and education efforts
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ARC & PLC Programs Receive 2018 Farm Bill One Year Extension
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that agricultural producers can now enroll in the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2024 crop year. Producers can enroll and make election changes for the 2024 crop year starting Dec. 18, 2023. The deadline to complete enrollment and any election change is March 15, 2024.
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Newly Appointed Farm Bureau Members To Lead National Program Committees
Farm Bureau farmer and rancher members play an important role in our communities and our organization by serving on governing boards and committees at local, state and national levels. Several newly appointed volunteers will provide leadership beginning in 2024 as members of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers & Ranchers and Promotion & Education committees.
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Deer Hunters in Bayou State Urged to Bring Deer Head to a Collection Point after CWD Cases Confirmed
Deer hunters in northeast Louisiana are urged to bring the head of any deer they harvest to one of 13 collection points after cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) have been confirmed. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries State Deer Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon says 14 positive cases have been detected in Tensas Parish.
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