The Gulf of Mexico Alliance recently received a grant for more than $1.4 million from the Gulf of Mexico Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will be used to improve water quality in northeast Louisiana.
As part of the project, farmers will learn how to adopt innovative farming practices that can decrease nutrient runoff while also enhancing the farmers’ cash crop.
The LSU AgCenter in partnership with nonprofit 4-H is hosting “AgMagic,” an educational event at the Parker Coliseum. This interactive experience, designed to educate children about Louisiana agriculture and wildlife, expects to attract thousands over its weeklong run.
Read MoreLate last year, the South experienced an extremely hot and sudden drought. When temperatures are high and moisture is low, trees become vulnerable quickly. Across southwest Mississippi and eastern Louisiana, approximately 12 million pine trees began dying. By early winter, 83,000 acres of pines had died. That estimate was derived with HiForm, an innovative tool developed by the Forest Service for high resolution forest mapping.
Read MoreHigh school students got a taste of the professional agriculture industry during the FFA invitational at the McNeese State University farm recently.
Nearly 1,500 students from Louisiana and Texas attended the event for its 60th year, making it the most attended practice contest in Louisiana.
Read MoreRodney McKay knows a lot about starting fires.
Between 15 and 25 times a year, McKay heads into the woods with a drip torch, rakes and an array of other tools used to light fires, monitor their spread and manage the smoke they produce.
Read MoreDespite 2023’s drought, Louisiana’s landowners, sugarcane producers and millers continue to have confidence in sugarcane in 2024.
Kenneth Gravois, the LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist, is not surprised.
Read MoreClick below for the market report from the latest Kinder Livestock Auction.
Read MoreThe 2024 Master Farmer Program Phase One Training sessions have now been set.
Pre-registration is required, and a minimum of five participants per session is also required.
Lunch and refreshments will be served and the program is being sponsored by the LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.
Read MoreScientists at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) developed an edible antiviral treatment that can be used to protect honey bees against Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and other viruses, according to a recent study published in Sustainable Agriculture.
Honey bees are important agricultural pollinators. However, viruses, including DWV, are linked to the deaths of millions of colonies worldwide. DWV, like other viruses, is most often spread by Varroa mites who carry the disease inside them and infect bee colonies.
Read MoreCongressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) led members of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation on a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administrator, Isabel Guzman, in support of Governor Jeff Landry’s disaster declaration in response to 2023 drought conditions. The delegation urges the Small Business Administration (SBA) to approve Louisiana’s request and extend the deadline for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) filing through the end of the crawfish season so that Louisiana businesses can have access to critical financial assistance.
Read MoreNormally, the weeks just before Easter mean peak business for crawfish harvesters, wholesalers and processors, with ample product and high demand. Instead, they’re waiting to see if the federal government will declare a disaster for their industry, which continues to weather the after-effects of last summer’s extended drought and a bad freeze earlier this year.
Losses for the Louisiana crawfish industry are estimated to reach nearly $140 million — more than half the typical annual yield, according to the LSU AgCenter.
Read MoreThe state's constitutional convention, expected to take place in the near future, offers a unique opportunity to reassess the financial aspects of the constitution.
The convention aims to enable more balanced budget cuts across all departments, rather than limiting reductions to healthcare and education budgets alone, while also shedding light on the tax exemption and exclusion programs outlined in the constitution.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for grants to support urban agriculture and innovative production. Applications for USDA’s Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grants are due April 9, 2024 via grants.gov.
“This grant program has proven very popular and impactful in recent years, and we look forward to partnering with more communities nationwide to strengthen local food systems and increase access to healthy foods,” said Terry Cosby, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Read MoreForecast rainfall amounts continue to increase, and it looks like the rain will stick around a bit longer into Friday across a good chunk of Louisiana.
Forecast totals started in the 1/2 to 1 inch range, but have steadily increased, and are up to 1-2 inches for most areas. The heaviest rain is most likely across southern and central parts of Louisiana, where isolated totals over 3 inches are possible.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is working with the Louisiana Fire and Emergency Training Academy in compiling the locations of grain bin rescue tubes across the state.
Grain bin rescue tubes are specialized pieces of equipment used by first responders to help safely remove someone trapped by flowing grain inside a grain bin or other grain storage facility.
Read More
