Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior will award Louisiana $156,329,442.65 in Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) revenue-sharing funds. The funding, which is derived from offshore energy production, will be used to finance coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has named LSU AgCenter nutrition and community health agent Becky Gautreaux its 2024 Outstanding Dietitian of the Year.
Gautreaux, who has worked for the AgCenter for 11 years, works in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. She was nominated by the dietetic internship director at Nicholls State University, which proved to be an important factor in Gautreaux’s win.
Read MoreThey’re nicknamed “mudbugs” for a reason. The natural behavior of crawfish farmed in rice-paddy ponds across South Louisiana is to dig watery burrows to escape summer heat and spawn in semi-hibernation. But last summer’s intense drought dried up even irrigated ponds, cracked open the clay soil, and baked those burrows.
Read MoreA ban on the sale of agricultural land to foreign adversaries such as North Korea, Iran, China, Russia and Venezuela has been proposed and advanced from a Louisiana legislative committee on Thursday.
The bill was approved by the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development in the House of Representatives.
Read MoreAccording to Dow Jones' survey of market analysts, USDA is expected to announce 92.0 million acres of corn plantings in 2024, down from 94.6 million acres in 2023. For soybeans, 86.3 million acres are expected to be planted in 2024, up from 83.6 million acres in 2023.
Read MoreLouisiana Economic Development is now accepting applications for its fourth annual Rural Entrepreneurship Initiative, the small business program that helps local companies overcome challenges unique to rural communities.
Program participants must be second-stage businesses, which typically have 5 to 99 employees and are poised for further growth, often spurred by expansion to out-of-state markets.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for April 2024, which are effective April 1, 2024. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Read MoreOn March 26, 2024, Michael Whitaker of Mansfield, LA, was arrested for theft of timber following an investigation by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Forestry Enforcement Division.
In January 2024, LDAF Forestry Enforcement received a complaint of possible timber theft in DeSoto Parish.
Read MoreThe U.S. Small Business Administration today announced the opening of a SBA Business Recovery Center in Avondale on Tuesday, April 2, to provide a wide range of services to businesses impacted by severe or extreme drought that occurred Sept. 19 - Dec. 5, 2023. The center will open as indicated below.
“Given the economic losses Louisiana businesses have faced, our priority is to provide them with all the support they need to assist in their recovery,” said Francisco Sánchez Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration.
It is strawberry season in Louisiana! One patch just opened up in Calhoun.
The “u-pick” is a fun family activity heading into Easter weekend! Owners William and Rebecca Cook say the strawberry picking experience gets kids involved in agriculture.
Read MoreSome of the most fragrant and scenic spots on campus, the Louisiana Tech greenhouses are featured in the most recent Journal of the Louisiana State Horticulture Society.
From begonias to basil, from moon vine to mustard, from lantana to lettuce, the University’s greenhouses bloom with both color and instruction.
Read MoreNew Iberia Representative Beau Beaullieu has filed legislation that calls for a constitutional convention so state lawmakers and delegates appointed by the governor can write a new state constitution. Beaullieu says the goal is to move certain items out of the Constitution and put them into state law.
Read MoreAs we head into Easter weekend, crawfish sellers are warning customers about the ongoing crawfish crisis.
If your family plans to host a crawfish boil, sellers said you may want to have a backup plan. Restaurant owners said they don’t have much on hand and if they do, it’s going to cost you.
Read MoreThe U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding small nonfarm businesses in Louisiana about the approaching deadline to apply for a federal disaster loan for economic injury after the statewide drought.
The deadline to apply is Monday, April 29.
Read MoreFeral swine—also known as wild pigs, wild boars, wild hogs, and razorbacks—are descendants of escaped or released pigs first brought to the United States by Europeans as a food source. They are a dangerous and destructive invasive species, and their populations have expanded across the country. Help us manage their damage.
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