LSU Researchers Discover 'Swamp Power' Preserved Ancient Underwater Forests
The ancient underwater forest about eight miles off the coast of Gulf Shores, Alabama, is known as a time capsule from the last ice age—and for the first time, researchers understand why. Chemical and pollen analyses found the bald cypress trees were buried in sediment from swamp and marsh ecosystems, like those in southeastern United States today. Such low-oxygen environments helped preserve the wood, which is more than 60,000 years old and grew on land at a time when sea levels were much lower than they are today.
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The Farmer's Forecast: Watching Beryl
All eyes are on Hurricane Beryl. Here’s how I see things going for Louisiana.
Beryl will likely maintain major hurricane status as it approaches Jamaica. There will be some weakening over the next few days, but it looks like a Jamaica landfall, or very close call will happen, causing some big problems there today. After that the forecast track takes Hurricane Beryl just south of Cancun and Cozumel sometime Thursday night. If that happens, Beryl would spend around 12 hours over land, and would likely weaken to a strong tropical storm, or minimal hurricane.
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SU Ag Center and College of Ag Awarded Over $1 Million in USDA Capacity Building Grants
The Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SU Ag Center) and the College of Agricultural, Human and Environmental Sciences (CAHES) have been awarded three capacity building grants through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants Program.
This program aids 1890 historically black Land-Grant Universities in building capacity in the areas of teaching, research, and extension activities, which include enhancing curriculums and faculty development, student recruitment and retention, research enhancement, and extension program development.
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AFBF Responds To Milk Marketing Reform Proposals
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on USDA’s proposed amendments to all 11 Federal Milk Marketing Orders. AFBF has been calling for FMMO reform since 2021 and convened a successful first-of-its-kind industry-wide forum in 2022.
“We appreciate that USDA held this hearing, recognizing some of our concerns related to milk pricing. We are pleased with the intent to return the Class I skim milk price to the ‘higher-of’ formula as we called for. That said, we’re disappointed in changes that will benefit processors without regard for producers at a time when dairy farmers are struggling and many have gone out of business. USDA missed opportunities to improve and update price formulas.”
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High School Students, Teacher Learn About Agriculture At Camp CHISP
A group of high school students and teachers from Baton Rouge recently wrapped up a two-week camp that had them exploring crop fields, laboratories and research stations alongside LSU AgCenter scientists.
Six students and four teachers from Woodlawn High School, Baton Rouge Magnet High School and Arlington Preparatory Academy participated in the inaugural Camp CRISP from June 17 to 28.
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LA 4-H Shooting Sports Wins Second Consecutive National Championship
The Louisiana 4-H Shooting Sports Team are once again reigning national champions after defeating competitors from across the United States.
The team has placed first in four out of the past five national competitions, including 2019, 2021 and 2023, with a second-place finish in 2022 and the 2020 event being canceled due to COVID restrictions.
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Solar Power, Farm Bill, Sugar Program Affects Louisiana Sugarcane
Landowners need to be very careful when approached by solar power developers and do their due diligence before signing on the dotted line, advised an energy expert attorney at the June 29 sugar commodity meeting at the 102nd Annual Louisiana Farm Bureau convention at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel.
Only about 25 percent of all the proposed solar projects will ever come to fruition said Emory Belton, an energy attorney from Baton Rouge.
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Louisiana Rice & Grain Stocks: June 2024
Louisiana rough rice stocks in all positions on June 1, 2024, totaled 4.14 million hundredweight (cwt), up 25 percent from June 1, 2023. Stocks held on farms totaled 310,000 cwt, up 29 percent from last year. Off farm stocks totaled 3.83 million cwt, up 25 percent from last year.
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USDA Announces July 2024 Lending Rates for Agricultural Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for July 2024, which are effective July 1, 2024. USDA 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.
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June 2024 Acreage Report and Grain Stocks Summary
The USDA recently released its annual Acreage Report which provides markets a more accurate idea of spring planting progress and what potential supply implications may be in store for the 2024 crop year. On the demand side, USDA also released its Quarterly Grain Stocks report which shows usage rates between March 1, 2024 and June 1, 2024. These changes in supply levels will impact 2023/24 ending stocks and 2024/25 beginning stock levels which will subsequently be reflected in the July World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report.
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Changes to Planted Acreage for Southern Crops in the June Acreage Report
On Friday June 28th the USDA released its annual Acreage report. The report estimates planted acreage of principal crops based on producer surveys conducted in the first two weeks of June. Nationally, principal acres planted were estimated at 315.177 million acres, up 1.866 million acres compared to the March Prospective Plantings report and 4.424 million acres lower than last year (Table 1). Southern states accounted for 22.8% of principal crop acreage.
Southern states account for 75% of rice production nationally, with Arkansas the largest producer. Rice acres planted were unchanged in Texas and Mississippi, declined 30,000 acres in Arkansas and increased 30,000 acres in Louisiana.
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Louisiana Agricultural Workforce Development Program Offers Internship Program Opportunities
The Louisiana Agricultural Workforce Development Program (LAWDP) is now accepting applications for the 2024 – 2025 program year from qualified agricultural and forestry businesses interested in participating in the program.
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Memorandum on Disaster Programs for Louisiana’s Crawfish Industry
This memo provides a comprehensive overview of programs available to crawfish farmers and crawfish fishermen, the barriers we are working to address with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the actions the Higgins Congressional office has taken to encourage federal and state government policy to assist the crawfish industry in Louisiana.
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Louisiana Farm Bureau Just Wrapped Up Its Annual Meeting to Discuss State Industry Issues
Many state Farm Bureau organizations are holding their annual meetings.
The Louisiana Farm Bureau just wrapped up theirs where everything from crawfish to row crops are discussed.
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USDA Invests $5.2 Million in 17 Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $5.2 million in 17 new grants that support urban agriculture and innovative production. Grant recipients, including SPROUT NOLA FARM in Louisiana, will increase food production and access in economically distressed communities, provide job training and education, and allow partners to develop business plans and zoning proposals. These grants build on $46.8 million invested in 186 projects since 2020 and are part of USDA’s broad support for urban agriculture through its Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP).
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