Gravity is a wonderful thing, especially when it helps rice farmers flood their fields using conventional levee systems, a practice also known as cascade irrigation.
Although farmers and researchers have developed new water-saving techniques for irrigating rice, conventional levee-gate systems remain the preferred irrigation practice for many Midsouth rice producers.
Read MoreAs part of the Louisiana Rural Water Association (LRWA) Convention held annually in Lake Charles, members of the water systems industry gathered to discuss the future of water in the state, and to obtain operation certifications via the Louisiana Department of Health.
Back in 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers graded Louisiana a D-minus when it came to drinking water. Several communities across the state have dirty drinking water, and there has been a huge spike in chemicals found in tap water.
Read MoreRising bear populations along the Mississippi River in Louisiana prompted the state to reopen black bear hunting. A lottery system with a limited number of tags has been announced for December 2024 in the highest-populated bear management area in the state – covering Tensas, Madison, East Carroll and West Carroll parishes and portions of Richland, Franklin and Catahoula parishes.
Read MoreGov. Jeff Landry has proclaimed this week as Rural Road Safety Awareness Week, and he calls on all road users to promote safe driving habits.
The proclamation states that 530 fatal crashes in Louisiana occurred on rural roads in 2022, more than 62% of all fatal crashes. Even though rural crashes make up less than 40% of all crashes in the state, they tend to be more deadly said Lisa Freeman, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
Read MoreSupreme Rice recently became a sponsor of the Rice Leadership Development Program, joining the three current, long-term sponsors, American Commodity Company, John Deere, and RiceTec. Supreme is Louisiana’s largest rice milling operation with mills in Crowley and Mermentau, Louisiana, and Crawfordsville, Arkansas.
“We at Supreme strongly believe in this outstanding program and are honored to support the effort to foster a deep reservoir of leaders to ensure the U.S. rice industry remains viable and relevant,” said Supreme Rice CEO Bobby Hanks.
Read MoreYou’ve probably heard of grass-fed cattle, but what about donut-fed cattle?
Louisiana Farm Bureau 2024 Young Farmers and Ranchers Outstanding Young Farm Woman of the Year Amanda Duhon is making sure everyone in her family, including her cattle, enjoy a sweet treat through the help of donuts.
Read MoreCrop damage caused from bears in Franklin Parish was minimal.
This was the assessment given by Johnny Berry, large carnivore biologist for Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to Police Jury members at their regular monthly meeting held on Thursday, July 11.
The number one crop, according to Berry, that suffers bear damage is corn with wheat being second most damaged crop in Louisiana.
Read MoreClick below for the market report from the latest Kinder Livestock Auction.
Read MoreThe LSU School of Veterinary Medicine has installed a stunning new sculpture titled, "In Our Hands" by DiBari & Associates. The sculpture is prominently positioned in front of the Stephenson Pet Clinic on Skip Bertman Drive, between the Mississippi River and Tiger Stadium, in Baton Rouge. Funded by the Percent for Art Program under Louisiana's Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, this artwork symbolizes the school’s commitment to the wellbeing of animals and people alike.
Read MoreRecent weather extremes, which include record heat and cold as well as drought and flooding, have made it especially difficult to maintain the health and production of livestock in Louisiana. Predicting these weather extremes is nearly impossible at times, but advanced planning can help livestock producers minimize the impacts of these events.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Division of Weights and Measures recorded the highest (best) compliance rate in a recent national survey for price accuracy.
The 2024 National Price Verification Survey, conducted by the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) between January 1 and February 29, contains the results of 7,462 inspections across 26 states, verifying the price accuracy of 419,237 individual items in 11 retail categories.
Read MoreLSU introduced Oxbow Distillery as its official rum and now CEO Olivia Stewart is trying to change the way locals view local spirits, and make it more known in the state of Louisiana.
"Rum was the primary spirit that was drunk in America at the time of the revolution. George Washington, for instance, requested 400 barrels of rum to be there to celebrate his inauguration," Stewart said.
Read MoreDelta Biofuel’s $100 million sugarcane bagasse plant in Iberia Parish is almost complete, as it looks to sustain renewable energy for the state of Louisiana.
This facility is the first to be used in North America for its use of bagasse, a byproduct of sugarcane production. By using a fuel-powered system, it will have the ability to convert the bagasse into over 340,000 metric tons of biomass fuel pellets every year.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has published twelve draft forest management prescriptions for nine Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) that are now available for review.
The above detail proposed methods to improve, maintain, and sustain wildlife habitat while providing quality wildlife-oriented recreational improvements and growing quality timber resources for the long-term.
Read MoreLouisiana Central, in partnership with the Louisiana Small Scale Agriculture Coalition (LSSAC), is hiring a statewide position to work with our USDA Regional Food Business Center program. The Delta RFBC is a multi-year program funded by the USDA AMS and will include technical assistance and grants for post-harvest to final sale systems within the Louisiana Food System.
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