With the late-summer sun beating down on them, attendees of the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station’s annual field day Aug. 29 stood before a plot where every couple of rows was marked with the name of a different variety.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for September 2024, which are effective Sept. 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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Each crop year presents a different set of challenges, prompting many producers to recall the number of experiences they have had in farming as opposed to how many years of experience they have farming. The 2024 growing season is running ahead for most by about a week based on USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Information reports released the end of July. Some regions are running as much as two weeks ahead of the last five-year average. This certainly calls for an evaluation of your harvest aid strategy and program.
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It looks like some heavy rain is possible across Louisiana through Friday morning. The severe threat is low, but the chance for an impactful rain, that could keep you from being able to do the work you need to get done is quite likely.
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Uncontained wildfires can quickly engulf homes and infrastructure, leading to significant economic losses, displacement of communities, and health risks due to smoke. They also present significant threats to forests, grasslands, and other natural habitats, leading to the death or displacement of countless animals and plants.
Providing firefighting teams with the best technology improves their chances of containing wildfires before they cause widespread damage.
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Every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m., the parking lot across from First United Methodist Church on Jackson Street bustles with the activity of the Alexandria Farmers Market.
And starting Tuesday (Sept. 3) it will be bustling with even more activity as it prepares to celebrate its 10-year anniversary at each market throughout September, with several special activities planned for each Tuesday of the month.
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A 4,462-acre farm with 4,071 tillable acres sold for $22 million, or $4,931 per total acre. The farm has 33% Class I silt loam soils, with the remainder being a mixture of Sharkey, Tensas and Moreland clay.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announced today that it does not expect to purchase and sell sugar under the Feedstock Flexibility Program for crop year 2024, which runs from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025. The CCC is required by law to quarterly announce estimates of sugar to be purchased and sold under the Feedstock Flexibility Program based on crop and consumption forecasts.
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The Rice Leadership Development Program gives future leaders a comprehensive understanding of the rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication skills. Applications for the 2025-27 class are due by Friday, September 6.
The class attends four one-week sessions over a two-year period that encompasses studies of all aspects of the rice industry through firsthand observations. They also attend seminars and workshops designed to strengthen leadership skills.
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Reliable access to the internet is increasingly necessary to take full advantage of these newer technologies. To that end, there have been several government programs initiated to provide more access to the internet across the U.S. The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) was announced in 2019 and is focused on improving internet access for rural Americans with $20.4 billion in funding in a ten-year period.
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On August 22, 2024, inspectors with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission (LBC) arrested Lester R. Johnson, Jr. of Opelousas for felony theft.
Prior to the arrest, an LBC investigation determined that in November of 2023, 32-year-old Johnson fraudulently bid on and was the high bidder on one head of livestock at a local livestock market.
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Click below for the market report from the latest Kinder Livestock Auction.
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September marks National Preparedness Month, serving as a reminder that natural disasters can strike at any moment. Homeowners can take many simple steps to ensure they are ready for potential emergencies and natural disasters.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Debt Consolidation Tool, an innovative online tool available through farmers.gov that allows agricultural producers to enter their farm operating debt and evaluate the potential savings that might be provided by obtaining a debt consolidation loan with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) or a local lender.
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USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) Census of Agriculture is published every five years and provides data at the U.S., state, and county levels.
One metric tracked is the average age of agricultural producers. This information is provided for selected southern states for the Census reporting periods 2017 to 2022, along with the percentage change in average age for that timeframe.
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