The West Louisiana Forestry Festival is Back
It's that time of year again! The West Louisiana Forestry Festival returns to Leesville October 2nd through the 6th at the Vernon Parish Fairgrounds located at 276 HM Stevens Blvd.
Festivities include a Junior, Teen, and Miss pageant held the two weekends preceding the festival. The Vernon Parish 4-H Club will have their horse show on September 29, 2024 beginning at 9:00 AM. On September 30, 2024 beginning at 5:30 PM the Woodsman Skills competition takes off and continues on October 1, 2024 at the same time.
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Mississippi River Mayors Agree to Unify Ports From the Corn Belt to the Coast
Mayors from 10 states along the Mississippi River convened in Louisiana’s capital this week to announce a cooperative agreement between the working river’s ports.
In town for the annual Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) meeting, the mayors also called upon the next U.S. President to prioritize several federal policy changes to support the 105 cities represented by the initiative.
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EBR School Introduces New Agriculture Initiative to Turn Farm Skills Into Life Skills
Northdale Superintendent's Academy is taking the barnyard to the schoolyard with its new farm program.
The farm is located in the center of campus between academic buildings. Two goats and two pigs live on the farm, as well as several chickens, including a rooster. This is the program's first year in action, with the animals arriving over the summer.
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Flattened Fields From Francine: How Growers Deal With The Damage
Louisiana farmers are no strangers to the aftermath of a hurricane, but damage to sugarcane from Francine will make this year’s harvest season more challenging.
Sugarcane is Louisiana’s biggest row crop, with a $4 billion economic impact on the state. Winds from Francine tore through several parishes, including Assumption, where Rodney Simoneaux grows and produces 1,600 acres of sugarcane on his family farm.
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A Potential Strike At Gulf Coast And East Coast Ports Looms
Supply chain issues continue to raise concerns, and it's now a possible strike along East Coast and Gulf Coast ports that could cause disruptions in the weeks and months ahead.
The contract between the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) is set to expire on Sept. 30. Negotiations between the two parties have stalled, raising concerns about a possible strike starting Oct. 1.
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LSU AgCenter Sugarcane Expert's Travels Lead Him Back To The Crop That Started It All
Taking the place of a 40-year veteran of the Louisiana sugarcane industry is no small task, so when LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Andre Gama replaced longtime researcher Jeff Hoy, he knew he had big shoes to fill. Due to his extensive travels, Gama’s own shoes were well worn, so he was up for the challenge.
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Weathering Extreme Drought In Louisiana With Alternative Roughage For Livestock
Louisiana experienced extremely dry summer and fall seasons in 2023. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, the worst drought continued from June to late September in the southern U.S., including Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. This has put a strain on quality forage production and has impacted the availability of pasture and hay for livestock.
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Red River Livestock Auction: September 18, 2024
Click below for the market report from the latest Red River Livestock Auction.
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Kinder Livestock Auction: September 16, 2024
Click below for the market report from the latest Kinder Livestock Auction.
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Which States Lead the Country’s Soybean Harvest?
Soybean harvest has started in all but one of the 18 top soybean-growing states, with progress ranging from 1% to 46%.
Despite a second straight week of only a few days suitable for fieldwork, Louisiana still leads the country’s soybean harvest. As of Sept. 15, 46% of the state’s soybeans had been harvested.
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LSU Student One of Seven to Receive Southern Agriculture Industry Advancement Scholarships From AMVAC
AMVAC®, an American Vanguard® Company, is excited to announce the selection of seven recipients of its 2024 Southern Agriculture Industry Advancement Scholarship, formerly known as the Cotton Industry Advancement Scholarship.
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Mississippi River Levels Falling At Harvest Time
The Associated Press’ Jim Salter reported this past week that “the water level of the Mississippi River is unusually low for the third straight year, forcing barge companies to put limits on how much cargo they can carry and cutting into farm profits.
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“Timely and Urgent Response” Needed to Stave Off Looming Farm Crisis
U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, called for Congress and the administration to provide a “timely and urgent response” to the looming farm crisis in the form of emergency assistance to farmers and called for a redoubling of efforts to pass a farm bill before the end of the calendar year in a speech on the Senate floor.
On emergency assistance, Boozman said, “Farmers across the country need a bridge to help their family farms survive into next year. We’ve seen previous ad-hoc assistance programs established in a period of weeks, as demonstrated by then Secretary [Sonny] Perdue when the COVID-19 pandemic created disruptions for producers. That level of timely and urgent response by Congress and the administration is once again warranted.”
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Budget Battle Limiting Congressional Work for Farmers and Ranchers
With elections looming, the Congressional calendar is tight. Right now, Congress is locked in a funding battle. Emily Buckman, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the deadline is quickly approaching.
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Proposed $1.35 Billion Investment in Southeast Louisiana Would Establish Large-Scale Renewable Natural Gas Plant and Green Hydrogen Facility
Woodland Biofuels, Inc., announced a planned $1.35 billion investment at the Port of South Louisiana to establish one of the world’s largest renewable biofuels production facilities. The Toronto-based company would utilize waste biomass to produce sustainable biofuel used in transportation, heating and electricity generation.
If the project moves forward as outlined, the company expects to create 110 direct new jobs with an average annual salary of more than $90,000. Louisiana Economic Development estimates that the project would result in 259 indirect new jobs for a total of 369 potential new jobs in the Southeast Region. Woodlands Biofuels estimates that the project would create approximately 500 construction jobs.
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