According to the Louisiana State Department of Agriculture and Forestry, farmers can risk thousands of dollars if their equipment doesn’t get stored properly during off-season.
Commissioner Mike Strain of the department told KNOE Tuesday morning that even though farmers are still active in the fields during this time of year, they should be thinking about how they’re going to store their equipment to avoid rodent damage, which can become costly.
Read MoreU.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) hosted his second Rural Community Funding Summit of 2024, together with Minden Mayor Nick Cox, the Louisiana Municipal Association, the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, and LITACorp. Cassidy encouraged local officials in attendance to take advantage of his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the opportunities it provides.
Read MoreOn October 2, Christopher Kyle Holman was arrested following a three-month investigation between The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Enforcement Division and the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office.
In June of 2024, LDAF’s enforcement division received a complaint involving a local volunteer fire department (VFD) setting fires.
Read MoreThe notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Texas is hereby amended to include permanent work under the Public Assistance program for the following areas among those areas determined to have been adversely affected by the event declared a major disaster by the President in his declaration of July 9, 2024.
Read MoreTabasco sauce, the worldwide iconic hot sauce, originates from Avery Island in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. Founded by Edmund McIlhenny in 1868, the brand has grown from a single red pepper sauce into a 150-year-long family empire with a lineup of nine flavors.
Mackenzie Trahan, corporate hospitality coordinator for McIlhenny, emphasizes the attractions available for visitors to Avery Island.
Read MoreThe future of American farming is at a critical crossroads as a key piece of legislation, the 2018 Farm Bill, expired on September 30, 2024, leaving farmers across the country anxious about their financial survival.
Allen McLain, a second-generation rice farmer in Vermilion Parish, said the current farm bill—originally passed six years ago—is no longer adequate to address the economic challenges facing today’s farmers.
Read MoreCow-calf operations are the heart of Louisiana’s livestock industry. Cattle in this sector spend much of their lives grazing perennial and annual pastures, so high-quality forage is important.
Summer 2023 was one of the hottest and driest in recent memory. The drought took a major toll on crop production, and everyone from sugarcane farmers to cattle ranchers felt the effects.
Read MoreWe keep trying to push the market higher, but economic conditions continue to fight that effort. Despite that, the market did spend most of its time trading at the upper end of the price range established back in June. Thus, the bulls cannot really complain, despite not getting any momentum from the hurricane.
Read More“I want to represent cotton in the agriculture industry in Louisiana and show people the importance and history of the cotton industry,” proclaims Queen Cotton LXIX Amelia Claire Mickal.
Mickal, the 21-year-old daughter of Tim and Colleen Mickal of Lafayette and granddaughter of Dr. Don and Bonnie Mickal, Audrey McBride and the late Michael H. McBride, is a 2021 graduate of St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette. She is currently a student at SLCC (South Louisiana Community College), where she is pursuing a degree in business management with a goal of working in International Business in Louisiana Agriculture.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission will host its next saddle microchipping event on Friday, October 18, from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. It will be held on location at the Washington Parish Fair in Franklinton, Louisiana.
LDAF’s microchip identification program provides all saddle owners in the state of Louisiana the opportunity to have their saddles registered and identified by using a microchip implant.
Read MoreThe Southern University Ag Center and the College of Agricultural, Human and Environmental Sciences (CAHES) will host the 3rd Annual Vino on the Bluff Wine Tasting Fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 18, 2024 at the Leon R. Tarver II Cultural and Heritage Center, 8320 G. Leon Netterville Dr., on the Southern University campus.
General admission tickets are $75. Elevated (VIP) tickets are $100 and will include a VIP Whiskey Tasting at sunset.
Read MoreOver 200 guests immersed themselves in Louisiana history during the 29th annual SugarFest at the West Baton Rouge Museum on Sunday afternoon.
Local artists were creating projects on site while others were making drinks from fresh sugar cane. Executive director of the West Baton Museum Angelique Bergeron says this year was a celebration for the community.
Read MoreSoil pH indicates whether lime is required but not how much. Lime is needed if the target soil pH, which varies by crop, is 0.2 units higher than the actual soil pH.
Buffer pH indicates how much lime is required. Soils with low buffering capacity (high buffer pH) and a small difference between initial and target pH values require less lime. Conversely, soils with high buffering capacity (low buffer pH) need more lime, even for small pH adjustments.
Read MoreTest the soil from each field regularly for every complete crop rotation or every two to three years before making any fertilization decisions.
Collect soil samples from 0 to 6 inches in depth and choose a lab that uses Mehlich-3 extractant.
Obtain fertilizer recommendations based on the soil test for specific crops from the respective state soil testing lab, as these recommendations vary by crop and state.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an additional $250 million in automatic payments for distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers under Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. This significant step continues USDA's commitment to keeping farmers and ranchers financially viable and support for agricultural communities.
Over the past two years, USDA acted swiftly to assist borrowers in retaining their land and continuing their agricultural operations. Since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August 2022, the USDA has provided approximately $2.4 billion in assistance to more than 43,900 distressed borrowers.
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