A strong autumn cold front has swept through delivering a real taste of fall.
Unfortunately, that front pushed through as a 'dry' front. Given the current state of dryness/drought across Louisiana, conditions after the frontal passage will set that stage for increased wildfire threats.
Read MoreThe fire danger is growing increasingly worse across the ArkLaTex.
The latest to be added are Bossier and Natchitoches parishes.
Bossier Parish Police Jury President Philip Rodgers issued a state of emergency burn ban for the parish beginning Wednesday at the request of parish fire chiefs due to extreme heat and a lack of rainfall in the area.
Read MoreAccording to the findings of the 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey, American farmers produced and sold $9 billion worth of edible commodities directly to consumers, retailers, institutions and intermediaries. This represented a 3% increase in direct food sales since 2015, with 33% of this economic activity being the result of direct-to-consumer food sales.
Read MoreWith the sugarcane harvest season in full swing, John Hebert, Agriculture Manager with the Louisiana Sugarcane Cooperative, expressed gratitude for the favorable conditions this season.
“Very blessed this season, especially when you compare it with the conditions we had with the weather last year,” Hebert stated.
Read MoreA pathogen capable of affecting crops is making its way to Arkansas and residents could unknowingly be spreading it.
Tar spot is a fungal disease that affects corn.
Travis Faskey, a University of Arkansas Plant Pathology Professor, says the pathogen is relatively new to the United States. He said it has a long history in Central America, but hurricanes brought it up to the states.
Read MoreThe National Cotton Council and its cooperating partners welcome all to the 2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences January 14 through 16 (Tuesday- Thursday) at the New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans, LA. Three days of individual reports, panel discussions, hands on workshops and seminars are designed to provide attendees with information they need to help producers make key cotton production/marketing-related decisions.
Read MoreKids growing up on farms in southern Louisiana date themselves according to hurricanes and sugarcane variety releases, Louisiana State University sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois jokes. 2024 will be known as the year of Hurricane Francine, and hopefully only Francine, as sugarcane producers race tropical storm season to finish out harvest with minimal crop damage.
Hurricanes are not a new obstacle to sugarcane production. The very nature of a tropical crop both harvested and planted during hurricane season demands hardiness.
Read MoreSometimes an opportunity presents itself that is too good to pass up. In Tara and Josh Morris’ case, it was a series of several opportunities strung together that made their dreams of grazing cattle in southern Louisiana a reality.
Tara and Josh both got their feet wet in agriculture by working on research farms in college before they rented their first piece of land in 2016. They leased the then conventionally farmed field from a friend under the condition that they fix the fence.
Read MoreThe 2024/25 U.S. corn outlook calls for smaller supplies, larger exports, and reduced ending stocks. Projected beginning stocks for 2024/25 are 52 million bushels lower based on the Grain Stocks report. Corn production is forecast at 15.2 billion bushels, up 17 million from last month on a 0.2-bushel increase in yield to 183.8 bushels per acre. Harvested area for grain is unchanged at 82.7 million acres. Total use is raised slightly to 15.0 billion bushels reflecting greater exports.
Read MoreTime is running out for Congress to agree on the new farm bill, now a year overdue, but a “common sense, reasonable, practical” package is still possible, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday, declaring himself an optimist. “I think there’s better odds than not that we get it done,” he said at a White House conference.
Read MoreThe Pesticide and Endangered Species Educational Resources Toolbox catalogs educational resources including guidance documents, handouts, presentations, informational webinars, and other resources relating to EPA’s endangered species work
Read MoreAfter having been initially extended last year until the end of fiscal 2024, the 2018 Farm Bill has expired. Many are wondering what lies in store for both farm and nutrition programs? A Farm Bill that expires is not quite the aberration some would take it to be. When the 2002 Farm Bill expired, portions of it were extended six times in the spring of 2008 for less than a year in total, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
Read MoreLouisiana corn for grain production is forecast at 84.1 million bushels, down 1 percent from September 1 forecast and down 29 percent from 2023. Based on conditions as of October 1, yield is expected to average 189 bushels per acre, down 2 bushels from last month but up 14 bushels from last year. Harvested acreage for grain is estimated at 445,000 acres, down 235,000 acres from 2023.
Read MoreThanks to Buck Leonards and the staff at Louisiana Farm and Ranch for providing the digital edition.
Read MoreThe Golden Boot Giving Challenge is back again this year, as the LSU College of Agriculture takes on the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences to see who can get the most donations (# of donors, not dollars) next week leading up to the LSU/Arkansas football game.
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