According 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.
Read MoreSuccessful Farming’s Chuck Abbott reported recently that “the lame-duck session of Congress offers a last chance to enact the new farm bill this year, but it would require compromise on a number of nettlesome policy disputes and an agreement among House and Senate leaders on how much to spend, said farm policy experts. The bill could also be sidetracked by overarching issues such as passing a government funding bill, they cautioned.”
Read MoreThe Louisiana Forage Conference will be held Friday, Dec. 13, near Alexandria. This conference is sponsored by the Louisiana Forage and Grassland Council and the Louisiana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative.
The meeting site will be the State Evacuation Shelter near the LSU Alexandria campus on U.S. Highway 71.
Read MoreConnecting northern farmers to the south and farmers in between, the Louisiana Farmer’s Climate Convening returns for its second year, sharing innovative tools to combat climate change.
The free two-day event will allow farmers to discuss innovative techniques impacting farming practices, learn new strategies for adapting to the environment, and connect with other growers.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for November 2024, which are effective Nov. 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.
Read MoreAs the first rain event in nearly two months came into South West Louisiana, so did “Birders” from all over the US. The hope of all is to catch a glimpse of the elusive Yellow Rail in Thornwell, LA, also known as “The Yellow Rail Capital of the World,” for the 16th Annual Yellow Rails and Rice Festival this weekend.
Read MoreNovember will be Wild Game Meat Donation Month across Louisiana, Gov. Jeff Landry said in a proclamation signed Friday.
The proclamation asks Louisiana hunters to donate part or all of their harvests to families in need before the holiday season as deer hunting season enters full swing.
Read MoreFor the third consecutive year, historically low water levels on the lower Mississippi River are impacting the supply chain. While it isn’t translating into lost export business for the U.S., it’s having a negative impact on basis levels as higher transportation costs are passed on to farmers in the form of lower cash prices.
Read MoreA startup led by an LSU alumni and two current students is making strides in transforming how farmers and agricultural professionals access essential information.
FarmSmart, an AI-powered app currently in beta testing, promises to streamline complex research from dense agricultural documents into quick, user-friendly responses available at the touch of a button.
Read MoreThis week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited with farmers in Port Allen and Jennings, to discuss the next Farm Bill and what Louisiana’s farmers need to continue feeding our state and the world.
“Our farmers and fishermen produce the best sugarcane, rice and seafood in the world,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It’s my goal to protect them against unfair, foreign competition, to keep crop insurance affordable, and to prevent the cost of farming from rising. I appreciate being able to meet with Louisiana farmers and work together to reach these goals in the next Farm Bill.”
Read MoreLast month, I had the opportunity to attend the National Association of Conservation District's South Central Region meeting in Oklahoma. There, I met many of the partners who help put conservation on the ground here in Louisiana. Helping Louisiana landowners with their resource concerns and keeping their food and fiber operations economically viable is a big job.
Read MoreOver 230,000 farms are up against a Jan. 1, 2025, deadline to file their detailed Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) with the Treasury Department under the requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Despite facing steep fines and possible jail time for failing to file, less than 11% of eligible businesses nationwide have filed their BOI. Efforts to protect small businesses from these invasive requirements and the harsh punishment for noncompliance have stalled in Congress. Let’s review what the Corporate Transparency Act means for farmers.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that registration is now open for the 101st Agricultural Outlook Forum. The event, titled “Meeting Tomorrow’s Challenges, Today,” will be held at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott on February 27-28, 2025. Additionally, all Forum sessions will be livestreamed on a virtual platform.
The Forum program will feature a presentation on the 2025 outlook for the U.S. agricultural economy and trade by USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer.
Read MoreThere were 212,714 farms with 53.1 million irrigated acres, which included 81 million acre-feet of water applied in the United States, according to the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey results, published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). In 2018, the irrigation survey results showed that there were 231,474 farms with 55.9 million irrigated acres, which included 83.4 million acre-feet of water. The results show that the number of farms irrigating, the amount of land irrigated, and the total water used for irrigation decreased between 2018 and 2023.
Read MoreLouisiana FFA members were recognized numerous times at the 97th National FFA Convention and Expo held in Indianapolis on Oct. 23-26. FFA members from across the state participated in many competitive events, and top honors were taken home throughout the week.
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