Biden Administration Asks Congress for $98.4 Billion in Disaster Aid After Stormy Year

The Biden administration is asking Congress to approve $98.4 billion in emergency spending to bolster the federal government’s response and recovery efforts following a series of natural disasters, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton that devastated parts of Southeastern states.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Agriculture would receive the bulk of the funding request, if lawmakers approve it in full, though they can increase, decrease, or ignore whatever they wish.

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kristen oaks
Feasting on Agriculture -- Salt Revival Oyster Company

Irish writer Jonathan Swift once wrote, “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.”

And maybe he was right. Heck, it took me 37 years to muster up the courage to take the plunge—into raw oysters, at least.

If you’re going to cross this cultural bridge into the world of oyster slurping, there’s no better place than the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, which is where I found myself for this month’s Feasting on Agriculture.

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Aquaculturekristen oaks
Lecture on Hemp Fiber Highlights its History, Modern Relevance

Casey Stannard admits she didn’t have any experience with hemp fiber throughout her studies and career in apparel design until she took on a recent research project.

The associate professor in the LSU College of Agriculture Department of Textiles, Apparel Design and Merchandising said that was the case for many of her students and colleagues even though hemp was the first cultivated fiber, with evidence of hemp ropes in ancient China and along the Dead Sea dating back between 3,000 and 10,000 B.C.E.

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LSU AgCenterAvery Davidson
Rural Cooperatives are Essential to Louisiana

Rural cooperatives are the backbone of our nation and provide countless goods and services that people in rural Louisiana rely on to thrive.

Cooperatives have existed throughout the U.S. for more than a century. They are businesses owned and controlled by the people who use them. They differ from other businesses because they operate for the benefit of their members, rather than to earn profits for investors.

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Ag Commissioner Mike Strain Heading to the U.K.

Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain is set to visit the UK to promote Louisiana spices, meet agricultural officials, and tour farms and other agricultural sites. Strain highlights the UK’s extensive agricultural land, with 71% dedicated to farming, focusing on staple crops like wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes. He also notes that UK’s top export is…

“…Beverages…oh yeah.  So maybe there might be a little Guinness there I heard.  Maybe, a little Guinness and a few other things.”

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LDAFAvery Davidson
Farm Credit Council Sends Unanimous Letter to Congress

The Farm Credit Council sent a letter to House and Senate leadership calling for action before year-end to provide emergency funding for agricultural producers recovering from disasters and enact a 5-year Farm Bill providing an enhanced safety net for farmers and ranchers. We are proud to share the letter was signed unanimously by all 61 Farm Credit institutions, sending a powerful message to Congress. 

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Farm BillAvery Davidson
Eunice Chamber Names ‘Eunice’s Best’

The Eunice Chamber of Commerce presented its first Eunice’s Best honors on Tuesday at the LSUE Mumphrey Center.

Michael Fruge is named Farmer of the Year. “... a second-generation rice, soybean, and crawfish farmer from Eunice, Louisiana, whose remarkable contributions have left a lasting impact on both agriculture and the health-conscious consumer market.

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RiceAvery Davidson
Dairy Max Names Agriculture Industry Veteran as its New CEO

Grand Prairie-based Dairy MAX, a regional dairy council representing more than 900 dairy farmers across eight states, has named Keira Lombardo of Southlake as its new chief executive officer.

Dairy MAX was founded more than 40 years ago and is one of the leading regional dairy councils in the United States, representing more than 900 dairy farmers and serving communities in eight states: Texas, Colorado, southwest Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, and Wyoming.

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Dairy, LivestockAvery Davidson
Louisiana Choose and Cut Christmas Tree Farms

Finally, a cold front has passed through Louisiana taking the heat and humidity of summer away from the cities of Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. Yeah, the whole state should actually enjoy the "feeling of fall" this weekend.

And interspersed with the clanging of gumbo pots this weekend there will no doubt be, at least preliminary, discussions concerning "the installation and decoration of the Christmas Tree".

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Avery Davidson