Lt. Col. Dan Rooney to Keynote American Farm Bureau Convention
Air Force Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, a decorated F-16 fighter pilot, will address attendees as mid general session keynote speaker during the 2025 American Farm Bureau Convention on Sunday, Jan. 26. Rooney is founder and CEO of Folds of Honor, a nonprofit foundation that provides educational scholarships for children and spouses of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders. The foundation has provided nearly 62,000 military and first responder families with $290 million in scholarships since its founding in 2007.
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Could Trump Actually Be Good for U.S. Ag Trade?
Threats of widespread tariffs and concerns about retaliation continue to stoke uneasiness in agriculture. With a growing trade deficit and hopes the U.S. could re-embark on the Phase One trade deal with China, could the focus back on trade be positive for agriculture?
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Mexico’s Push for Self-Sufficiency in Dry Bean Production May Reduce U.S. Imports
Mexico has not formally imposed an embargo against U.S. dry beans, but recent agricultural policies under President Claudia Sheinbaum indicate a significant shift toward self-sufficiency in bean production that could reduce reliance on U.S. imports. This initiative is part of a broader strategy aimed at revitalizing domestic agriculture and ensuring food sovereignty, reminiscent of practices from the 1980s.
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Mixed Reactions Greet Stabenow’s $39 Billion Rural Prosperity Act
On Monday, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced the $39 billion Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act. The proposal aims to address food insecurity, support rural economies, and strengthen agricultural policies.
The announcement highlights the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the farm bill, as the current extension nears expiration and Stabenow’s opposition (the incoming Republican majority) is poised to take control of the Senate in January.
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Wishing You a Happy, Mellow and Blessed Thanksgiving
It seems like Thanksgiving always sneaks up on me, I think it is because all the retail stores decorate for Halloween and quickly go right into the Christmas Holiday mode, many times before we even celebrate Halloween.
I'm afraid its part of our society's hurry up and get it done mentality so we can move on to the next project or job.
I'm not sure if it’s just a “California” thing, and our pace of life is faster than other parts of the country. It seems like when I visit our friends in Louisiana who are farmers, and busy, they seem to take time to enjoy life and family at a slower pace.
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Country Star, Lainey Wilson Honored With Marker on Northeast Louisiana Music Trail
It is a big deal when a small-town farm girl becomes a superstar!
That is exactly what has happened to country singer Lainey Wilson. RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender had the opportunity to be there when Wilson got her marker on the Northeast Louisiana Music Trail and a portion of a state highway named after her.
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Research Team Awarded Grant to Study Use of Wastewater as Fertilizer
A team of Louisiana researchers has received a federal grant worth more than $100,000 for the first step of a study that aims to use wastewater from aquaculture ponds, seafood processors and farms for fertilizer.
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New Name Surfaces for Trump’s Secretary of Ag Pick — This One Has Strong Ties to Regenerative Ag
Names continue to be added to the list of possible candidates for Secretary of Agriculture. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly playing an active role in the cabinet selection, and the latest name added to the list, Jimmy Emmons, has a heavy background in regenerative agriculture. Emmons is the senior vice president of climate-smart programs for Trust In Food, Farm Journal’s sustainable agriculture division, but is on leave of absence from Farm Journal.
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Stabenow Finally Releases Full Text of Senate Farm Bill; Here’s What It Means for Agriculture
Stabenow unveiled 1,397-page details of her long-awaited farm bill Monday morning. This comes as early Sunday evening Pro Farmer broke the news that Senate Ag Chairwoman (D-Mich.) had briefed Democrats but not Republicans on her coming farm bill text, which was expected to be released Monday.
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Landry Awards Almost $1.4B to Bridge Digital Divide
Gov. Landry has awarded $1.355 billion to bolster broadband connectivity throughout the state.
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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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CWD Found in Jeff Davis Deer; Hunters Asked to Help
A deer from a Jeff Davis Parish farm has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, and officials are asking deer hunters to help with surveillance.
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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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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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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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