Emma Zaicow, a Purdue University student, and Les Voyageurs, a Louisiana State University club, took home the top prizes in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship program. Throughout the nine weeks of the program, $20,000 was awarded in scholarships to participating students and clubs.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture has announced the appointment of seven members, seven alternates, and two advisors to serve three-year terms on The Cotton Board from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027. Additionally, USDA appointed seven individuals to fill board vacancies.
Read MoreWASHINGTON, December 6, 2024 – American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the lack of Congressional action in the lame duck session to address the immediate needs of farmers and rural America.
“Now that Congressional leaders signaled plans for yet another extension of the farm bill instead of modernizing it, it is imperative that they address the well-defined and fully substantiated needs of farmers just trying to hold on for another season.
“The recent hurricanes wreaked havoc on farms across the southeast, leaving some farmers with massive losses. They need disaster aid to recover and rebuild. Additionally, the projected two-year drop in net farm income of more than $40 billion dollars demonstrates the seriousness of the overall agricultural downturn. Without a new farm bill to help farmers manage risk, Congress must act to help bridge the gap through economic relief to help farmers cope with inflation, high supply costs and decreasing commodity prices.
“The frightening financial pinch farm families across the country are experiencing is real. There is clear evidence all around us: land auctions are on the rise; equipment purchases have slumped; and lenders are warning that operating loans are in jeopardy without some assurance farmers are going to be able to repay the loans. Today, the books just aren’t balancing.
“We’ve lost 141,000 farms in five years and no one wants to lose more. Americans overwhelmingly want Congress to act: 78 percent say U.S. lawmakers should prioritize legislation that supports farmers and ranchers. The window is narrowing for Congressional action. The time is now. I urge lawmakers to stand with rural America.”
Read MoreQuarterly publications from the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station with current activities and research updates for 2024.
Read MoreA six-acre plot of land in Cameron Parish sat empty, shelly and unused. It is surrounded by the Mermentau River and contains the same fertile soil that supports rice farms surrounding the area. But on this bare plot of land at the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana 4-H members have begun the process to transform it into the Cajun prairie land it once was.
Read MoreHilery Gobert is the seventh generation Gobert farmer to cultivate southwest Louisiana land. A native of St. Landry parish, Gobert left his father's farm as a young man, served in the first Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, pursued a career in Atlanta, and then taught small-scale agriculture at a Georgia community college.
Read MoreWhen you drive past a cotton field, you might think about soft-spun T-shirts, and a well-known advertising slogan may come to mind. After all, cotton is the “fabric of our lives.” But within each of those cotton bolls are whole cottonseeds that contribute to another significant market – and famous ad campaign. “Got milk?”
Read MoreABZ Innovation, a drone innovation and manufacturing company based out of Hungary, has unveiled an advancement for its agricultural sector machines that incorporates LiDAR-based situational awareness sensors. LiDAR generates a high-resolution 3-D map of the field in real time and is vital to accurately following terrain and avoiding obstacles such as electrical wires, poles, and trees, while maintaining the right distance from crops for efficient spraying.
Read MoreLouisiana Gov. Jeff Landry praised Meta’s plans to build a new artificial intelligence data center in the Pelican State, calling it the "largest private capital announcement."
Meta’s plans for the new center in northeast Louisiana are bringing hope that the $10 billion investment will transform an economically neglected corner of the state.
Read MoreFloating cages with fish by the thousands may be popping in the Gulf of Mexico under a controversial plan that was backed by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration four years ago and is likely to gain traction again after Trump begins his second term next month.
Read MoreFacebook and Instagram parent company, Meta, will build a massive 10-billion-dollar artificial intelligence data center in Rayville in Richland Parish. A project expected to create 500 or more direct jobs. So how did it happen? Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says initial conversations with Meta began soon after Governor Landry took office and ten months later Louisiana won the project.
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. One of the biggest concerns was a lack of hay.
Read MoreUSDA's December 2024 farm income forecast confirms just how tough a year it's been for American agriculture, with slightly revised projections offering little relief to farmers, who are losing nearly a quarter of their income in two years. Net farm income is now projected at $140.7 billion for 2024, down $6 billion (4.1%) from 2023 and $41.2 billion (22.6%) from the $181.9 billion peak in 2022
Read MoreThe Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) leverages a voluntary approach to conservation that expands the reach of conservation efforts and climate-smart agriculture through public-private partnerships.
Read MoreThe year 2024 is coming to a close! This year, like many years in the past, has had its challenges. Weather, price changes, political differences to name a few. One thing that has remained the same this year is prices for our calves, slaughter cows and replacements are higher than last year. As we move into 2025, know that cattle numbers will be lower which should convert to higher prices.
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