La. Rep. Carter Signs on as Cosponsor of Bicameral Effort to Restore FAFSA Exemptions for Farm and Small Business Families

U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01) and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), alongside House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (PA-15), and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) led 74 of their colleagues in reintroducing the bipartisan Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act. In July 2024, provisions from the Federal Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act altered the federal formula for determining student aid.

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Avery Davidson
LSU AgCenter Hunger Project ‘On Hold’ Amid USAID Freeze

A $22 million project involving the LSU AgCenter has been paused while the Trump administration reviews spending at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

LSU is part of the Feed the Future Climate Resilient Cereals Innovational Lab, which researchers at Kansas State University lead. It seeks to make cereal crops – such as rice, wheat, miller and sorghum – more readily available to those at risk of hunger, according to an AgCenter blog post.

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LSU AgCenterAvery Davidson
Deer with Chronic Wasting Disease Found in St. Landry Parish, 2 Other Louisiana Parishes

Three more deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Louisiana, one of them in St. Landry Parish, officials said.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said CWD was found in captive deer in pens permitted by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The recent detections in St. Landry, Concordia, and Tangipahoa parishes are linked to trace outs from a captive CWD positive deer pen in Jefferson Davis Parish, where CWD was first confirmed in a captive deer back in November.

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Avery Davidson
Southern University Ag Center Set To Host The 3rd Annual Boots & Bling Affair

The Southern University Ag Center will host its 3rd Annual Boots and Bling Affair on Saturday, February 22, 2025, from 7 p.m. – 12 a.m. in the F.G. Clark Activity Center on Southern University’s campus.

Funds raised from the Boots and Bling Affair will be used to provide scholarship awards and necessary equipment to youth exhibitors participating in the Ag Center's Annual Livestock and Poultry Show.

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SU Ag Centerdon molino
LSU Researchers Develop Way To Keep Eggs Fresh For Longer Using Crawfish Shells

Louisiana produces 850 million pounds of seafood each year, according to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board. Much of that includes crustaceans like crawfish, shrimp, and crab. It follows that Louisiana also produces a lot of seafood waste once those crustaceans are processed. However, researchers at LSU’s School of Nutrition and Food Science have developed a way to turn a smelly byproduct of the seafood industry into a way to make other foods last longer on the shelf.

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Pre-Vet Program at McNeese Lays a Strong Foundation for Veterinary School

Ashton Landry, McNeese State University alumna, is well on her way to becoming a veterinarian after completing McNeese’s agricultural sciences program. Her path is one that current pre-veterinary students, like junior Madison Watson and sophomore Jade Bel, want to follow. 

From the start of her college career, Landry knew she wanted to attend veterinary school. To begin, she chose to study agricultural sciences at McNeese. The small class sizes and hands-on program made it a great choice for her.  

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LivestockAvery Davidson
An Expert's Advice For Buying Quality Crawfish Out Of Season

Meaty with a sweet but oceanic quality, live crawfish are delicious in a seafood boil made with sausage and potatoes. However, these versatile mudbugs are also perfect for sauteing, frying, and baking. The problem? Peak crawfish season only lasts from January to July, which makes it tricky to source top grade crustaceans during the second half of the year; bad news if you're craving a Cajun crawfish pie in October. We spoke to Chef Johnnie Gale, corporate chef at Guidry's Catfish and product and recipe developer at Ocean Select Seafood, to get some expert advice on buying quality crawfish out of season.

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AquacultureAvery Davidson
USDA Applauds Mexico’s Action Towards Resolving USMCA Dispute on GE Corn

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the following statement commending Mexico’s action to declare ineffective measures concerning genetically engineered (GE) corn that the United States successfully challenged in the USMCA dispute. The action safeguards approximately $5.6 billion in U.S. corn exports to Mexico. USDA, in coordination with USTR, will continue to monitor Mexico’s compliance with its USMCA commitments.

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Corn, USDAAvery Davidson