Louisiana Farm Bureau Podcast: Melanie Netterville Beavers' Journey to the Farm

In this episode of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Podcast, we visit Tensas Parish to chat with Melanie Netterville Beavers about her journey in agriculture. From growing up surrounded by agriculture to her current role as a full-time farmer, Melanie shares her experiences, challenges, and the values that drive her passion for the industry. Whether it’s balancing farm life, leadership roles, or community involvement, Melanie’s story is a testament to the dedication of women in agriculture.

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Allie Shipley
Ag Week Highlights LSU’s Impact on Louisiana’s Farming Industry With Guest Speakers, Student Events

Last week LSU’s College of Agriculture celebrated Ag Week with events, activities and speakers to highlight the impact agriculture has on Louisiana and the world.

The week was filled with activities for students and staff like volunteering at the food pantry and a tie-dye event. The College of Agriculture also hosted informational events during the week, including a panel celebrating women in agriculture and a symposium focused on the future of the field, to underscore the $12-billion industry’s impact to the state.

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Allie Shipley
Louisiana Going Crazy Over Gigantic Idaho Crawfish

Crawfish are kind of our thing here in Louisiana. We're known across the U.S. for them to the point where whenever anyone sees a crawfish they immediately think of Louisiana.

Well, what if we told you that there's a place in Idaho that boasts a native species of crawfish that can grow about twice the size of what we catch in Louisiana and apparently are "the best tasting crawfish in the world"?

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Allie Shipley
LSU AgCenter To Host Charitable Food Summit April 24 in Baton Rouge

The LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities team will host the second Louisiana Charitable Food Summit on April 24 at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.

This year’s theme, “Moving Forward Together,” highlights the importance of collaboration in addressing food insecurity. Makenzie Miller, AgCenter local food systems specialist, emphasized the impact of working together to support both those experiencing hunger and the organizations that serve them.

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LSU AgCenterdon molino
Riceland Foods COO on the Urgency for a Farm Bill

“One thing I’ll say that’s happening already is there are farmers that are not getting financed this year, and they’re not going to be farming next year. If you look at Interstate 40 south down to the north of Louisiana, somewhere between 15% and 20% of those farmers for one ag lender I’m pretty familiar with, 20% of their portfolio of farmers are not getting financing this year. Those farmers won’t be farming. That’s obviously a concerning thing.”

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Allie Shipley
New Trade War May Hurt Louisiana Farmers With Higher Tariffs

Economists say America is in a new trade war with countries like China, Canada and Mexico. Tariffs and retaliatory tariffs play a big part in that, and Louisiana farmers could be impacted.

Donald Schexnayder and his brothers have been farmers in Erwinville for more than 40 years. They grow a variety of crops, including soy, corn, and wheat. Factors like weather and market fluctuations can make farming less predictable than other industries.

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TradeAllie Shipley
Carter Joins in Ask to USDA To Reinstate APHIS Inspectors

We write to urge your swift compliance with the orders issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in American Federation of Government Employees et al. v. United States Office of Personnel Management et al. (25-1780) and by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) in Special Counsel ex rel. John Doe v. Department of Agriculture (CB-1208-25-0020-U-2) to reinstate terminated probationary employees at the Department of Agriculture (USDA), with specific emphasis on reinstalling agricultural inspectors with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). APHIS inspectors perform critical work protecting public health, ensuring food safety, and maintaining the integrity of the agricultural industry and economy, and we strongly urge every action to return USDA’s animal and plant inspection processes to their full capacity.

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Allie Shipley