Minnesota sugarbeet farmer Neil Rockstad recalled a kitchen table conversation with his wife while speaking at the 101st annual Agricultural Outlook Forum.
Both Neil and Louisiana sugarcane grower Travis Medine presented as part of the sugar panel at the forum. They observed that labor and machinery were among the highest costs in their farm budgets.
Read MoreIn an attempt to bolster economic growth and job creation in North Louisiana, Congresswoman Julia Letlow is advocating for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to help provide a crucial economic development designation for the Ouachita River.
Read MoreWhen hurricanes, wildfires, ice storms, or pest outbreaks hit, the financial impact on forest landowners can be devastating. Timber, the most valuable asset in most family-owned forests, can be wiped out in an instant. Yet under current law, timber is excluded from the Federal Crop Insurance Program and casualty tax deductions are limited. With limited assistance from the government and no widely available private insurance options, forest landowners are exposed to decades of risk without financial protection.
Read MoreThe last day to submit photos for the LSU AgCenter’s 2026 Get It Growing calendar is coming up in the next few weeks.
The deadline to submit an entry is April 30.
Read MoreProducers surveyed across the United States intend to plant 95.3 million acres of corn in 2025, up 5% from last year, according to the Prospective Plantings report released today by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Planted acreage intentions for corn are up or unchanged in 40 of the 48 estimating states.
Read MoreThe Women in the Woods program, developed by Louisiana Tech University professors Dr. Heidi Adams and Dr. Nan Nan, is designed to encourage young women to explore careers in forestry through mentorship, community outreach, and hands-on learning. The initiative, supported by the USDA NIFA Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program, has recently received a $200,000 grant.
Read MoreThe Southern University Ag Center will provide free virtual counseling services to Louisiana residents living in rural communities through its Rural Connections for Rural Resilience program.
The program, which is open to adults, aims to combat alarming mental health trends by providing free teletherapy services to underserved rural communities where access to mental health services is often limited due to geographical barriers.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture is following through on its promise to get funds into farmers’ hands quickly through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), according to Louisiana Farm Bureau President Richard Fontenot. He expressed those sentiments in a letter he sent to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.
Read MoreMonday, the USDA released the 2025 Prospective Plantings report. In the report, the agency said U.S. farmers will plant nearly 5 million more corn acres in 2025 compared with last year.
Read MoreOn Tuesday the calendar will flip over to April in Lafayette, Henderson, Jennings, and Abbeville, and while the official time document, the calendar, may say spring. Those in Louisiana know that the first week of April is when the heart of the crawfish season hits.
Read MoreIn the heart of Tensas Parish, Melanie Netterville Beavers has made her mark on the agriculture industry alongside her husband Kody, working to maintain their family farm.
Melanie didn’t begin her college journey with her sights set on production agriculture. Initially, she wanted to pursue a career in media for agriculture. However, her direction changed as she realized her passion for hands-on, outdoor work.
Read MoreThe AG Career Field Day has been going for three years.
Eleventh and twelfth grade students from seven parishes came to Ferriday to learn about the different careers agriculture offers on Friday, March 28.
Over 175 students were given the opportunity to learn about everything from wildlife to welding.
Read MoreCrawfish To Geaux, a crawfish food truck located on Nicholson Drive, opened this month and is getting attention for being owned and operated by LSU students.
Read MoreAgricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2025 crop year have until April 15, 2025, to revise elections and sign contracts.
Read MoreCotton growers across the globe are improving in efficiency year-over-year. It’s a win for farm technology, but creates a tough marketplace for the former number one worldwide cotton exporter – the U.S.
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