Raj Singh administers a genetic test to a diseased patient, hoping to confirm the cause of death. He starts by carefully getting the sample before exposing it to the test strip, letting it lay under the bright white lights of his exam room while he waits for the result.
It’s inevitably positive. His patient has a pathogen that’s sweeping through a rural South Louisiana community. Having confirmed his diagnosis, Singh stuffs his patient into a black trash bag and into a storage bin.
Read MoreFarmers are moving away from growing cotton, as demand decreases and the cost of growing it continue to rise.
Farmers say they’re now switching to other crops such as corn, soy beans or grains.
Read MoreThe U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC), that represents and promotes the export promotion interests of growers and processors of U.S. agricultural products, welcomed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to their annual meeting last week where she expressed her appreciation and support for “the greatest of all American industries: American agriculture.”
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can now enroll in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (Grassland CRP). The sign-up runs from , July 14, to Aug. 8, 2025.
Read MoreWayne-Sanderson Farms, one of the nation’s leading poultry producers, today announced a new multi-year sponsorship as the “Official Chicken of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).” This exciting collaboration unites two Southern icons, bringing delicious chicken and unforgettable experiences to college sports fans across the region.
Read MoreThe National Hurricane Center is monitoring the gulf for the possibility of some tropical activity later this week. LSU Public Health Climatologist Dr. Barry Keim says as of right now, the odds of a tropical system forming are fairly low.
Read MoreRenewable energy company Drax has announced that three U.S. non-profits will receive $249,990 as part of the Drax Foundation’s latest round of donations. The non-profits receiving the donations are the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism and Sustainability, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Project Learning Tree, and Southern University’s Bayou Summer Program.
Read MoreNatural disasters take a toll on agricultural production and producers in the southeast often deal with them each year. With the US Department of Agriculture’s announcement last week of expediting the implementation of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, USDA Farm Service Agency (USDA/FSA) Administrator Bill Beam outlines the details of the program.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Century Farm program was created to recognize family farms that have survived for 100 years or more. This year, two family farms were honored at the Louisiana Farm Bureau’s annual convention in New Orleans.
Read MoreCotton is like a good spouse, it promises little and delivers more. And USDA estimates a 14.6 million bale crop for the current year.
Read MoreThis month’s 2025/26 U.S. corn outlook calls for smaller supplies, domestic use, and ending stocks. USDA cut corn beginning stocks by 25 million bushels to 1.3 billion, reflecting an increase in exports that is partly offset by lower feed and residual use for 2024/25. Feed and residual use is down 75 million based on indicated disappearance in the June 30th Grain Stocks report. Exports are raised 100 million bushels to 2.8 billion based on current outstanding sales and shipments to date and, if realized, would be record high.
Read More“Earthworms make me happy,” Ryan Britt says as he turns over a handful of dark soil. “You see that?” He points to an earthworm before returning it safely to a field of cover crops. “It didn’t look like this 20 years ago.” Twenty years ago, Ryan and his dad set out to restore the health of the soil on their family farm with regenerative agriculture practices. It’s a journey that continues today.
Read MoreUSDA’s just-released July World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report incorporates updated planted and harvested acreage figures from the June 30 Acreage report. This Market Intel analyzes both the June Acreage and July WASDE reports and explains what the updates mean for U.S. agriculture.
Read MoreAccording to the 2022 United States Census of Agriculture, there were 1.9 million farms and ranches (down 7% from 2017) with an average size of 463 acres. In total, 880 million acres were farmed in the United States in 2022 — approximately 39% of the nation's total land area.
In Louisiana, just under 8 million acres were farmed in 2022 making up 28.8% of the state's total land area.
Read MoreAs we prepare for The Great American Farmers Market 2025, we have representation from nearly all states, but we are still missing representation from Louisiana- and we want to change that.
This 6-day event, held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is a powerful opportunity to spotlight the farmers, ranchers, producers and products that help define your state’s agricultural industry.
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