Right past the dock on Calcasieu Lake, Megan La Peyre stared at an ominous rain cloud she and her team were driving straight into.
On this boat, La Peyre, an adjunct professor at the LSU AgCenter and unit leader of the U.S. Geological Survey Louisiana Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit, was joined by Seth Blitch, the director of conservation for the Nature Conservancy in Louisiana.
Read MoreU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the opening of a 30-day public comment period for stakeholders to provide feedback on the Department’s reorganization plan, as outlined in the Secretary’s memorandum issued on July 24, 2025.
Read MoreJust a week ago, Sheri Bertrand’s chicken coop sat empty. A roaming pack of dogs had attacked, leaving 26 of her birds dead—replacing the usual clucks and fluttering feathers with silence and heartbreak.
Read MoreGovernment Executive's Eric Katz reported that "the Agriculture Department is confident its push to move more employees out of Washington and into five new hubs around the country will retain most staff and large-scale layoffs will not be necessary, a top official told lawmakers on Wednesday."
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for August 2025, which are effective Aug. 1, 2025. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Read MoreLSU AgCenter scientists showcased conservation practices in sugarcane farming at a field day July 22.
The event was held at Keith Dugas’ farm in Assumption Parish, which is a model farm in an AgCenter best management practices program funded by a Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Project.
Read MoreReinstated after its 2024 cancellation, USDA’s July Cattle Inventory report offers a critical midyear snapshot of the U.S. cattle herd, including an estimate of the year’s calf crop. Released alongside the monthly Cattle on Feed report, the two datasets together provide a more comprehensive view of supply trends and herd dynamics — key themes explored in this Market Intel.
Read MoreLouisiana strawberry farmers regularly contend with a multitude of challenges, including labor costs, unfavorable weather conditions, insect and mite pests, and plant diseases.
Read MoreCoca-Cola's decision to launch a new Coke product this fall made with U.S.-grown cane sugar is already sweetening the stakes for Louisiana.
Read MorePETA is suing a popular festival for “steaming lobsters alive.”
PETA is suing the Maine Lobster Festival, saying that by steaming live lobsters, the festival is violating Maine’s law prohibiting the torture and torment of animals.
Read MoreHouse Speaker Mike Johnson and his staff visited rice country this week to spend time with members of Louisiana's agriculture industry, including several rice growers and rice industry representatives, and the Speaker’s staff was fortunate to catch rice harvest in action.
Read MoreFrom June 23 to June 26, Southern University hosted the Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods, or CHEF Camp, for Baton Rouge-area students. The camp taught participants how to find, prepare and cook healthy foods along with important safety and cooking tips in the kitchen.
Read MoreCongressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) delivered a letter to President Trump today urging increased tariffs on rice imports from Thailand, which are eroding markets for Louisiana farmers.
Louisiana’s sugarcane growers made their mark in more ways than one at this year’s Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Convention in New Orleans. From important conversations on federal food policy to field-level conservation breakthroughs and a strong showing at the annual awards banquet, it was a week that reminded everyone just how vital sugarcane is to the state’s agricultural community.
Read MoreWith combines parked and harvest briefly on hold, Louisiana farmers made their way from across the state to Lincoln Hall in Ruston to celebrate one of the most significant agricultural wins in recent memory—the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a sweeping budget and policy package championed by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Read More
