The Louisiana Forestry Sate of the Union
Buck Vandersteen joins the show from the LegisGator Conference to discuss the state of Louisiana’s forestry industry, highlighting its vast forest coverage—over 15 million acres, mostly privately owned. Historically, early 20th-century logging led to deforestation, but reforestation efforts over the past 75 years have reversed that trend. Today, Louisiana grows 70% more wood than it harvests, creating a surplus of timber, especially small-diameter wood from first thinnings.
Traditionally, this surplus fed the pulp and paper industry, but declining newspaper demand and mill closures—like International Paper in Pineville—have left millions of tons of wood without a market.
Read More
Reduction in the Hypoxia Dead Zone
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-supported scientists recently announced that data reveal this year’s Gulf hypoxia, known as the dead zone, is 21% smaller than estimates predicted for June 2025. This is the 15th smallest measurement on record.
The goal of reducing the dead zone has been a joint effort by many, and therefore it is difficult to determine how much contribution or impact any one organization has had on this reduction.
Read More
Showcase Your Creativity In National Rice Month Video Contest
The annual National Rice Month (NRM) Scholarship video contest is here! Creative students are challenged to shine a light on our favorite home-grown grain, and in a short video – three minutes or less – educate, entertain, and tell us why rice is special to you, to your state, or to the world.
It’s easy to participate! ReelRiceContest.com has all the details about this year’s contest open to graduating high school students from Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, or Texas.
Read More
LSU AgCenter Beef Cattle Extension Programs Receive National Recognition
On July 1, the National Association County Agricultural Agents presented LSU AgCenter extension specialist Ashley Edwards the award for Excellence in Livestock Production in 2025. Edwards received the award on behalf of a team of AgCenter beef cattle agents after a selection process that looked at extension agents from around the country.
Read More
Crop Market Report: August, 2025
This month’s 2025/26 U.S. corn outlook is for sharply higher supplies, greater domestic use and exports, and larger ending stocks. Projected beginning stocks for 2025/26 are 35 million bushels lower based on a slightly higher use forecast for 2024/25. For 2024/25, larger corn exports are partly offset by reductions in corn used for ethanol and glucose and dextrose. Corn production for 2025/26 is forecast at a record 16.7 billion bushels, up 1.0 billion from last month with a 1.9-million acre increase in harvested area and higher yield. If realized, this total would be 1.4 billion bushels more than the prior record set in 2023/24.
Read More
Louisiana Agricultural Workforce Development Program
Through this grant, Louisiana businesses can establish internship programs that grow the next generation of agriculture professionals while strengthening their own businesses.
Read More
Former Vidalia Mills, Fruit of the Loom to Be Deeded to Credit Union
The former Fruit of the Loom that once housed Vidalia Mills now belongs to a credit union that is reportedly owed millions in unpaid loans, officials said. The property, including the 900,000 square foot building and 81.87 acres of land a that was purchased from the Town of Vidalia in 2017, had been advertised for a sheriff’s sale that took place Aug. 6. In Louisiana, sheriff’s sales are public auctions conducted by the Sheriff’s Office to sell property that has been seized by court order, typically to recover unpaid debts.
Read More
Louisiana Inspects Cotton Harvest Equipment to Prevent Boll Weevil Return
Restrictions are being applied for all cotton harvest equipment traveling into Louisiana to avoid the reintroduction of an invasive pest.
The boll weevil was declared eradicated from Louisiana in 2012. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) said there is a risk for the pest to be reintroduced from equipment traveling through the state as the harvest season starts.
Read More
Louisiana Farmers Await Demand After Trump Calls for Sugarcane-Sweetened Coke
It’s planting season for sugarcane farmers in Louisiana as they replenish fields that are older than three years and no longer yielding as much sugar.
When President Donald Trump said he wanted Coca-Cola to use sugarcane in its signature drink, instead of high-fructose corn syrup, it brought a lot of attention to the industry.
Read More
Louisiana Farm to School Conference set for Oct. 8 in Baton Rouge
The Louisiana Farm to School Conference is back for its ninth year, bringing together educators, farmers, school nutrition staff, administrators and community leaders from across the state. Hosted by the LSU AgCenter Seeds to Success: Louisiana Farm to School Program, the event will be held Tuesday, October 8, at Pennington Biomedical Conference Center in Baton Rouge from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Read More
Ultra-Low Gossypol Cottonseed Takes Next Step Toward Humanitarian Use
Texas A&M AgriLife Research has reached a major milestone in increasing the value of cotton, marking the initial step toward commercial adoption of food-ingredient cottonseed.
Read More
The Cotton Board Holds Annual Meeting And Approves Cotton Incorporated’s 2026 $85.1 Million Budget
The Cotton Board recently held its 2025 Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas, along with Cotton Incorporated’s Board of Directors. During this meeting, board members serving the Cotton Research and Promotion Program (the Program) reviewed, analyzed, and voted to recommend Cotton Incorporated’s 2026 budget of $85.1 million to the Secretary of Agriculture.
Read More
Louisiana Expands Deer Disease Control Zone After Sick Deer Found
Louisiana wildlife officials are expanding the area where special rules apply to help stop the spread of a deadly deer disease called Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). This comes after a sick deer was found in Catahoula Parish.
Now, parts of Caldwell, Richland and LaSalle parishes are included in the CWD control zone. In these areas, hunters will have to follow stricter rules, like not feeding wild deer and being careful about how they move deer carcasses.
Read More
4-H Hall Of Fame Ceremony Highlights Dedication To Youth Development
Rosy Williams Bromell said if she can do something well, she probably learned it in 4-H. Bromell was one of 12 honorees inducted into the Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony held Aug. 9 at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center in Pollock, Louisiana.
Read More
An Oral History of the LSU AgCenter's Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
A pair of natural disasters stunned south Louisiana in 2005.
When Hurricane Katrina hit the coast on Aug. 29 and Hurricane Rita followed on Sept. 24, much of south Louisiana sustained tremendous damage. The storms caused more than 1,100 deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health; displaced several communities; and led to $108 billion in damage, according to the National Weather Service. LSU AgCenter economists estimated that the state’s agricultural sectors sustained nearly $1.6 billion in losses from the storms.
Read More
