Across the Country, American Families, Workers Benefit From the One Big Beautiful Bill

During the August District Work Period, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans delivered the good news of the One Big Beautiful Bill in Congressional Districts across America.

In Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District, Speaker Johnson participated in a panel discussion with Louisiana farmers to discuss how the One Big Beautiful Bill delivers for American agriculture and explained how the One Big Beautiful Bill will help Louisiana families keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.

Read More
kristen oaks
The Wrong Question on GMOs

For nearly 30 years, the loudest argument about GMOs has circled a single point: Are they safe to eat?

That’s the wrong question.

The scientific answer has been steady for a long time: Yes, the GMO crops on the market are as safe to eat as conventional ones.

Read More
kristen oaks
Machinery Cost Estimates for 2025

Machinery cost estimates for 2025 have been released and are available in the Management section on the farmdoc website. Machinery costs are updated every two years, with the last update occurring in 2023. As is usual, estimated machinery costs have increased, with most increases in the 1% to 14% range. The increases from 2023 to 2025 are less than the increases estimated between 2021 and 2023, when many costs increased by as much as 30%.

Read More
kristen oaks
Local Food Movement Powers Louisiana Ranch’s Success Story

Growing great land and cattle in the semitropical sandy soils outside New Iberia, La., is a generational touchstone for the Gonsoulin family. Shannon Gonsoulin and his wife, Toni, represent the most recent group of Gonsoulins ranching on family ground — a tradition beginning in 1784, when French land surveyor Jean Francios de Beaumelle Gonsoulin became the first family member to register the F2 brand.  

Read More
Livestockkristen oaks
USDA Wants to End Farm Labor Survey

The Trump administration last week moved to disrupt how wages are set for temporary guest workers on farms.

Groups representing farm employers are praising the moves, which they say will provide labor relief to farmers, though groups representing farm workers will likely challenge the decisions in court.

Read More
Labor, USDAkristen oaks
USDA Announces September '25 Lending Rates For Ag Producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for September 2025, which are effective Sept. 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 More
USDAdon molino