Louisiana Farms Lose $44.1M per Year to Natural Hazards

High grocery prices have been a defining economic story in recent years, driven by a combination of factors including pandemic-related supply chain breakdowns and labor shortages. However, an increasingly critical driver of food price inflation has been the impact of natural disasters—such as droughts, floods, and hurricanes—on the nation’s agricultural output.

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Applications Now Open for Grow Louisiana: Beginning Farmer Training Program

Grow Louisiana is a free program for the beginning farmers of Louisiana. A beginning farmer is defined as those currently farming with less than 10 years of experience or those wanting to start farming for profit. This year, the program will consist of Thursday night sessions with a few Saturday field days. Grow Louisiana is a partnership of cooperative extension, non-profit organizations, and farmers that provides whole-farm planning curriculum and training (focusing on horticulture and business), online resources, support, networking and mentoring to new and beginning farmers in Louisiana. Learn from Louisiana producers and start planning your farm in 2026!

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Secretary Rollins Announces Plan for American Ranchers and Consumers

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced a suite of actions to strengthen the American beef industry, reinforcing and prioritizing the American rancher’s critical role in the national security of the United States. Since 2017, the United States has lost over 17% of family farms, more than 100,000 operations over the last decade. The national herd is at a 75-year low while consumer demand for beef has grown 9% over the past decade. Because increasing the size of the domestic herd takes time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing now to make these markets less volatile for ranchers over the long term and more affordable for consumers.

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