Rural America is facing a mental health crisis. While Texas boasts the nation’s largest rural population and most farms and ranches — nearly 250,000 — it ranks dead last among states with access to mental health care. Neighboring Oklahoma is not far behind, highlighting a broader issue across the rural countryside.
Read MoreFor the middle schoolers at the Northwest Region 4-H Challenge Camp last week, teaming up to play cornhole, kickball and giant volleyball wasn’t just fun and games.
Read MoreConsolidation in ag, higher input prices, land access issues and other obstacles are making it hard for young farmers to gain a foothold in U.S. agriculture.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced proposed updates to federal line speed regulations in poultry and pork establishments operating under modern inspection systems. These updates reflect years of data and experience, and are designed to lower costs for American families, reduce outdated regulatory barriers for processors, and support a more efficient and resilient food supply.
Read MoreHouse Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) has finally released his eagerly awaited farm bill text and has scheduled a markup for the week of Feb. 23, but the package is facing obstacles that make advancing it look like a tall task.
Read MoreSugar is certainly a staple in lots of our favorite treats — sodas, candy, baked goods, just to name a few. Despite it being so common, many people don’t seem to know much about how sugar is created. It’s an interesting process going from a plant to the sweet, white crystals that we put in our food.
Read MoreLast week, more than 300,000 attendees packed the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville during the National Farm Machinery Show. The event was particularly special because it was celebrating its 60th year.
Read MoreGrain bin entrapments continue to pose very serious dangers to farm workers across rural America. New U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows 2025 was a record year for corn production, with more than 17 billion bushels harvested nationally. At the same time, corn stockpiles are expected to reach their highest level in eight years, creating an even greater need for proper storage and management of grain.
Read MoreThe number of U.S. farms shrank by 15,000 in 2025, bringing the total to 1.865 million, USDA said (last week) in its Land in Farms report. This continues a long-lasting trend of declining farm numbers. Analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation noted that farm bankruptcies were also on the rise.
Read MoreCorn and soybean prices have trended down for more than three years, squeezing margins. As preparations for the 2026 crop begin, are farmers looking at another tight year? Experts indicate most likely yes. What about the year after that and beyond? Maybe.
Read MoreLike a lot of people who grew up in Louisiana, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg has fond memories of eating casseroles and other dishes his mother prepared using mirlitons — a unique squash that has been grown in the state for generations.
Read MoreAcadiana’s Mardi Gras takes the gold. Purple, green and gold, actually. This from someone who was born and raised in New Orleans. I spent my early Februarys on a wooden bench on top of a ladder, soaking in the Carnival. As I grew older, I branched out into attending Mardi Gras balls, dragging the Quarter, even riding in the parades giving progress reports. When I moved to Acadiana after college, (a girl must have a job…), I thought I’d lost Mardi Gras as I knew it forever. But I was wrong.
Read MoreJohn Deere’s Deanna Kovar details how the company is cutting parts costs, adjusting production and responding to EPA moves on Right to Repair and DEF as farm income pressure keeps the ag equipment market in a downturn.
Read MoreThis week, the USDA announced awardees for two of its export support programs.
The department’s Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program and the Market Access Program (MAP) are cost-share partnerships that help U.S. producers build and maintain a competitive presence in the global marketplace, according to USDA.
Read MoreWith a pair of scissors in hand and a crowd of excited supporters crammed into the hallway around him, Eric Greely beamed as he cut a red ribbon spanning the doorway of a new food pantry for students at Capitol High School in Baton Rouge.
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