Severe Weather Threat: Wednesday into Early Thursday

The SPC has again issued a lower-end severe threat ("SLIGHT Risk" ... 2-out-of-5 on the SPC threat scale) for active/severe storms, mainly from a Wednesday afternoon into early Thursday morning time frame.  While localized damaging winds will be the primary threat, all modes of severe weather -- damaging winds, tornadoes, and large hail -- are on the table.

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Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Urges Passage of New Farm Bill

Louisiana Farm Bureau urges Congress to pass the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 as it advanced out of the House Committee on Agriculture on March 5, 2026. Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation President Richard Fontenot sent a letter to the state’s congressional delegation, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, outlining the urgent need for updated policy.

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USDA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Advance New World Screwworm Preparedness with New Texas Sterile Fly Facility Contract

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) today announced a construction contract with Mortenson Construction to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. This facility is a key component in Secretary Rollins’ sweeping 5-prong strategy (PDF, 1005 KB) to fight New World Screwworm (NWS), as it will expand USDA’s domestic response capacity, bolstering protection for U.S. livestock, wildlife, and public health.

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Purina Livestock Scholarships Worth $30K Open March 18

Students with hands-on experience raising livestock, poultry, or equine will have an opportunity to earn financial support for college through the Purina Animal Nutrition Scholarship starting March 18, a program established by Land O’Lakes, Inc. to support the next generation of agricultural leaders.

The scholarship program awards up to 10 students each year with $3,000 scholarships to help cover undergraduate education expenses at accredited two-year or four-year colleges, universities, or vocational-technical schools in the United States.

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Stability and Structure for 1890 Land-Grant Universities: Why Funding Continuity Matters

When Congress introduces legislation to prevent funding disruptions at public institutions, it signals that stability may no longer be assumed.

That reality frames ongoing conversations surrounding federal oversight of funding tied to 1890 land-grant universities. While the broader land-grant system is often described as one of American agriculture’s greatest structural achievements, its history has not unfolded evenly across institutions. The 1890 universities, established under the Second Morrill Act to serve Black students in segregated states, were created not as expansions of privilege, but as remedies to exclusion.

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