I was raised on fresh fish and farm stands on the east coast of Florida, with these foundational nourishments woven into my DNA. When the invitation to move to Louisiana arrived, my first question was, “Is there a farmers market?” On the initial visit before the prospective relocation to Baton Rouge, my husband and I strolled through the Red Stick Farmers Market on a picturesque Saturday morning precisely 10 years ago. Farmers market indeed.
Read MoreOpry Entertainment Group and RFD-TV today announced a new partnership to bring two of the Grand Ole Opry's signature series, Opry Live and Circle Sessions, to RFD-TV audiences nationwide. Opry Live airs beginning Saturday, May 9 and Circle Sessions launches Friday, May 8 on RFD-TV.
Read MoreLast week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act (H.R. 7567), which reauthorizes the remaining farm bill provisions that were not included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) last year. Congress made critical investments in the farm safety net in previous legislation, but H.R. 7567 spans all 12 titles of the farm bill and remains essential to supporting the rice industry and rural communities.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can enroll in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (Grassland CRP) starting May 4, 2026, through May 29, 2026. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers Grassland CRP, a voluntary working lands conservation program that enables participants to conserve grasslands while also continuing most grazing and haying practices.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for May 2026, which are effective May 1, 2026. 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 MoreGlobal rice supplies are expected to tighten this year as farmers across Asia reduce planting due to rising input costs and worsening weather conditions, raising concerns for food security and U.S. producers alike.
Read MoreThe pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei) is an invasive insect pest associated with pasture dieback and damage to a range of grasses. In Louisiana, it was confirmed in 2025 from sugarcane fields in Vermilion and Iberia Parishes.
Read MoreThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Negasunt Powder (coumaphos, propoxur, and sulfanilamide topical powder) for the prevention and treatment of New World screwworm infestations.
Read MoreFew agricultural sectors capture the identity of a state in the way crawfish defines Louisiana. From roadside boils to restaurant menus far beyond the Gulf Coast, crawfish is both an economic engine and a cultural institution. But behind that visibility, the industry is navigating a convergence of pressures - rising production costs, intensifying import competition, a critical labor supply disruption and increasing weather volatility - that are testing the financial resilience of producers across the region.
Read MoreThe House passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act on a 224-200 vote after two days of debate and a final round of amendment fights that reshaped the bill. The vote showed leadership held together a narrow coalition, with 14 Democrats supporting the measure, while 3 Republicans voted no.
Read MoreThe U.S. House approved, 224-200, a five-year farm bill Thursday as members of Congress attempt to update major agriculture and nutrition policy after three years of extensions.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is establishing a second national deadline for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for fiscal year 2026 assistance in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The new deadline for entities to apply is May 29, 2026. NRCS is providing up to $200 million in funding for the application period for agricultural land easements.
Read MoreAg Secretary Brooke Rollins announced new steps late Tuesday aimed at easing rising fertilizer costs that have added pressure to U.S. farmers during the spring planting season.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the House of Representatives vote to pass the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.
Read MoreHouse Republican leadership pulled the farm bill from consideration on the floor Wednesday after division within the conference, sources told NOTUS.
The move is a major setback for the bill, which leaders had hoped to pass this week. The farm bill will now head back to the Rules Committee, which will have another chance to include many of the Republican-backed amendments it originally rejected.
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