42nd Junior Beefmaster Breeders Show Returns To Ike Hamilton Expo Center

The Ike Hamilton Expo Center is preparing to host the 42nd annual Junior Beefmaster Breeders Show this week, bringing youth cattle exhibitors from multiple states to West Monroe.

Roughly 200 competitors from Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas will present their animals Wednesday and Thursday for evaluation by a panel of judges. Organizers say the event helps develop the next generation of agricultural leaders by emphasizing responsibility and sound breeding practices.

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Livestockdon molino
Carbon Capture Key Topic for Farm Bureau Board Meeting

The Richland Parish Farm Bureau Board discussed the growing controversy surrounding carbon capture projects, including eminent domain concerns, during its July 7 meeting.

Burch Pierce, second vice president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Board of Directors, said carbon capture first appeared in Louisiana legislation in 2009, but interest increased significantly after additional legislation was introduced in 2020.

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'Seeing is Believing': New tech, Methods Could Make NWLA Farmers More Money

It has been a challenging time for farmers. First tariffs, and more recently, restrictions on ships in the Strait of Hormuz carrying fertilizer or the elements and compounds in it, have increased the cost of bringing crops to harvest.  

LSU Ag Center’s Dr. Peters Egbedi said farmers have dealt with the increases in different ways. Some, anticipating price hikes, purchased extra fertilizer early.

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ConnectLA Celebrates Volt Broadband Expansion

State and local leaders joined ConnectLA and Volt Broadband today to celebrate the completion of a broadband expansion project connecting homes and businesses in Northeast Louisiana, marking another milestone in Louisiana's statewide effort to connect every community with reliable, affordable high-speed internet.

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Avery Davidson
For Louisiana Sugarcane Producers, Huge Harvest Tempered by Arrival of Invasive Insect

The predictions of a harvest increase over last year’s were undercut by the news of the arrival of a worrisome, invasive insect at the LSU AgCenter’s annual Sugar Research Station field day July 15.

At the outset of the day, AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Services is indicating a 5,000-to-6,000-acre increase over last year’s crop, with a clearer focus coming into view in August.

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Persistent Losses Leave Farmers Needing Economic Support

Crop farmers continue to face elevated production costs, lower commodity prices and tight margins – with no relief on the horizon. AFBF analysis projects 2027 will mark a sixth year of negative returns over total costs for most major row crops. Specialty crop farmers are experiencing similar financial strain, facing expected below-breakeven prices and acreage reductions across major fruit, vegetable and tree nut sectors in 2026, even as limited public data make the full scale of losses difficult to measure. At the same time, fertilizer and fuel prices remain volatile, with the Iran conflict adding additional pressure to those markets.

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Remembering Maxwell Amos "Mack" Lea Jr.

Dr. Maxwell Amos Lea Jr., 79, "Mack," a resident of Zachary, LA, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 13, 2026.

Mack was an active member of the Louisiana Cattleman’s Association, Zachary Rotary Club, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and enjoyed volunteering weekly at the Zachary Food Pantry.

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