The Rice Leadership Development Program gives future leaders a comprehensive understanding of the rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication skills. The class attends four one-week sessions over a two-year period that encompasses studies of all aspects of the rice industry through firsthand observations. They also attend seminars and workshops designed to strengthen leadership skills.
Read MoreFor row crop producers across the nation, late winter and early spring is a key seasonal window for fertilizer sourcing. Just as producers are making their final cropping decisions for the coming planting season, they will also think about plant and soil nutrition.
Read MoreA tropical system is moving toward Louisiana, and my concern level is pretty low. This system has had a hard time organizing, and it looks like the track will be further north. That means this system will have less time over water, and any sort of Louisiana impact will likely be minor.
Read MoreA crown may distinguish the young woman chosen to serve as Louisiana Farm Bureau Queen, but it is her commitment to agriculture, her passion for people and her willingness to share the stories of Louisiana’s farmers and ranchers that define her role.
Beyond the sash and title is a year of service travelling across the state to represent the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation at agricultural events, community celebrations and educational programs.
Read MoreWhat a difference a month makes, seems like just yesterday that 90% of our State was in severe or extreme drought…what a change! As you are aware, recent storms associated with Tropical Storm Arthur brought record breaking amounts of rainfall to the South-central portion of the state.
Read MoreA District Court has denied St. Landry Parish’s request for a preliminary injunction against Artall Brothers Farms, stating the Parish failed to establish the legal grounds required to restrict the family’s longstanding farming operations.
St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard filed the lawsuit after complaints of flooding in the Schexnayder Lane area around Melville.
Read MoreThe 89th annual International Rice Festival in Crowley, Louisiana, is scheduled for October 15-18, 2026, and organizers have released this year's entertainment lineup.
Read MoreLouisiana’s $2.4 billion seafood industry is growing despite constant competition from international products, and a partnership between Tulane Hospitality and the Audubon Nature Institute is working to keep Gulf cuisine at the forefront by training the next generation of culinary professionals.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreFarmers from across the country are urging the federal government to expedite an investigation of the fertilizer industry as they struggle with “impossibly high input costs.”
A letter from grower associations follows a slew of recent federal actions taken to address the expense of fertilizers.
Read MoreCaddo Parish is continuing to address its hog problem one sounder at a time.
Since February, Caddo Parish has been deploying a trap to catch up to 20 wild hogs — a longstanding and widespread nuisance — at a time. This week, after another successful roundup, the parish released a video detailing their efforts to reduce the risks associated with wild pigs.
Read MoreTulane University researchers and the recycling facility Glass Half Full are using evolutionary relationships between bacteria, fungi and plants to grow cypress and other plant species in glass sand created from recycled bottles.
Scientists hope to build back areas of Louisiana’s coast that have been eroded with the glass sand they have developed.
Read MoreThe U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent. A New Iberia farm owner says the change could benefit the agriculture industry, primarily on safety grounds.
Read MoreThe Hardwood Saw Mill has reopened with new owners.
Businessmen Magruder and Alex Kirkland from Jackson, Louisiana have purchased the mill after the previous owners, Hunt Forest Products, closed it a couple weeks ago.
Read MoreThe 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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