Meryl Kennedy rode shotgun for farm checks, walked flooded rice fields and picked up enough lingo to keep her fluent in the unique vernacular of a Louisiana farming community. Those moments spent learning at her father Elton’s side imprinted in her a deep appreciation for overcoming the hardships of farming in the near-hostile environment of the Gulf state.
Deep down though, she knew her heart just wasn’t in the dirt. She needed the glamor of the corporate world, of meeting with investors and negotiating global deals. The complete opposite of her father’s down-home rice farming, drying and land management business - or so she thought.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., has been appointed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Advisory Council Subcommittee on Planning for Animal Welfare (PAW). This Council will advise the FEMA Administrator on all matters related to emergency management and animal welfare.
“I am very honored by this appointment,” said LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M. “In Louisiana, we have been focused on creating new policies to help with the protection of animals during an emergency since Hurricane Katrina.
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) today unveiled a new, online Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Decision Tool and farm loan resources available to agricultural producers and cooperators who help producers access USDA disaster assistance, farm loans and other federal farm programs. The new LIP tool and the farm loan informational video resources were developed in partnership with FarmRaise and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). These tools are now available at www.farmraise.com/usda-fsa.
Louisiana's 2024 soybean planting season had a later start compared to last year but was ahead of the historical five-year average according to the latest USDA-NASS survey as of the week ending April 7th, 2024. Recent precipitation, particularly the heavy storms on April 10th, have likely slowed planting progress and may raise concerns about stand establishment due to factors such as soil crusting, hail damage, and flooding/saturated soils.
Tuesday, a coalition of rice state legislators including four Senators and eight House members, led by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), sent a letter to the Department of the Treasury requesting a quick resolution to financing restrictions which have prevented the Government of Iraq from procuring essentials including U.S. rice.
Iraq is the second largest market for U.S. milled long grain rice. The government of Iraq provides rations, including that rice, to 41 million Iraqis with 6 million receiving additional rations because they live below the poverty line; the total population in Iraq is approximately 45 million people.
On April 16, inspectors with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission arrested Eric M. Harris of Weyanoke, Louisiana, for theft of three head of livestock.
The arrest was the result of a brand commission investigation which determined that in August of 2023, 37-year-old Harris sold and was paid for three head of livestock from a West Feliciana cattle producer.
Forest landowners know there are only two types of land: that which doesn’t have hogs; and that which soon will have hogs.
Feral hogs in the Southeast United States have been a problem for landowners for centuries. First brought to North America in the 1500s by Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto, the free-range swine quickly populated southern forests. Exacerbating the problem in the early 20th century, more aggressive Eurasian wild boars were turned loose for hunters and despite “game-proof” caging, many escaped and mingled their bloodlines with other wild hogs, according to LSU AgCenter information.
Hurricanes are a regular threat to the Gulf Coast, and while it is important to plan and prepare, there is little for Louisianians to do except react to the aftermath of these storms. For the past 29 years, Colorado State University’s meteorological team has released a tropical forecast for the Atlantic. This year, CSU is predicting 23 named storms, 11 of which they believe will be hurricanes.
The American Farm Bureau Federation today urged USDA to reverse its decision to cancel livestock and crop surveys that are crucial to the success of America’s farmers and ranchers. The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently announced it would no longer provide a July cattle inventory survey, as well as county-level estimates for crops and livestock and the objective yield survey for cotton.
In a pocket of central Louisiana, a surprising crop for that area is taking root — sugarcane.
Sugarcane, a tropical crop, has traditionally been limited to south Louisiana. But by using precision breeding techniques, LSU AgCenter researchers are developing sugarcane varieties that can withstand colder temperatures.
Louisiana stands on the brink of a significant economic opportunity—one that promises to reinforce our leading role in global agriculture while profoundly benefiting local communities. The proposed Greenfield Wallace Grain Export Facility is poised to enhance the Port of South Louisiana, increasing its already dominant status in grain exports by approximately 10%. This isn’t just growth; it’s transformational change that secures our agricultural future and bolsters our national food security.
Register for a free webinar series for military veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses on how to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prepare for a career in agriculture. This webinar series is designed to provide information about USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher programs and resources for the military community.
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) adopted an amended Notice of Intent to hold a Louisiana black bear hunting season in December of 2024 in northeast Louisiana.
The action came during the commission’s April meeting on Tuesday (April 9) in Baton Rouge. The action authorizes the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to take all necessary steps to direct and prepare a report to the legislative oversight committee and file the final rule.
Rain is a good thing – though farmers are constantly facing the challenging reality of too much or not enough of one of their occupation’s most critical resources. In Louisiana, where corn planting typically kicks off in late February, rebounding rains after 2023’s widespread drought have stalled progress planting 2024 corn.
In USDA crop progress reports released March 11, 18 and 25, each found the state averaging just over two days per week suitable for field work – based on soil moisture and temperature. By March 25, corn planting completion hovered around 52%, a sharp difference from 2023’s 93% and grand progress form the week prior at 28%.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging dairy producers to enroll by April 29, 2024, for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program that helps offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup began Feb. 28, 2024, and payments, retroactive to January, began in March 2024. So far, DMC payments triggered in January and February of 2024 at margins of $8.48 and $9.44 respectively.
Last week, several families and rice industry representatives hosted the Nigerian Catholic Bishop Ernest Obodo and Father Francis Chiawa to south Louisiana rice country. The trip was organized by the Lounsberry Family, including Mrs. Yvonne Lounsberry and Michelle Deshotel, Gayla and Mark Popeck, and their son Conner Popeck. The trip was an initial visit to further explore the idea for the SWLA rice farming family to create a Farmer-to-Farmer Training Program to train Nigerians in the various trades associated with U.S. agriculture practices, with the goal of participants then being able to take these new skills and knowledge back to Nigeria and train others at Mary Agro Farms.
America’s farmers and ranchers are leading the way in greenhouse gas emission reduction through voluntary conservation efforts and market-based incentives. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022. The report shows American agriculture reduced emissions by almost 2% from 2021 to 2022, the largest decrease of any economic sector.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden today announced that USDA is inviting applications for grants to strengthen rural cooperatives that serve and are made up of people who are part of socially disadvantaged groups in rural areas.
USDA is making the $3 million in grants available under the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant program to help new and existing cooperatives strengthen their hands-on assistance, like leadership training and strategic planning, to small business owners and agricultural producers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced it is issuing more than $232 million to support public schools, roads and other municipal services through the agency’s Secure Rural Schools program. The program was reauthorized for fiscal years 2021 through 2023 through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Fiscal year 2023 funds will be paid to 745 eligible counties in 41 states and Puerto Rico.
For many families whose children receive free or reduced breakfast and lunch during the school year, summer can be a time of food insecurity. To combat this problem, each year the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) participates in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Strawberry season is in full swing and students from across the state have begun traveling to Mrs. Heather’s Strawberry Patch.
For more than 20 years, Mrs. Heather’s has added value to agritourism in Louisiana by serving as a field trip hotspot. Owner Heather Hughes said nothing is more heartwarming than seeing big smiles on children’s faces. Compounding agriculture and tourism helps farmers generate revenue from recreational and educational activities, like “pick-your-own fruit and vegetables” programs.
Faced with the potential of a dicamba-free growing season, farmers across the country reevaluated their dependence on a long-time, highly effective herbicide tool. No class of farmers was more wary than cotton growers, whose yield relies on more intensive management with fewer effective herbicide options than any other dicamba-friendly crop.
The April WASDE report was neutral with no major surprises. Perhaps the most noteworthy piece of information was the estimate of U.S. ending stocks for the 2023/24 crop year. Prior to the release of the April report, the trade’s attention focused on the USDA’s estimates of the South American corn and soybean crops. Specifically, the difference between the USDA and CONAB estimates of the Brazil soybean crop (USDA’s 155 MMT versus CONAB’s 146.5 MMT).
The Congressional Budget Office’s February 2024 baseline for USDA Mandatory Farm Programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program revealed projected outlays for Farm Bill-related programs at $1.46 trillion over the 10-year window from fiscal years 2025 to 2034 – this latest baseline projection is 3.5% lower than the previous 10-year baseline of $1.5 trillion.
May 2023’s baseline remains the Farm Bill scoring baseline until directed otherwise by the budget committees. In addition to this February baseline, CBO will release a new spring baseline following the release of the President’s fiscal year 2025 budget request.
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