Archive

From Century Farms to Global Fields—we’re covering it all in this week’s episode of TWILA! Livestock ranchers are facing rising costs and relentless rain, while rice farmers look to the future with new high-yield varieties. We follow Louisiana 4-H students as they explore agriculture abroad in Ireland, and federal leaders roll out a new action plan to strengthen and secure U.S. farms. We also celebrate families who’ve kept their farms running for over a century and join a USDA field tour that’s connecting policy to pasture. And in this week’s TWILA Boost, one young farmer finds the perfect way to cool off—with a little help from the family dog and a lot of mud.

Big bills, big traditions, and big heart—that’s what this week’s TWILA is all about. 

Avery Davidson breaks down what the newly signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act means for Louisiana farmers. Tammi Arender steps away from the Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention to give us a look inside Okra Abbey, a New Orleans garden transforming a neighborhood. Karl Wiggers reports from Fast Food Farm in Gramercy, where teachers are learning hands-on ways to bring agriculture into their classrooms. Neil Melancon takes us to the Coushatta Powwow in Kinder, where Native American culture and agriculture come together in powerful ways. And Alexandra Kling introduces us to Chapple Farms in Prairieville, where a horse boarding business has grown into a thriving agritourism venture. 

This special edition of This Week in Louisiana Agriculture takes you to New Orleans for the 103rd Annual Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention. With record-breaking attendance and a packed schedule of events, we’re highlighting some of the people and moments that made this year’s gathering one to remember.

From Jell-O shots that fight hunger to Louisiana-style sushi bowls, this episode of TWILA is full of the people and stories that make our state one of a kind. LSU fans are leading the Jell-O Shot Challenge in Omaha while raising money for food banks back home. Hay producers in Red River Parish turn out for the wet but well-attended inaugural LSU AgCenter Hay Day. We introduce you to the final Louisiana Farm Bureau YF&R Achievement Award finalist, Laura Hebert — a fourth-generation farmer bringing bold ideas and a newborn baby to her family farm. Then we’re off to Ville Platte for a brand new Feasting on Agriculture featuring a Cajun surf and turf sushi bowl. Plus, we celebrate 111 years of 4-H University in this week’s TWILA Boost.

Chickens, Crawfish & a Cow-Chasing Dachshund... that just about sums up this edition of TWILA! In this week’s episode of TWILA, we take you from the rice fields of Evangeline Parish, where crawfish farmers are already prepping next year’s crop, to the marshes of Chauvin for the annual Farm Bureau Fishing Rodeo. We introduce Dylan and Shelby Laster, Young Farmers & Ranchers finalists raising chickens, cattle, and kids with care. We also cheer on a Louisiana 4-H archer heading to the world stage. Plus, meet a miniature dachshund with a big job in this week’s TWILA Boost, and tour a dairy in Franklinton producing award-winning cheesecakes, eggnog, and more.

From policy to people, this week’s episode covers a wide range of stories shaping Louisiana agriculture. We highlight key changes in Senate Bill 244, a new program helping protect people, pets, and alligators, and the challenges cotton farmers face with record-low acreage. You’ll also meet Frankie and Mallory Sotile, finalists for the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award, and Michele Simoneaux, a Farm Bureau leader working to elevate the voices of rural women across the state.

From the waters of Dulac to the vineyards of West Monroe, we’re covering a lot of ground in this week’s episode of TWILA! Neil Melancon shows how low prices and high costs are driving Louisiana shrimpers out of business. We also highlight the Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee and FFA students making their voices heard at the State Capitol. Plus, learn how a simple invitation to a meeting led Nicholas Gerace to become chair of Louisiana Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. Discover growing agritourism at Landry Vineyards and get a taste of Uncle Larry’s Certified Louisiana products in St. James Parish.

From the coast to the Capitol, this week’s show explores the many ways Louisiana’s farmers are preserving tradition, shaping policy, and feeding the future. Neil Melancon travels to Leeville, where a member of the United Houma Nation is honoring tradition while using modern farming methods to cultivate oysters. Avery Davidson heads to Lafayette Parish to introduce the 2025 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. We also catch up with Louisiana Farm Bureau leaders—both at the Capitol and in the field. Plus, Kristen Oaks White gets her father-in-law and husband on camera to reveal the secrets behind perfect, farm-raised steaks in a new Feasting on Agriculture. Watch all that and more in this week's episode!

This week’s episode of TWILA takes you from the muddy fields of spring planting to the spicy flavors of a Louisiana crawfish boil. Brothers Dallas and Reed Ardoin are working hard to beat the weather and get their soybeans in the ground. In Tensas Parish, 81-year-old Roy Smith shares a lifetime of farming wisdom. We also dive into coastal conservation with oyster shell recycling, follow Amelia Kent’s leadership journey in Farm Bureau, and sit down with former president Ronnie Anderson. Then, enjoy some cross-cultural cuisine as two Brits experience their first crawfish boil in our TWILA Boost!

From Capitol Hill to crawfish ponds, we're covering agriculture from every angle. This week on This Week in Louisiana Agriculture, we follow Congressman Troy Carter as he visits farmers in his district to hear firsthand about the urgent need for a Farm Bill. We also explore a new state-of-the-art sawmill revitalizing a small town, dive into Louisiana's booming agritourism scene, and continue our Road to Leadership series with Marty Wooldridge. Plus, we celebrate Black Farmers and Growers Day, stomp grapes at Landry Vineyards, and get a reality check on farming in the John Deere Challenge.