When I fall, I fall hard— and I’ve fallen hard for Ireland. I mean, it’s difficult not to! Picturesque landscapes, charming people, cozy buildings, what’s not to love? When I first visited this country in 2014, I knew almost immediately that I’d return. When Louisiana 4-H offered us a seat on this trip, I literally jumped at the opportunity. This was not only a chance to visit again, but now as a reporter for TWILA, I’d get to capture and share that experience with our viewers.
Read MoreWe’ve landed in Ireland, and the first thing I can say with confidence is: it is, in fact, very green and very gray. It’s like someone took the saturation slider on the landscape and cranked it all the way up and did the opposite for the skies.
Josh Meeks and I touched down a couple days ago to begin our trip with Louisiana 4-H students to explore the land of castles and cattle depending heavily on coffee. We were invited to participate in this trip around 18 months ago and are so excited to finally be here in Dublin.
Read MoreWelcome to Monterey, Louisiana — where the grass is green, the cows are black, and the family is very serious about beef.
On this episode of Feasting on Agriculture, I visited a place I know almost too well: my father-in-law Lynn White’s farm, where beef isn’t just a product — it’s a purpose.
Read MoreI need a goat. Or ten goats. Like, ASAP.
In fact, my new mission in life is to convince my husband to get on board with this idea… because it’s happening.
Why, you ask?
Goats are like the quirky, free-spirited friends of the livestock world. They'll climb on your car, yell at you when you're late with breakfast, and occasionally escape—just to remind you who's really in charge. But they also give you delicious, nutrient-rich milk and eternal bragging rights.
Read MoreEach member of our team was tasked with preparing a dish for a Christmas dinner—ideally, something they traditionally eat during the holidays that features a Louisiana commodity. Luckily, everyone came up with a dish that created a perfectly balanced holiday menu! We had a main course, bread, several side dishes, and a dessert—all highlighting the bounty of Louisiana agriculture.
Now, it was time to get busy in the kitchen!
Read MoreIrish writer Jonathan Swift once wrote, “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.”
And maybe he was right. Heck, it took me 37 years to muster up the courage to take the plunge—into raw oysters, at least.
If you’re going to cross this cultural bridge into the world of oyster slurping, there’s no better place than the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, which is where I found myself for this month’s Feasting on Agriculture.
Read MoreWhen you think of wine country, I doubt northeast Louisiana is one of the first places that comes to mind. But, Ouachita Parish is quickly becoming a unique, must-see destination for wine lovers in the Bayou State.
This week, I traveled north, to my hometown of Calhoun, LA to visit one of the newest vineyards, growing just miles from my childhood home.
Early Monday morning, I headed south to Kaplan, LA to shoot this week’s Feasting on Agriculture segment, but I had no idea that I would literally be working for my meal!
Barry Toups owns Crawfish Haven/ Mrs. Rose’s Bed and Breakfast and also offers crawfish excursions for his visitors. Nestled in the heart of Cajun Country, Barry says his bed & breakfast is the only place where you can “catch, cook, and sleep!”
Read MoreIt’s finally crawfish season! It’s a time Louisianans start anticipating the moment they take their last bite of crawfish the previous season. But this year there’s a caveat: crawfish is in short supply, and if you are lucky enough to find a sack, the prices are through the roof.
For this month’s “Feasting on Agriculture” segment, we traveled back to Four Oaks Crawfish Farm in Morganza to visit the Frey family and find out why crawfish farmers across the state are facing such an unprecedented situation.
Read MoreThe holidays are a time when many families not only gather around the dinner table but also in the kitchen to prepare meals together. Some of my fondest memories revolve around the kitchen, learning and helping my Mom prepare dishes for our family celebrations.
Read MoreIn this month’s Feasting on Agriculture, we travel to Three Twelve Beef Ranch in St. Francisville, where Josh and Tara Morris raise beef cattle across several farm locations in the Feliciana Parishes. Their herd is exclusively pasture raised, and the beef they sell is all grass-fed.
Read MoreSandra Farms, located on a beautiful mountainside in Puerto Rico, is a coffee farm owned by Sandra and Israel Gonzalez. For Israel, farming is a lifelong dream and passion. "I love farming. That is true since I was about six years old. I love it. I mean, it's part of me in a sense," he says.
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