Wow, what a wonderful experience and opportunity it was for the young people who attended the Louisiana 4-H Goes to Ireland trip. I am very thankful to have been a part of this group and to serve as a chaperone for such a special trip.
Read More
After nearly two weeks here in Ireland, the trip is coming to an end. The kids, parents, and chaperones are all waiting for their respective flights back to Louisiana and are eager to see their friends and families again. So am I. It’s been a whirlwind trip, and Karl and I are incredibly lucky to have been a part of it. I genuinely don’t think I could have done this trip without him. His technical know-how is envious, and he’s so natural when interacting with strangers. I’d imagine most of our group was sad to part ways with him.
Read More
It’s 7:32 a.m. in Dublin, Ireland. I’m sitting outside gate 417, waiting to board my flight to Newark, New Jersey—by myself. As adventures would have it, Josh ended up on a different flight through Washington, D.C., which is now super delayed, and I feel terrible for him.
This morning, I rode to the airport on the bus with the group. There were sleepy eyes—some even fully closed for a few extra minutes of rest—as we met in the lobby at 5:10 (though I wandered in at 5:14). On the way, I chatted with a couple of the leaders about how excited we were to get back to our kids, our spouses, and our own beds. Some of the students echoed that same yearning for home, while others were sad to be leaving.
Read More
Louisiana 4-H Goes to Ireland has been a trip filled with budding relationships, blooming flowers, and fresh perspectives. With just the right amount of rain to make the grass and flowers flourish, paired with new experiences, the buds of new knowledge are beginning to blossom within our group.
Read More
Growing up, I’ve always been a big animal lover. Our family always had cats and dogs, and my wife and I have an American Brown Dog™ named Wrigley. In fact, my wife says she fell in love with me because on our first date, I greeted her dog before I said hello to her. The vibrant green Irish countryside is flecked with brown coats of sheep, spotted with black and white patterns of cattle, and streaked with the grays, browns, and blacks of incredibly fast horses. Cows here also ‘moo’ with Irish accents, which is adorable.
Read More
When we travel outside of the U.S., it’s typically a vacation and it’s hard not to think of this trip in the same way. With the amount of sightseeing in Dublin and The Cliffs of Moher, it is a reasonable description at times. Then there are visits to places like the Redmond Farm in County Wexford that remind us that this is so much more.
Read More
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 More
We’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 More
Welcome 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 More
I 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 More
Each 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 More
Irish 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 More