Louisiana Farm & Ranch

09/13/2024

On a blisteringly hot Wednesday afternoon on the Stelly family farm near Kaplan, barrels worth of golden rice kernels pour into a container to be hauled off for processing. After days of rain, fifth generation rice farmers Sandrus and Adlar Stelly are glad to finally be ramping up their harvest.

“Everybody is in the fields harvesting right now,” said Ronnie Levy, Louisiana rice specialist at the LSU AgCenter. Levy has been making his rounds to four farms in Acadia, Allen, Jeff Davis and Vermilion parishes to help farmers improve their operations and test out the AgCenter’s research in real-life conditions.

This year, Louisiana farmers planted more rice than last year, but slightly less than expected due to very wet conditions during planting season. In total, 475,000 acres of rice were planted across the state this year, compared to 462,000 last year.

Read more here: https://www.lafarmandranch.com/feature-stories1/rainy-weather-spells-new-challenges-for-rice-farmers-after-last-years-historic-drought

08/06/2024

CAMERON PARISH – Hubern Doxey’s family has lived off the land in Cameron Parish for generations. His grandfather was one of the state’s most prolific fur traders. Prior to the 2020 hurricanes that reduced much of the parish to rubble and pushed many of its residents to leave, his family also owned an oyster house in Cameron. Doxey himself is a fisherman who specializes in crabs, shrimp and oysters.

“My kids, when they’re old enough to take over, hopefully I’ll still be in business,” Doxey said of the next generation poised to continue the family tradition.

🦪 To continue reading, visit our website:
https://www.lafarmandranch.com/feature-stories1/long-known-for-its-wild-reefs-calcasieu-lake-now-produces-its-first-farmed-oysters

04/04/2024

Beautiful weather for picking CM Farms’ Louisiana strawberries! 🍓

🍓🍓🍓 Did someone say STRAWBERRIES? Good news, y'all! Our u-pick fields are officially opening this Saturday.. just in time for the kick off of our Strawberry Fest!

Some things to know before this weekend!
-We will have tons of strawberry themed food and dessert available
-Farm attractions will be open for exploring
-Strawberry Fest will run April 6, 7, 13, 14
-We will have a special event- Wool Days April 13 & 14
-U-pick is on a first come, first serve basis
-A 1 gallon strawberry souvenir bucket purchase is required to enter u-pick fields
-Pre-picked strawberries will be available to purchase in the Country Store

Learn more: cmfarmsllc.com

04/04/2024

Easter Sunday on the Heinen farm in Hathaway, LA!

03/27/2024

The 2024 crawfish crop has been disastrous so far, affecting farmers and businesses that depend heavily on the crustacean, and the impact on the area economy will be significant.

Normally, crawfish pumps more than a quarter billion dollars into the Louisiana economy but that amount this year will be drastically reduced.

Eric Thomas, a Rayne crawfish dealer, said the market is looking better than the past 2 months. The price has dropped, and more people are eating crawfish.

“The price was $8 a pound and now it’s $4,” he said on March 4 when the price fell by $1. “The industry has never seen prices like this.”

🦞 To continue reading our latest feature story, "The 2024 Crawfish Crop: A Record-Setting Season for All the Wrong Reasons", click here: https://www.lafarmandranch.com/feature-stories1/the-2024-crawfish-crop-a-record-setting-season-for-all-the-wrong-reasons

02/27/2024

More than a third of the food we eat comes from crops pollinated by honey bees. That is why Dr. Lanie Bilodeau of the USDA Bee Lab in Baton Rouge works hard to keep our managed bee population healthy.

​One of Louisiana’s best kept agricultural research secrets is the USDA’s Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Lab. Just south of the main LSU Campus, the facility’s cluster of buildings are jam-packed with tables of microscopes, shelves of experimental plants, rooms of high-tech machinery such as genetic analyzers and bioreactors, and freezers filled with DNA samples. Scattered around it all are towers and towers of humming bee hives. Beyond the compound lies open fields, where the lab’s bees forage.

🐝To continue reading, visit our website:
https://www.lafarmandranch.com/feature-stories1/louisianas-usda-honey-bee-lab-keeping-our-bee-industry-humming