August 2018 Articles

Archives by Months

Just Rambling August 2018:

Just Rambling: As I sit here on the morning of August 2nd I have a heavy heart. My oldest daughter, Velvet Bennett Roberts, who is a cancer survivor from 2012 has recently had another operation (July) to remove another cancerous tumor. She has been doing real well after this surgery and her follow up appointment was this morning with her doctor in Shreveport. This appointment, I thought, was to meet with her surgeon and oncologist to set up chemo treatments. I just... read more

Spiritual Corner: Running for a Cause, Running for a Cure

Spiritual Corner: Running for a Cause Running for a Cure Hello, everyone. My husband, Randy, and I have signed up for our first official half-marathon race. We have only ran 5k races so far, but have always wanted to run a half-marathon. We enjoy spending time together (and with our dogs) through running. When choosing a half-marathon to sign... read more

Management of Armyworms in Pastures And Hay Meadows

Management of Armyworms in Pastures And Hay Meadows Life Cycle timing: NOTE — Development rate is faster at higher temperatures (90 degrees and up)!  Adult (moth) — Ash-gray with a wingspan of about 1½ inches. Will have a white spot in center of each forewing.... read more

AgCenter expert stresses importance of food safety

AgCenter expert stresses importance of food safety Writer: Tobie Blanchard at 225-578-5649 or tblanchard@agcenter.lsu.edu (07/27/18) BATON ROUGE, La. — A recent recall of processed foods brings to light the importance of food safety. LSU AgCenter food safety expert Wenqing Xu said all food carry risks, but... read more

Herbicide issues highlight field day

Herbicide issues highlight field day Writer: Karol Osborne at 318-574-2465 or kosborne@agcenter.lsu.edu (07/24/2018) ST. JOSEPH, La.—Dry weather in northeast Louisiana during the early summer came to an end and drove participants indoors for the annual interagency rolling crop field tour held July 17 at the LSU AgCenter Northeast... read more

Nearly $2 Billion Now Available for Eligible Producers Affected by 2017 Hurrican

Nearly $2 Billion Now Available for Eligible Producers Affected by 2017 Hurricanes and Wildfires WASHINGTON, July 16, 2018– Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced that agricultural producers affected by hurricanes and wildfires in 2017 now may apply for assistance to help recover and rebuild their farming operations. Signup begins July 16, 2018, and continues through Nov. 16, 2018.... read more

Don’t let poison ivy hurt you

Don’t let poison ivy hurt you Editor: Rick Bogren at 225-578-5839 or rbogren@agcenter.lsu.edu By Dan Gill LSU AgCenter Horticulturist I recently came across some poison ivy as... read more

AgCenter takes lead on stopping new nematode

AgCenter takes lead on stopping new nematode Writer: Rick Bogren at 225-578-5839 or rbogren@agcenter.lsu.edu(07/26/18) BATON ROUGE, La. — The LSU AgCenter is in the vanguard of an attempt to contain and eradicate a significant plant pest that has been identified in Morehouse Parish.... read more

First Detection of Longhorned Tick in Arkansas

First Detection of Longhorned Tick in Arkansas LITTLE ROCK, ARK. – On Tuesday, June 5, 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) confirmed the presence of the Longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) in Arkansas. The confirmed Longhorned tick came from a dog in Benton County and was submitted through a research project at Oklahoma... read more

Trade War Endangers Farmers, Farm Bureau Tells Congress

Trade War Endangers Farmers, Farm Bureau Tells Congress American Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Scott VanderWal and Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening today warned Congress that many farms will lose money and even go out of business entirely if the growing trade war continues. Each called for a resumption of talks and removal of tariffs that are undoing decades of progress in trade.... read more

Trade Assistance Package a Welcome Measure of Short-Term Relief, Farm Bureau Sa

Trade Assistance Package a Welcome Measure of Short-Term Relief, Farm Bureau Says Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced USDA will authorize up to $12 billion for programs to help farmers and ranchers caught in the crossfire of a tariff war. The funding is in line with the estimated $11 billion impact of the retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods, according to USDA.... read more

Farm Bill Ready for Conference

Farm Bill Ready for Conference Source: www.fb.org With passage last week of the Senate farm bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (S. 3042), congressional lawmakers are expected to soon head to conference to iron out the differences between the House and Senate legislation. The House passed its version of the bill, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2), on June... read more

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Internet Sales Tax Collection

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Internet Sales Tax Collection The Supreme Court’s ruling that states have the authority to require retailers to collect and remit sales taxes on remote internet sales is a victory for Main Street retailers and local stores, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. The ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair overturns a 1992 precedent that only allowed a state to mandate the collection... read more

Farm Bureau: Legislation Would Make Much-Needed Changes to the ESA

Farm Bureau: Legislation Would Make Much-Needed Changes to the ESA Source: www.fb.org Nine separate bills introduced by Western Caucus lawmakers will help restore common sense to an Endangered Species Act regulatory regime that has gone unchecked and grown out of control, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. “The ESA, despite the good intentions it was built on, has failed in recovering endangered wildlife. Instead,... read more

Broiler-Type Eggs Set in the United States Up 1 Percent

Broiler-Type Eggs Set in the United States Up 1 Percent Hatcheries in the United States weekly program set 229 million eggs in incubators during the week ending July 28, 2018, up 1 percent from a year ago. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week in the United States was 83 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier.... read more

MANAGING EXTERNAL PARASITES

MANAGING EXTERNAL PARASITES Source: Pasture to Market References:· Baldwin, J. L., Foil, L. D., Hogsette, J. A. (2005). Important Fly Pests of Louisiana Beef Cattle · Swiger, S. L. (2012). Managing External Parasites of Texas Cattle The blood-sucking fly pests of Louisiana beef cattle include the horn fly, stable fly and many species of tabanids. Feeding by these flies... read more

Places in New Orleans

As a new feature for the Ag Trader, I am going to write about a place I have come to know very well: New Orleans, Louisiana. I have been reading a recent book called 111 Places in New Orleans That You Must Not Miss, and it has shown me a number of interesting sights which I never knew existed. It’s amazing to me how we still somehow manage to discover unusal things in places we thought we knew all about. In short, I have decided to write an article every month about a few of the locations and attractions mentioned... read more

Livestock Groups Applaud Proposed Updates to ESA

Livestock Groups Applaud Proposed Updates to ESA Implementation Source: www.beef.org
WASHINGTON (July 19, 2018) – Ethan Lane, Executive Director of the Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Federal Lands, today released the following statement in response to the Fish and Wildlife Service's proposed updates to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) implementation regulations:

“We... read more

NCBA on Supreme Court Pick Kavanaugh: "Opportunity to Solidify" Court, "Clears P

NCBA on Supreme Court Pick Kavanaugh: "Opportunity to Solidify" Court, "Clears Path for Narrower WOTUS Definition" Source: www.beef.org
WASHINGTON (July 9, 2018) - National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Chief Environmental Counsel Scott Yager tonight released the following statement in response to President Trump's nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court:

“President Trump’s nomination of Judge Kavanaugh presents an opportunity to solidify the conservative... read more

Northeast Louisiana Beef & Forage Field Day

Northeast Louisiana Beef & Forage Field Day - In its 6th year, the LSU AgCenter will be hosting a beef & forage field day at Goldmine Plantation in south Richland Parish on Thursday, September 20, 2018. We’ve got an excellent program with planned topics including: ● Safe Deworming & Vaccination Practices... read more

LSU AgCenter sweet potato field day set for Aug. 16

LSU AgCenter sweet potato field day set for Aug. 16 Writer: Karol Osborne at 318-574-2465 or kosborne@agcenter.lsu.edu (07/31/2018) CHASE, La. — The LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station near Chase will showcase the latest research and demonstration plots at a field day on Aug. 16. “The annual field day features the... read more

Cattlemen Urge President Trump to Support USDA Oversight of Lab-Grown Fake Meat

Cattlemen Urge President Trump to Support USDA Oversight of Lab-Grown Fake Meat WASHINGTON (July 26, 2018) – Today the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and other leading organizations in the animal agriculture industry (“the Barnyard”) sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging him to ensure the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) acts as the primary regulatory authority over lab-grown fake meat products. The Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) designates USDA as the main oversight body for emerging lab-grown... read more