We’re home for the holidays… well, sort of. We’re at Kristen’s home for this special holiday edition of TWILA! This week, the TWILA team is serving up a holiday feast featuring the best of Louisiana agriculture. From crawfish and rice to beef, sugar, and sweet corn, we’re showcasing the ingredients that make our state unique, along with the special family recipes that fill our plates. From our families to yours, happy holidays!

From the hills of Washington, D.C., to the valleys of Utah and every corner of Louisiana, the TWILA Team has covered a lot of ground—and important issues—this year. In this special edition of TWILA, we're taking a look back at some of our favorite stories from 2024. And while this is usually our last show of the year, we have an extra-special holiday episode coming your way next week!

Ag policy, grocery store shelves and farm-to-table meals—we're got all kinds of agriculture in this week’s episode of TWILA! Avery Davidson takes us to Washington D.C. where Louisiana Farm Bureau Leaders were recently advocating for immediate action on the new Farm Bill and supplemental assistance for farmers and ranchers. Neil Melcancon takes a look at the 2024 Thanksgiving Dinner Survey and how Thanksgiving dinner costs are trending across the country and in Louisiana specifically. In a brand-new Feasting on Agriculture, Kristen Oaks-White visits the historic Myrtles Plantation, where farm-to-table meets fine dining at Restaurant 1796. Plus, a look at the 2025 crawfish season and life behind the rice dryers! We hope you enjoy this week’s show and have a happy Thanksgiving!

From The Hill in Washington, D.C., to the waters of Cameron Parish, we’ve got a little bit of everything in this episode of TWILA! Avery Davidson joins Louisiana Farm Bureau leaders in our nation’s capital as they advocate for urgent action on the Farm Bill and FARM Act. We celebrate the opening of Jackson Parish Farm Bureau’s new office, a testament to their dedication to growth and service. From seafood workshops introducing underutilized fish species to Uncle Larry’s Certified Louisiana Stew in a Few, culinary creativity takes center stage. Finally, Kristen Oaks-White visits Cameron Parish’s Salt Revival Oyster Company to showcase innovative oyster farming and the delicious dishes served at their Lake Charles restaurant.

Usually when we talk about disasters in Louisiana this time of the year it is a hurricane. However, it's the extreme heat and drought wearing on Louisiana farmers.  This week we learn how lack of rain and high temperatures are impacting grain crops, sugarcane, timber and cattle in every corner of the state and how farmers can make their voices heard. Plus, we get an update on the upcoming Farm Bill. 

This week we take you to the streets of downtown Baton Rouge, the forests of Vernon Parish, and a lot of places in between. 

 Karl Wiggers shows us how the triple digit temperatures are impacting Louisiana’s beef industry. Trevor Williams takes us to the Red Stick Farmers Market where farmers are bringing their bounty to community tables. Neil Melancon tells us about an archaeological discovery in the forests of Vernon Parish. Plus, we get a behind-the-scenes look at the 2023 Louisiana Harvest.

In this special episode of Louisiana Farm Life, TWILA’s Avery Davidson sits down with third generation farmer and American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall and his new bride Jennifer. Zippy tells us about his upbringing family’s dairy farm, and how a conversation with his father grew into a life-long passion for Farm Bureau. They also talk about how Jennifer and Zippy connected after losing their first loves, and the importance of mental health in agriculture.

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!

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.

When 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!”