From Century Farms to Global Fields—we’re covering it all in this week’s episode of TWILA! Livestock ranchers are facing rising costs and relentless rain, while rice farmers look to the future with new high-yield varieties. We follow Louisiana 4-H students as they explore agriculture abroad in Ireland, and federal leaders roll out a new action plan to strengthen and secure U.S. farms. We also celebrate families who’ve kept their farms running for over a century and join a USDA field tour that’s connecting policy to pasture. And in this week’s TWILA Boost, one young farmer finds the perfect way to cool off—with a little help from the family dog and a lot of mud.

Big bills, big traditions, and big heart—that’s what this week’s TWILA is all about. 

Avery Davidson breaks down what the newly signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act means for Louisiana farmers. Tammi Arender steps away from the Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention to give us a look inside Okra Abbey, a New Orleans garden transforming a neighborhood. Karl Wiggers reports from Fast Food Farm in Gramercy, where teachers are learning hands-on ways to bring agriculture into their classrooms. Neil Melancon takes us to the Coushatta Powwow in Kinder, where Native American culture and agriculture come together in powerful ways. And Alexandra Kling introduces us to Chapple Farms in Prairieville, where a horse boarding business has grown into a thriving agritourism venture. 

This special edition of This Week in Louisiana Agriculture takes you to New Orleans for the 103rd Annual Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention. With record-breaking attendance and a packed schedule of events, we’re highlighting some of the people and moments that made this year’s gathering one to remember.

From Jell-O shots that fight hunger to Louisiana-style sushi bowls, this episode of TWILA is full of the people and stories that make our state one of a kind. LSU fans are leading the Jell-O Shot Challenge in Omaha while raising money for food banks back home. Hay producers in Red River Parish turn out for the wet but well-attended inaugural LSU AgCenter Hay Day. We introduce you to the final Louisiana Farm Bureau YF&R Achievement Award finalist, Laura Hebert — a fourth-generation farmer bringing bold ideas and a newborn baby to her family farm. Then we’re off to Ville Platte for a brand new Feasting on Agriculture featuring a Cajun surf and turf sushi bowl. Plus, we celebrate 111 years of 4-H University in this week’s TWILA Boost.

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.