Innovation, leadership, and good old-fashioned Southern hospitality that’s what you'll find in this episode of This Week in Louisiana Agriculture. This week, we dive into the cutting-edge technology making waves in crawfish ponds, check in on the start of the 2025 Louisiana Legislative Session, and get an update on the latest tariff developments. We also take you behind the scenes of the Young Farmers & Ranchers Livestock Show and a Kentucky beef tour through Louisiana. Plus, we kick off our Road to Leadership series with LFB President Richard Fontenot and wrap it all up with goat milk, baby goats, and a lot of heart in Feasting on Agriculture.

From international trade to hands-on ag education, this week’s show looks at the key issues and events shaping Louisiana agriculture. As new tariffs take shape and global trade shifts, what could it all mean for Louisiana farmers? We talk with grain producers and Farm Bureau leaders about what they’re watching — and why this moment could play a key role in the next Farm Bill. We’ll also introduce you to Mark Shirley, take you back to the Kansas plains for more coverage of the 2025 Louisiana Farm Bureau Beef Tour, and explore how AgMagic’s interactive approach is teaching kids about agriculture.

This week on This Week in Louisiana Agriculture, we’re celebrating innovation, leadership, and legacy in Louisiana farming. From hydroponic lettuce in Harvey to Certified Louisiana beef in St. Francisville, we explore how producers are meeting the moment. We follow cattle ranchers to the Midwest, spotlight women and youth shaping ag’s future, and visit a multi-generational rice farm in Jennings. Plus, see how young chefs are cooking up confidence in the 4-H Food Challenge.

From the fields of Evangeline Parish to the halls of Louisiana's Capitol, we're bringing you the biggest stories in Louisiana agriculture this week! Crawfish farmers are seeing a much better season than last year, and rice farmers are finally seeing sales on the horizon. We highlight the incredible impact of Caroline Dorman, a pioneer in forestry conservation, and honor the legacy of longtime TWILA host Mike Danna. Plus, we follow members of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee into the classroom to see how they helped celebrate Louisiana Ag Week.

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.

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.

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.