Be changed for good with this special Thanksgiving edition of TWILA! It’s all about gratitude, generosity, and the people who make our holiday traditions possible. Karl Wiggers follows Louisiana Farm Bureau volunteers as they visit Veterans Homes across the state to share smiles, stories, and a few spirited rounds of BINGO. Avery Davidson shows us how the Red Stick Farmers Market has supported small farmers and strengthened the Baton Rouge community for nearly three decades. Neil Melancon breaks down the American Farm Bureau’s annual Market Basket Survey results and what families can expect to pay for a classic Thanksgiving meal. And Kristen Oaks-White visits the Natchez Stewpot to cook, carve, serve, and learn what it truly means to give back in a new and heartwarming Feasting on Agriculture.

Get in the Thanksgiving spirit and watch now!

From reopened USDA offices to groundbreaking seafood research, it’s a full plate on this week’s episode of TWILA! We break down what the end of the government shutdown means for Louisiana farmers, then head to Nicholls State University to see how DNA testing is helping protect the state’s seafood industry. We also visit East Feliciana to see how cattle producers are preparing for winter and hear from volunteer leaders about the upcoming Rooted in Leadership Conference. Plus, Kristen Oaks-White takes us to the Louisiana State Fair for a behind-the-scenes look at the Cattlemen’s Kitchen in a brand-new Feasting on Agriculture. It’s a jam-packed episode you don’t want to miss!

Rice, pecans, and pumpkins — oh my! We take a look at how the nation’s longest government shutdown is putting pressure on Louisiana farmers and how rising costs are challenging rice growers across the state. Congressman Clay Higgins joins Farm Bureau leaders to push back against imported rice, and the Women’s Leadership Committee hits the road for a fall meeting at Little Eva Pecan Co. Plus, two Louisiana women graduate from Farm Bureau’s national Communications Boot Camp, and Kristen Oaks White shows us how pumpkins are turning into moovelous farmyard snacks. From policy to pumpkins, we’ve got it all in this week’s episode of TWILA!

From sugar mills in New Iberia to city gardens in New Orleans, it’s a pretty sweet episode of TWILA! We take a look at how drought conditions are tightening their grip on the state and how Louisiana Farm Bureau is connecting lawmakers and farmers ahead of the special session. We’ll tour the historic M.A. Patout sugar mill, share harvest road safety tips, and see how SPROUT NOLA is growing fresh food in the heart of the city. Plus, we visit Liuzza Land for some fall fun, stop by the first-ever Livestock Connection event, and join Farm Bureau as they give back through Pat’s Coats for Kids.

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.

This week, I was reminded that the real heart of Thanksgiving isn’t found on a table—it’s found in giving something of yourself to someone who needs it. I didn’t expect one day in a soup kitchen to change me, but it revealed a joy I didn’t even realize I was missing. And in that moment, I understood what farmers and ranchers have always known: the best harvest in life comes from what you give.

There’s something about the smell of beef sizzling on a grill that just feels like home.

At the Louisiana State Fair, that smell leads you straight to one place — the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Kitchen.

It’s fall in Louisiana, which means two things: the weather might dip below 90, and I’m officially knee-deep in pumpkins.