National FFA Week is a time to share the impact FFA has on its members, the community and the agricultural industry. And what better way to do that than letting Louisiana FFA take over TWILA? In this special episode of TWILA, we highlight the impact of FFA across Louisiana. From FFA members developing leadership skills and gaining real-world experience to advisors fostering the next generation of agricultural leaders, this episode shows how FFA continues to drive success in Louisiana agriculture.

We’re out of the studio (and the state) in this special edition of TWILA as we bring you coverage from the 2025 American Farm Bureau Convention in San Antonio, Texas! We cover pressing issues facing Louisiana farmers, including the push for a new Farm Bill, labor challenges, and rising beef prices. Louisiana delegates made a strong impact through policy discussions and competitions. Plus, meet Louisiana transplants in Texas keeping their roots alive with a unique farm and award-winning Cajun cuisine.

From a promising crawfish season to tough crop decisions, Louisiana farmers are facing a year full of opportunities and challenges. In this week’s episode, young farmers and ranchers are gathering to grow their skills, while sugarcane farmers push back against rising labor costs. We also get a sneak peek at the AFBF Convention in San Antonio, where key agricultural policies take center stage. Plus, a brand-new Feasting on Agriculture, where TWILA’s Kristen Oaks-White explores the science behind great beef and gets a mouthwatering ribeye skewer recipe.

Our first epsiode of 2025 is live! We've got the latest on the new disaster relief package, a recap of Louisiana's sugarcane harvest and coverage from a recent trade mission to Cuba. Plus, so much more!

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!”