This week on TWILA, we follow the fight against invasive species threatening farms and forests and explore how agritourism is growing through pick-your-own experiences. Louisiana 4-H students travel to Ireland for lessons in farming abroad, while soybean buyers from North Africa visit West Baton Rouge to see American production firsthand. Plus, one tractor door gives farmers a run for their money in this week’s Boost! 

This week, we start in the Louisiana marsh with LSU’s interim president learning the hands-on process of collecting alligator eggs—a vital part of conservation and a $100 million industry. Then we head to Ireland with Louisiana 4-H to explore dairy farms, plant fresh produce, and see how farm-to-table works across the Atlantic. We hop back across the pond to follow Louisiana’s jasmine rice from research to harvest to a delicious crawfish sushi stack in Feasting on Agriculture. 

Links:

• See photos from the trip to Ireland here.
• See the first week of TWILA coverage here.
• Read blog posts from the trip here.
• See more episodes of TWILA here.

From Ruston to Washington, D.C., and all the way to Ireland, Louisiana agriculture is making waves.  

In this week’s episode of TWILA, Speaker Mike Johnson hears directly from Louisiana farmers during a special town hall, while 4 Sisters Rice represents the state at a national celebration of farmers markets. Louisiana 4-H students journey overseas for an unforgettable ag adventure, and an innovative aquaponics facility in New Orleans shows what’s possible when tradition meets technology.

🔗 SHOW LINKS  

• “One Big Beautiful Bill” Celebration 
• Higgins Encourages Higher Tariffs On Rice Imports
• AFBF Makes Policy Recommendations to MAHA Commission
•  Coke Is Already Sweetening the Deal for Louisiana

Learn more about Louisiana 4-H's Trip to Ireland: 

• Visit the Irish National Stud & Gardens 
• Read Josh's blog entry about all the love for the animals on the trip to Ireland.
• Read all the blog posts from the trip to Ireland.

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. 

SHOW LINKS  

• One Big Beautiful Bill: Notable Changes for Agriculture: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55f2e952e4b0ef7e0849a5a3/t/686d75f9cca64b501f9f8b7f/1752004089679/One+Big+Beautiful+Bill+Act+July+2025+Summary.pdf   
• Learn more about Okra Abbey: https://okraabbey.com/  
• Follow Fast Food Farm on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/educationalfarm/ 
• Learn more about Louisiana Ag in the Classroom: https://aitcla.org/  
• Learn more about the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana: https://www.coushatta.org/ 
• Learn more about the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation: https://lafarmbureau.org/  
• Learn more about Chapple Farms: https://chapplefarmsla.com/  

This week on TWILA, we take you from Evangeline Parish, where crawfish farmers are already prepping next year’s crop, to the marshes of Chauvin for the annual Farm Bureau Fishing Rodeo. We profile Dylan and Shelby Laster, Young Farmers & Ranchers finalists raising chickens, cattle, and kids with care, and we cheer on a Louisiana 4-H archer heading to the world stage. Plus, meet a miniature dachshund with a big job in this week’s TWILA Boost, and tour a dairy in Franklinton producing award-worthy cheesecakes, eggnog, and more.

🔗 SHOW LINKS  

• Louisiana Farm Bureau Fishing Rodeo —  https://lafarmbureau.org/calendar/fishingrodeo 
• Farm Dog of the Year —  https://www.fb.org/initiative/farm-dog-of-the-year 
• Certified Louisiana Program —  https://certifiedlouisiana.org 
• TWILA Boost — https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1C62xenu6Z/?mibextid=wwXIfr

From the waters of Dulac to the vineyards of West Monroe, we’re covering a lot of ground in this week’s episode of TWILA! 

Neil Melancon shows how low prices and high costs are driving Louisiana shrimpers out of business. We also highlight the Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee and FFA students making their voices heard at the State Capitol. Plus, learn how a simple invitation to a meeting led Nicholas Gerace to become chair of Louisiana Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. Discover growing agritourism at Landry Vineyards and get a taste of Uncle Larry’s Certified Louisiana products in St. James Parish.

Show Notes:

 • The MAHA Report: https://www.whitehouse.gov/maha/  

 • American Farm Bureau Statement on MAHA  

 ◦ https://www.fb.org/newsline/maha-commission-report-undermines-confidence-in-food-system  

 ◦ https://www.fb.org/news-release/farm-bureau-statement-on-maha-report  

 • See more Road to Leadership profiles: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVx4iWGOTYzVtndss4O-0VJlYWzbZoPpZ&si=XENVXlYvdQHiAG1c

From the coast to the Capitol, this week’s show explores the many ways Louisiana’s farmers are preserving tradition, shaping policy, and feeding the future. 

Neil Melancon travels to Leeville, where a member of the United Houma Nation is honoring tradition while using modern farming methods to cultivate oysters. Avery Davidson heads to Lafayette Parish to introduce the 2025 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. We also catch up with Louisiana Farm Bureau leaders—both at the Capitol and in the field. Plus, Kristen Oaks White gets her father-in-law and husband on camera to reveal the secrets behind perfect, farm-raised steaks in a new Feasting on Agriculture. 

Show Notes

• Learn more about Bayou Rosa Oysters.
• See more Road To Leadership profiles here.
• Learn more about Kristen's day with her husband at the farm here.
• Subscribe to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Podcast.
• Join Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention

This week’s episode of TWILA takes you from the muddy fields of spring planting to the spicy flavors of a Louisiana crawfish boil.  Brothers Dallas and Reed Ardoin are working hard to beat the weather and get their soybeans in the ground. In Tensas Parish, 81-year-old Roy Smith shares a lifetime of farming wisdom. We also dive into coastal conservation with oyster shell recycling, follow Amelia Kent’s leadership journey in Farm Bureau, and sit down with former president Ronnie Anderson. Then, enjoy some cross-cultural cuisine as two Brits experience their first crawfish boil in our TWILA Boost! 

Show Notes

• See more Road To Leadership profiles here.
• Subscribe to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Podcast.
• Join Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention

In this episode of This Week in Louisiana Agriculture, we take you from the fields of Catahoula Parish to the cliffs of coastal California, highlighting some of the challenges and triumphs in agriculture. 

Neil Melancon shows us that while Louisiana's corn crop is thriving, farmers are bracing for tough market conditions and rising input costs. While Louisiana avoided major flooding as the Mississippi River crested, Arkansas farmers are facing significant impacts from heavy rainfall and levee breaches. Grassroots leadership takes center stage at the Michael Danna and Women's Leadership Committee Leadership Conference, and international relations strengthen with a visit from Canada’s Consul General. You'll also meet Burch Pierce, Louisiana Farm Bureau’s Second Vice President, whose leadership journey started with a childhood connection. Plus, a van life blogger makes a daring calf rescue in California in this week’s TWILA Boost! 

Catch all that and more in this week’s episode of TWILA!

Show Notes

• Join Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention