Louisiana 811: What Farmers Should Know About Louisiana Dig Law

It's National Safe Digging Month and Brent Saltzman from Louisiana 811 is on the podcast talking about why it's so important for everyone to "Call before you dig!" While everyone should make it a normal practice to dial 811 before doing yard work, construction projects, or any other types of digging, there are some exceptions for farmers and others in agriculture, and Brent explains those in this episode.

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Grassroots In Action: State Politics Update - April 1, 2024

In this episode, LFBF Lobbyist, Joe Mapes joins Avery and Karl to discuss what's been happening at the state capitol since a new crop of lawmakers were elected in the fall. Governor Landry and the legislature have been busy with multiple sessions and there is now a bill filed that calls for a constitutional convention. We also discuss the recent Young Farmers & Ranchers capitol day and the importance of those members learning how to participate and advocate on behalf of the issues that affect them back on their farms.

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Grassroots Leadership -- Louisiana YF&R Head to D.C.

This week, a handful of Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers headed to Washington D.C. to advocate on behalf of the ag industry and issues they face on their farms. In this episode, Karl visits with Andy Brown who's helping lead this trip to the Capitol, as well as Josh Meeks, who's going to help cover the trip for Farm Bureau. We cover the issues they're going to be addressing, the value of these trips, and what Josh can expect on his first trip to the nation's capitol.

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Grain Bin Safety Workshops Preview

This week is National Grain Bin Safety Week. Joining us on this episode of the podcast are Wendell Miley and Matt Sirgo of Louisiana Farm Bureau. They are here to talk about the upcoming grain bin safety workshops and the story behind why they started these programs over a decade ago. 

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The Cost of Good Labor

Labor: it's a constant need on farms across the nation. In many cases, farmers will bring labor in through foreign worker programs to fill jobs that they're unable to fill locally. That's a lot easier said than done, thanks to constantly changing policies and requirements for farmers to bring these valuable workers to their farms. That's why the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation hosts the Mid-South Ag Labor Seminar -- it's an opportunity to get up-to-date on all things labor policy, law, and best practices.

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A Cold Start to the 2024 Crawfish Season

A new year in Louisiana means a few things... king cake, gumbo weather, and crawfish! On this week's episode, Avery Davidson chats with Andy Brown and Bill Pizzolato about the affects weather has had on this year's crawfish crop and how that's making the crustacean quite expensive and hard to get for consumers. 

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Road to Leadership: Robert & Rachel Duncan

Welcome to a new year of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Podcast! We return with a great conversation with Robert and Rachel Duncan, young farmers from central Louisiana. Along with raising their children, soybeans, flowers and cattle, they chair the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers committee. They are also the winner of this year's YF&R Achievement Award. This week they are heading to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual meeting to represent Louisiana in the national competition. That's among the many topics we cover in this episode of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Podcast.

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Maximizing Markets for Louisiana Farmers

The primary function of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is to ensure farmers can continue to feed a growing world. One of the ways it does that is by helping move agricultural products through the Louisiana Farm Bureau Marketing Association. In this episode, Karl Wiggers sits down with grain marketing specialists Greg Fox and Grayson Close to talk about the company and how they help farmers across Louisiana sell their crops at the best price at the best time.

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Insurance: The Top Member Benefit

You have probably heard us say “we are more than just insurance” a time or two on this podcast. But truth is, access to Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance is one of the biggest benefits offered to Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation members.  In this episode, Avery Davidson sits down with Kirk Hendry, Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance Vice President of Sales, to discuss the unique structure of the company, his personal career and the difficult times the insurance industry is facing in Louisiana.  

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Give Thanks -- Prices Are Down!

This week, Karl has Avery and Neil join the podcast to discuss the 2023 American Farm Bureau Thanksgiving Dinner Survey. The short of it, the cost for the average Thanksgiving Dinner is down from last year. This week, Neil Melancon tells us more about the survey's findings and what it means for consumers when it's time to head to the grocery store.

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Road To Leadership: Richard Fontenot

In this episode, Karl sits down with Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation 3rd Vice President, Richard Fontenot. They discuss how he originally got introduced to the Farm Bureau family as a child, and then again in the Young Farmers and Ranchers program. They also discuss his crops this year, his involvement in 4-H and FFA as a youth and still today, and why he loves to serve in leadership at Louisiana Farm Bureau.

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It's Time To Holiday Shop

This week, Wendell Miley and Matt Sirgo join the podcast to discuss the 2023 Louisiana Farm Bureau Holiday Shop. We discuss the history of the program, changes to this year's lineup of items, and how you can place an order and get some incredible Louisiana items in time to host your family this holiday season.

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Speaker of the House is from Louisiana. Now what?

For the first time, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is a Louisiana Congressman -- Mike Johnson from Louisiana's 4th District. In this episode, Brian Breaux and Andy Brown of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Commodity and Public Policy Department join us to share what this means for Louisiana farmers and ranchers and the issues important to Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, most importantly a new farm bill.

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A Farm To Table Movement

You've heard the phrase, "Farm To Table." It's really not that new to most. Generations ago, everyone raised their own food in the garden and cooked it for dinner. Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is creating a space for those farmers who market directly to consumers to support each other, solve problems, and help continue feeding their neighbors. In this episode, Karl visits with two of those farmers, Kacie Luckett and Grant Estrade.

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Talking Ag with Dr. Matt Lee

This week, Avery Davidson sits down with LSU Vice President of Agriculture, Dr. Matt Lee. They discuss the importance of youth development programs, like 4-H and Louisiana FFA, and the value they bring to Louisiana agriculture and it's future. They also talk about the LSU AgCenter and how its many research stations across the state are improving the Louisiana farming community. 

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Louisiana Sugarcane Update with LFB President Jim Harper

This week, Avery Davidson has a conversation with Louisiana Farm Bureau President, Jim Harper. They discuss sugarcane harvest and the affects the drought has had on the crop in Louisiana. They also discuss the Drought Assistance Improvement Act, a bill from Louisiana 5th District Congresswoman, Julia Letlow. 

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Drought Relief: H.R. 5691 and Louisiana Agriculture

In this episode, we discuss the significance of H.R. 5691, the Drought Assistance Improvement Act, with our guest Andy Brown, National Affairs Coordinator of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. This bill, introduced by Louisiana's 5th District Congresswoman Julia Letlow, holds the potential to bring relief to crawfish farmers and cattle ranchers impacted by drought in our state. We'll examine the bill's key provisions, grassroots efforts to promote change, and its impact on Louisiana's farming and ranching community.

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Turning the Tide: Louisiana Farm Bureau's Drought Response

In this episode, we tackle the pressing issue of drought in Louisiana. We speak with agricultural experts Andy Brown and Madison Plaisance from the Louisiana Farm Bureau about the challenges faced by farmers and ranchers due to the recent drought. We also cover the impact of the grassroots efforts led by the Farm Bureau to influence the drought monitor and bring about change. 

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