Louisiana Farm Bureau Podcast

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.

• Joe's recent article about a constitutional convention on Louisiana Farm Bureau News.
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau member benefits here.
• News about the new bill filed about constitutional convention.
• Sign up for Voter Voice and learn more about the legislative work happening at Louisiana Farm Bureau.
• Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

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.

• Josh's recent crawfish story on This Week In Louisiana Agriculture.
• Avery's recent story about crawfish season for This Week In Louisiana Agriculture.
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau member benefits here.
• Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

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.

The first workshop will be held Tuesday, Feb. 27 in Acadia Parish
The next workshop is Wednesday, Feb. 28 in St. Landry Parish
The final workshop is Thursday, Feb. 29 in Catahoula Parish

The event is free to attend, but registering ahead is recommended! A meal will be served at 5:30 p.m. with the classroom portion beginning at 6 p.m.. The entire program will last approximately two and a half to three hours.

• See a YouTube playlist of past coverage of Grain Bin Safety Workshops.
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau member benefits here.
• Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

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.

• Register for the seminar here.
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau member benefits here.
• Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

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.

• Find crawfish prices near you using the Crawfish App!
• Learn more about crawfish news here.
• Plan your visit to Tony's Seafood here.
• Follow the Louisiana Crawfish Promotion and Research Board on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau member benefits here.
• Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

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.

• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau YF&R here.
• Learn more about Robert and Rachel in this video.
• Follow along with their trip to AFBF Convention on Facebook and Instagram.
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau member benefits here.
• Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

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.

• See the story from a proud Louisiana Farm Bureau Marketing customer here.
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau member benefits here.
• Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

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.

• See the story from Louisiana Farm Bureau Agents on the farm.
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance.
• Learn more about Farm Bureau Bank.
• Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau member benefits here.
• Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

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.

See Neil's story on TWILA.
See the American Farm Bureau survey results here.
Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau member benefits here.
Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

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.

See the story from Richard's farm tour with Evangeline Reimagine Academy.
Learn more about Louisiana 4H and Louisiana FFA.
Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau member benefits here.
Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.