TWILA Podcast

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 fo...

From the classroom to the countryside, this week’s TWILA dives into the stories shaping Louisiana agriculture.  Farmers are feeling the pinch from record-low cotton acres, a federal shutdown, and shifting global trade. Meanwhile, students across the state are getting a firsthand look at where their food comes from through Farm City Day and the Farm to School Conference. We’ll also explore Louisian...

National 4-H Week is October 5-11, and we’re celebrating with a special TWILA takeover from the Louisiana 4-H state officers!  From launching businesses to chasing careers, these stories highlight the big dreams, hard work, and heart of 4-H members across the state. Whether in the barn, the boardroom, or even the cockpit, these students are proving they’re beyond ready for whatever comes next.  Wa...

We’re going from the fields of West Carroll to the peppers of Avery Island in this week’s TWILA!    We show you how farmers in West Carroll Parish came together to harvest for a neighbor after an injury. You’ll also meet Chris Roussel, a jeweler and rancher who used his experience of running a family jewelry business to build 12-Star Ranch and launch a custom beef label. We’ll highlight traditions...

We’re going from the field to the tailgate in this special edition of TWILA! From cutting-edge AI tools to new farm labor rules, this week’s show highlights how innovation and policy are shaping Louisiana agriculture. We hear directly from leaders in Washington and Baton Rouge, check in on the soybean harvest, and wrap it all up at LSU game day—where rice takes the spotlight in a jambalaya that pr...

This special edition of This Week in Louisiana Agriculture reflects on 20 years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, two storms that forever changed Louisiana’s coast and communities. From levee breaches in New Orleans to flooded farms in Cameron, we look back at how agriculture, fisheries, and families were impacted. Farmers, leaders, and neighbors share stories of loss and resilience—reminders of...

This week on TWILA, we look at the Roseland fire, check in with farmers facing tight margins, and share how a court ruling brings relief to sugarcane growers. From an okra farm in Gonzales to Sommerview Farm in Iberville Parish, we see how agriculture inspires growth at home—and follow Louisiana 4-H students as they wrap up their journey in Ireland. Plus, we end with a few laughs in this week’s Bo...

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...

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 re...

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 innovati...

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, w...

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 dac...

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 l...

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 Cla...

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 Ke...

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 Missis...

This week on This Week in Louisiana Agriculture, we follow Congressman Troy Carter as he visits farmers in his district to hear firsthand about the urgent need for a Farm Bill. We also explore a new state-of-the-art sawmill revitalizing a small town, dive into Louisiana's booming agritourism scene, and continue our Road to Leadership series with Marty Wooldridge. Plus, we celebrate Black Farmers a...

Innovation, leadership, and good old-fashioned Southern hospitality that’s what you'll find in this episode of This Week in Louisiana Agriculture.  This week, we dive into the cutting-edge technology making waves in crawfish ponds, check in on the start of the 2025 Louisiana Legislative Session, and get an update on the latest tariff developments. We also take you behind the scenes of the Young Fa...

From international trade to hands-on ag education, this week’s show looks at the key issues and events shaping Louisiana agriculture.  As new tariffs take shape and global trade shifts, what could it all mean for Louisiana farmers? We talk with grain producers and Farm Bureau leaders about what they’re watching — and why this moment could play a key role in the next Farm Bill. We’ll also introduce...

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 Bil...

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...

What is happening This Week in Louisiana Agriculture? A lot!   Neil Melancon shows us how rice harvest is going for one family farm in Acadia Parish. Karl Wiggers takes us to St. Helena Parish, where folks are getting hands-on with agriculture. Trevor Williams takes us to a bee rescue yard that is trying to help the important insects. Plus we show you how the Louisiana Farm Bureau will continue to...

It's been a while since the team has sat around and chatted about some of the stories in the show, so here it goes. We introduce our intern, Trevor in this episode and he reveals that Karl is a tough critic, which is news to Karl. This and more on this episode of the TWILA Aftershow.

It has been hot and dry across a lot of Louisiana this summer, which has many farmers across the state preparing for or beginning this year’s harvest. Karl Wiggers heads to St. Landry Parish, where one Louisiana corn farmer is excited to start harvest early. We get an update on the rice crop and industry. Trevor Williams shows us how teachers are preparing for the upcoming school year at the Fast...