Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry

#LDAF is showing up and showing out at the Annual Louisiana Farm to School Conference today. We have Certified Louisiana, Louisiana Strawberries, Louisiana Dairy Industry Promotion Board, Louisiana Sweet Potatoes, Louisiana Produce Safety, and the Louisiana Egg Commission, all making the most of this great event. This conference is hosted by the LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana Farm to School Program. It gathers participants from across the state for an opportunity to learn, celebrate, share, and inspire the movement of bringing healthy, local, sustainably grown foods to the minds and plates of students in Louisiana and beyond! School administrators, teachers, parents, food service directors, farmers, and food distributors interested in rooting for Louisiana agriculture, school gardens, and healthy school meals will gather to support the sustainable agriculture movement!! Thanks for being great partners on this sustainable agriculture journey! #louisianaagriculture #farmtoschool #sustainableagriculture

#DYK? Livestock and pet feeds throughout Louisiana get tested for quality analysis by Inspectors with the?Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. You may sometimes see this piece of tape on your animal's feed bag. This is where the inspector takes the small sample of the product that will be sent to the testing lab to ensure the feed companies comply with the law. #LDAF pet food inspectors from the Office of Animal Health and Food Safety are out and about in the community checking the contents of animal feed for quality control and helping to keep your pets and livestock safe. #animalhealth #feedsafety #petfood #livestockfeed #workingforyou

The LDAF Produce Safety Team recently attended the 2024 Association of Food and Drug Officials of the Southern States annual education conference in Gatlinburg, TN. A non-profit organization made up of local, state, and federal regulatory agencies industry and academia. In attendance were Kelly Hughes, Kendall Normand, and Amanda Graves. Kelly spoke on produce safety as it pertains to retail and manufactured food, giving insight to other industry professionals on how the Produce Safety Rule may apply to them. Kelly was also a part of the inaugural AFDOSS produce breakout session planning committee where she and others from the southern states commenced a breakout session dedicated to just produce safety. The Produce Safety Team thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to learn and network with others and look forward to attending in the future! Learn more about Produce Safety, https://lnkd.in/gjF4qrah

#NFSHW24’s Wednesday topic: Generations of Farming Farms are wonderful places for children to live, work, and play. We all have a role in keeping youth safe while they grow up with ag. Use the top 5 safety strategies from the Children’s Center to protect kids on the farm: https://bit.ly/nfshw2 4-cultivatesafety ArgiSafe’s free webinars today are: ??Three-Step Process to Farm Succession Planning @ 11 AM CDT ??Training Future Generations of Farmers through Registered Apprenticeship @ 1 PM CDT ??No Safe Way to Vape @ 3PM CDT The webinars are FREE and open to the public. You can register at https://lnkd.in/gg42ziVe #FarmSafety #CultivateSafety #FarmerHealth #WellnessOnTheFarm

#NFSHW24’s Tuesday topic: Health and Wellness Harvest season is a busy time on the farm. Not getting enough rest can increase the risk of mistakes and injuries. UMASH has tips for healthier sleep to help you stay sharp this season: https://bit.ly/nfsh w24-umash-slee toolkit ArgiSafe’s free webinars today are: Noise: Bad for My Ears and Heart, Too?? @ 11 AM CDT Conversations on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) Training @ 1 PM CDT The webinars are FREE and open to the public. You can register at https://lnkd.in/gg42ziVe #FarmSafety #CultivateSafety #FarmerHealth #WellnessOnTheFarm

Today's #NFSHW24 topic: Equipment & Rural Roadway Safety Roadway crashes are a leading cause of injuries and death in agriculture. Increasing your visibility can help prevent crashes and keep the roads safe for everyone. Use this resource from Great Plains Center to check that your vehicle has the proper lighting and marking to be visible and safe on the road. https://bit.ly/nfshw24- gpcah-ruralroads Agrisafe is also offering a FREE webinar - Sharing the Road: Agricultural Equipment and the Driving Public. TODAY, September 16, @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm CDT. It is open to the public. You can register at https://lnkd.in/eYQG9hY3 #FarmSafety #RoadwaySafety

It’s National Farm Safety and Health Week! This week, we will be sharing training and webinar opportunities, as well as useful tips, to keep yourself, your family, and your workplace safe and healthy. Stay tuned for safety, health, and wellness resources to support you throughout the year regarding the following topics: Monday (9/16): Equipment & Rural Roadway Safety Tuesday (9/17): Health and Wellness Wednesday (9/18): Generations of Farming Thursday (9/19): Confined Spaces Friday (9/2o): Reporting Ag Injuries Agrisafe will be offering FREE webinars that are open to the public. More information is available here:?https://lnkd.in/gg42ziVe #NFSHW24?#FarmSafety?#CultivateSafety?#FarmerHealth

The USDA announced over $356,000 in funding awarded to Louisiana through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). Through this program, the #LDAF will fund projects that strengthen Louisiana’s specialty crop industry through marketing, education, and research. “Specialty crops play an important role in Louisiana’s agricultural landscape and there is plenty of room to grow as the demand for locally grown food increases. These funds will allow new and unique opportunities for Louisiana farm families, all while enhancing the competitiveness of our specialty crops,” said the LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, DVM. “These grants provide funding for research to enhance the quality and quantity of specialty crops and to develop new marketing opportunities. The department looks forward to implementing this program, which not only benefits specialty crop producers but consumers as well.” Read the full press release at https://lnkd.in/gzCbd_iH

Mark your calendars! Certified Prescribed Burner Renewal Training to be held August 27th! As of April 2023, in order to maintain a valid certification, all certified prescribed burners shall renew their certification every five years. We are offering the first CPB renewal training on August 27 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles. Please RSVP by August 21st. For more information or to RVSP, contact Nicole at 225-952-8006 or [email protected].

To protect our cotton producers from the reintroduction of boll weevils, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is implementing restrictions for all cotton harvest equipment entering the state. To learn more, visit https://lnkd.in/eSsZ9bnF