Louisiana farmers are growing sugarcane on some of the same soil their ancestors did more than two centuries ago. The key to the resilience and success of Louisiana’s 450 cane farming families and 11 raw sugar mills is simple: “We take care of what Mother Nature has…
This Halloween, Americans are estimated to spend a record $3 billion on Halloween candy for a second year in a row. Despite the inflationary rise of candy prices, the sugar in it still only accounts for a couple cents per treat. In fact, a recent study by the…
America’s farmers have an opportunity to be “a real hero in our ability to address climate change” through improvements in productivity and climate-smart practices, but a successful climate program “has to work for agriculture.” That was the message shared by Robert…
Windell Jackson, a retired agronomist with the American Sugar Cane League (ASCL), has died. Windell retired in 2014 as the senior agronomist with the ASCL after 41 years of service. He was first mentioned in the Sugar Bulletin on May 15, 1973 as an assistant…
Dr. Michael Grisham, Research Leader of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Sugarcane Research Unit in Houma, Louisiana has retired. Grisham first came to Louisiana in 1984 to work for the USDA’s Agricultural Research Unit as a plant pathologist. After 37…
America’s largest farm advocacy group renewed its support of a no-cost sugar policy that creates a level playing field for sugar producers while ensuring a safe, reliable and affordable supply for consumers. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) issued its…
Sugarcane producer Keith Dugas of Assumption Parish loves farming. He loves everything about it. He remembers watching his father, the late Lloyd Dugas, on the tractor and he couldn’t wait for his turn. “My father came from a family of ten brothers and one sister,”…
Right now, the next generation of Louisiana sugarcane producers is getting their start as farmers, milling professionals, and researchers. It’s the circle of life in the sugarcane world. One of these young producers is 24-year-old Lee Hymel of Vacherie, a…
This week marks the 78-year anniversary of sugar rationing. During World War II, sugar was so critical, and in such short supply since the U.S. was heavily dependent on foreign suppliers, that it was the first item to be rationed and the last item to be removed from…