Industry Profile: Kassi Leger, Finding Her Purpose in the Cane Fields
For Kassi Leger, farming sugarcane was not part of the original plan. After working in sales, she realized the career did not fit and called her father in April 2012 with a proposal: “I think I’m going to come and be on the farm for a little while until I can figure…
Louisiana’s Sweet Tradition Rolls Through Thanksgiving
November is a season of gratitude, a time when most farmers across the country have wrapped up their harvests and turned their attention to winter and next year’s plans. It is very different in the cane belt. For Louisiana’s sugarcane producers, November means one…
Commissioner Strain: Field Burning Alert
A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect Conditions continue to become more favorable for widespread fog including dense fog. A greater concern is the possibility of Super Fog developing. Numerous fires mainly due to burning of agricultural fields like Sugar Cane…
Industry Profile: Dr. Matt Foster, LSU AgCenter Sugarcane Weed Scientist
When Dr. Matt Foster steps into a sugarcane field, he’s not just checking rows of cane, he is on the lookout for anything that might threaten the crop that defines South Louisiana. Foster grew up in Vidalia, Louisiana, where his first job in agriculture was working…
Harvest 2025: A season to work and celebrate
If you have been anywhere near a cane field lately, you can feel it. The trucks are on the road before daylight, steam from the mills is back in the air and harvest season is officially underway. After a long summer of waiting, planning and watching the weather,…
From policy challenges to award-winning farmers, Louisiana sugarcane stands tall at Farm Bureau Convention
Louisiana’s sugarcane growers made their mark in more ways than one at this year’s Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Convention in New Orleans. From important conversations on federal food policy to field-level conservation breakthroughs and a strong showing at the…
A new variety and a new chapter for Louisiana sugarcane
In Louisiana, sugarcane isn’t just a crop, it is part of who we are. And this summer, the people who grow it, grind it and study it will come together once again for a tradition that keeps this industry strong: field days. Hosted by the United States Department of…
American Sugar Cane League Announces New Variety Highlighting Successful Research Partnership
THIBODAUX, LA – The American Sugar Cane League, in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the LSU AgCenter, has announced the release of USDS ARS HoCP 18-803, another new variety for Louisiana…
Real sugar aligns with a growing desire for simpler, more natural foods
When it comes to what goes on our kids’ lunch trays, parents are clear: they want meals that are clean, natural and free from chemical additives. Now, with SB 117 and SB 14 moving through the 2025 Louisiana legislative session, lawmakers are beginning to listen. These…