Louisiana Agritourism: March 2014

Monday, March 31, 2014

Webinar: Get TickSmart: 10 Things to Know, 5 Things to Do"

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Should Raw Milk Be Sold in LA?

House Bill 247 has been introduced to the current Louisiana Legislative session, if passed it would allow raw milk to be sold in our state. As agritourism operators some of you may be affected by this decision.

I urge each of you to read some of the articles below and decide on your position; then contact your legislator. Click here to locate your representative.

Below are some links to articles that will help you decide on your position

American Academy of Pediatrics

Scientific Reference List

Friday, March 21, 2014

Briarwood Nature Preserve announces Annual Picnic and Fund Raiser

Briarwood Nature Preserve

Annual Picnic and Fund Raiser

Saturday, April 5, 2014

10:00 am until mid-afternoon

Tours start at 10:30 am

Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve

The premier native plant preserve in North Louisiana

216 Caroline Dormon Road

Saline, Louisiana, 71070

Our annual fundraiser with tours, lunch, plant sale, and a community of

people with a wide ranging interest in native plants.

Tickets are $50.00 each

Tickets available at gate

or if before the 25th of March by mail at:

Briarwood Nature Preserve

P O Box 226

Natchitoches, LA,71457

Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve is located at 216 Caroline Dormon Road, Saline, LA, 71070, and is owned and funded by a foundation whose email is briarwoodnp@gmail.com, and phone number 318-576-3379.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Eckert Shares Marketing Ideas

Jane Eckert has identified some new marketing ideas based on a recent survey. Take a few minutes and learn what you can do to improve your marketing skills. Click here to read her article.

Friday, March 7, 2014

USDA Agriculture Census Shows Trends

The 2012 Agriculture Census provides us with a snapshot of what's happening with agriculture. Delta Farm Press has an article that provides the latest news. Click here for more.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Getting from Farm to Table

Farm Management Canada archives webinars and recently I enjoyed listening to one about "Marketing Local Products." Although the statistical data shared in the presentation is for Canadians, the conclusions drawn about marketing in general provides great information. Click here to view this presentation and others.

Monday, March 3, 2014

All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series

Agritourism Law Limits Liability

In 2008, the Louisiana Legislature expanded the limitation of liability found in La R.S. 9:2795 et seq to include certain agritourism activities. The legislation authored by Representative Andy Anders and Senators Francis Thompson and Mike Walsworth provides that the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Foresty (LDAF) will develop a set of rules and regulations and that the LSU AgCenter will define a “plan of operation” for an agritourism venture and review those plans.

More about this law can be found on the LSU AgCenter Web site: www.lsuagcenter.com/agritourism

2012 Agriculture Census Shows Increase in Farming

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2014 –There are now 3.2 million farmers operating 2.1 million farms on 914.5 million acres of farmland across the United States, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Once every five years, farmers, ranchers and growers have the unique opportunity to let the world know how U.S. agriculture is changing, what is staying the same, what’s working and what we can do differently,” said Dr. Cynthia Clark, the retiring head of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which administered the survey.

Eighty-seven percent of all U.S. farms are operated by families or individuals.
Principal operators were on average 58.3 years old and were predominantly male; second operators were slightly younger and most likely to be female; and third operators were younger still.
In Louisiana agritourism grew from 170 farms in 2007 to 361 farms in 2012.
In Louisiana onfarm agritourism sales jumped from $2,486 to $8,996 in 2012.
In Louisiana the definition of agritourism is broader than the definition in the census; meaning that numbers are greater.