Louisiana Rice Country
On the coastal prairies of Southwest Louisiana, the land is low and flat, criss-crossed by bayous and rivers, perfect for rice production. This extends toward the west bounded by the Sabine river and across to the east to the Atchafalaya Basin. On the north the low flat plain blends into low hills of the piney woods region once home to the great stands of Longleaf Pine which fell to the saw by the early 19th century.
Fish & Wildlife
A very mild winter this year didn't help much with the duck & goose hunting success. Some Teal reported early on in the season, and always a good supply of Wood Ducks, but the big ducks like Mallard and Pintail were not as plentiful. The area was under severe drought pressure, although a number of fields were holding water due to crawfish production and pumping had to continue to keep the water levels up through the season.
Farm Projects
The main project that wrapped up this winter was extending underground irrigation lines from South Ditch Pump over to the high point of Hill & Abell road junction. Doing this project will eliminate one of the last stretches of the old overground canal system.
Crop Status
Ground work continues to prepare the seedbed for next years rice. About 330 acres will be planted in rice this year, using long grain variety Bengal from the LSU Ag Center.
