Ag Connections in the Louisiana River Parishes

Who says I can’t find ag anywhere I go? On our recent trip to New Orleans  Louisiana to the Southern Travelers Explore (STE) conference  I had the chance to find agriculture in the Louisiana River Parishes. In Louisiana, the term Parish is the same as County in other states. Just outside of New Orleans, River Parishes are just 30 minutes away. In the brochure Louisiana’s River Parishes, they share, “We are known for our unique history, agriculture, cuisine and ecosystems. Influences from Germans, Acadians (Cajuns), French, Spanish, Native Americans, and enslaved people blend to create a regional culture – unique even to Louisiana.”

First connection

When checking into the Hampton Inn Elmwood there was a cool picture of Farmall M International tractor outside our door.

During our visit to the Jefferson River Parish, I saw farming in a different way through their motto “From Sea to Table” with fishing, and oyster farming, and gathering bounty from the ocean. This area even has its own oyster trail.

Different crops, unique ways of farming

Our opening night of the Southern Travelers Explore Conference included a tour of the beautiful Oak Alley plantation (farm) that served as a sugar plantation, rice farm, chicken farm and cattle ranch. Originally a sugar plantation, sugar cane is referred to as “white gold”. This “gold” in the mid-1800’s made this area of Louisiana along the Mississippi River at one time the largest concentration of millionaires.

During our drives to the outlying tours, we drove over amazing bridges and saw a lot of industry combined with the rural setting. A familiar site was a large grain terminal.

It was after the Civil War that Judge Felix Poche built the Poche Plantation Bed and Breakfast. in 1867. Before touring the plantation, when we drove into the drive we saw a cool John Deere LP tractor. The plantation was originally a 160-acre sugar cane plantation for many years before the house was built. According to the Poche Plantation website, “Poche maintained the plantation as his main residence until 1892 when he moved to New Orleans La. Thereafter, it served as his summer residence until 1892 when he sold the property to Judge Henry Himel.”

We dined at Crevasse; a former house converted to restaurant and in front of it was a cool Fordson tractor. The only significance to the site is as a showpiece item. The group together for the tour had fun using the Fordson as a group picture gathering.

After touring the beautiful Poche plantation, I spotted a neat horse drawn spreader.

Perique tobacco at 31 Farms

I got a bit of farm roots touring 31 Farms Tobacco, where Perique Tobacco is raised. This rare tobacco is raised only in a small area, a 30 square mile tract of land in James Parish. This expensive tobacco is a treat especially in European Countries. The Roussel family is the 3rd generation to raise this crop. We spoke with Ricky and his son Derek Roussel who explained a bit of the farming process. At one time there were around 200 farms growing Perique, today there is only a handful.

Ricky shared a little about the tractors they use on the farm. A few John Deere tractors came from the Uncle Sam Planting Company where they raise sugarcane. When they got new models, the Roussel’s purchased them. It works because they plant tobacco on the same rows as sugarcane. Besides the Deere, they also have a cool Italian tractor, a Landini. This was used for water drain cleaning.

Landini has been producing tractors since 1884.

This just provides a bit of agricultural finds in the fascinating Louisiana River Parish. Just a short coverage of what could be book after book.