Mapping Louisiana’s Cornucopia

Through research and development and hands-on LSU AgCenter extension services and support for farmers in every parish, the LSU system supports vital crops, local industries, and heritage foods across the state of Louisiana. While farm-gate values, listed below, represent what goes directly into the pocket books of growers, the economic impact for the state is much larger. Value is added through processing and product development, and as foods are prepared, packaged, shipped, and sold, jobs are created along the way—all the way into stores and restaurants.

By looking at these maps, you can perceive the living infrastructure of our most important highways and waterways. See how cotton, crawfish, and rice embrace the Mississippi River; oyster farming lines the coast; and other industries, such as poultry and honey, are more widespread. While crawfish and oysters might compete for the title of most emblematic food in the state, you might be surprised to learn that poultry is Louisiana’s largest food industry.

Note that this is a small selection of foods where only commercially significant production appears on each map.

(We added cotton here, too, because you might need a napkin.)