Learn It, Grow It

The LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana Farm to School Program has launched a new educational website, Seeds to Success. The project offers free educational resources on agriculture and nutrition and includes growing guides, lesson plans and info on careers in agriculture, food and related fields (seedstosuccess.com).

Baton Rouge
Ready, Set, Hike!
Celebrated former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning is among the new investors in BBQGuys, a Baton Rouge-based retailer. The new owners plan to launch a multimillion-dollar campaign in 2021 to build a new brand awareness, one that will include appearances from former NFL greats such as Peyton, his brother Eli and LaDainian Tomlinson who are now investors (bbqguys.com).

New Orleans
Film Fest Debuts Open-Air Cinema
The 31st annual New Orleans Film Festival (Nov. 6-22) presents its first-ever virtual cinema (with more than 160 films on a streaming channel) and a new open-air cinema with two screens at Lafitte Greenway (Nov. 6-16). New rules: open-air cinema screenings are limited to 50 people with advance reservations; socially distant seating and masks are mandatory. New perks: Option to bring your own chairs and picnics (coolers allowed). Livestream events abound (neworleansfilmsociety.org).

Breaux Bridge
A Seafood Jackpot
The USDA awarded the majority of a massive $25 million shrimp contract to the south Louisiana-based Ocean Select Seafood. The $17 million order for 153,000 cases of their wild-caught deveined, frozen shrimp (to be delivered to U.S. cities through Jan. 31) is part of a federal food and nutrition assistance program (louisianaselectfoods.com).

Donaldsonville
World’s Largest is Expanding
CF Industries, a leading global manufacturer and distributor of nitrogen products, announced the company will make a $41.4 million capital investment to enhance nitric acid production at its vast fertilizer complex in Donaldsonville, regarded as the world’s largest. Average annual salary for direct new jobs is $100,000 plus benefits (cfindustries.com).