Farmers Help Farmers Through Tough Times in Louisiana

Even with the crop harvested, all of the farmers in Louisiana said it is still unlikely they will even break even this year. But that is not stopping them from helping each other.

WEST CARROLL PARISH, La. (RFD-TV) — The day began in prayer before a convoy of combines rolled into the rice fields here in West Carroll Parish.

These farmers left their own work behind at the peak of harvest, not just to pray for Josh Ward, but also to show compassion and get his crop out of the field.

Ward was working on this disk two weeks earlier when a piece of metal flew into his left eye. Doctors are unsure if he’ll ever see out of that eye again. But as for now, he cannot drive or operate heavy machinery. It’s been tough on him having to sit home on the sidelines during this busy harvest season.

“I don’t know how anyone could get through this without faith,” Ward said. “It’s not about me, it’s about God showing people coming together. And it’s not about me right now.”

It was a fleet of combines, grain carts, and great friends who wanted to show Ward and his wife, Whitney, what a farming family looks like.

“Not a person out here that’s even going to make any money this year, the people that stepped out and the community,” said another local farmer, Rowdy Sanderson. “They always are amazing.”

Josh, who could not even come to the field and watch this faith in action, said he’ll never forget what they’ve done.

“Just to say thank you, but what I would want to hear…it means more than I could ever show,” Ward said.

In the end, it wasn’t just rice harvested in West Carroll Parish—it was proof of a faith-filled community, reaping love and compassion for one of their own.”

Tammi was raised on a cotton and soybean farm in Tallulah, Louisiana. In 1981, she became a TV news anchor and reporter at KNOE-TV in Monroe, Louisiana. She is also an anchor/reporter for RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 on Sirius XM at their Nashville news studio, where Tammi currently resides.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

In Texas, there are about 800 contract broiler and turkey farms. RFD NEWS Correspondent Tammi Arender had the chance to meet with Jerry Moody, who has been in the chicken business all of his life.
RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender takes us on a little rural road trip to Lawrence County, Tennessee, the birthplace of southern gospel music.
A five-year-old in Etheridge, Tennessee, lost his life in a grain auger. His mother shares her story to ensure that other farm families do not have to endure that pain. RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender reports.
Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser took time to visit our Nashville studio and discuss his state’s integral support of CMA Fest with longtime friend, RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender.
Rural Lifestyle & Entertainment Shows
This half-hour program showcases the finest traditional country music that America has to offer. Recorded live at the four-acre Circle T Arena in Hamilton, Texas, each episode of TruCountry features live performances by some of the nation’s most authentic country music artists, playing good-time songs to a jam-packed dance floor.
One of RFD Networks’ many efforts to showcase stellar American musical craftsmanship, “The Bluegrass Trail” showcases the greatest Bluegrass artists across the USA performing time-honored songs—many presented for the very first time. It’s a celebration of this nation’s musical roots right here on our Nashville stage!
“America’s Gospel Music” presents the nation’s premiere Gospel Music artists live in concert from The Wonders Center in Dickson, Tennessee.
RFD-TV’s newest music series, “On the Record,” presented by John Deere, takes viewers on a journey through the heart of country music. Hosted by renowned broadcaster, Suzanne Alexander, the show features long-form interviews with today’s biggest artists and the veterans who inspired them. “On the Record” also gives viewers a front row seat to intimate performances and exclusive music video releases, highlighting the broad scope of Nashville’s talent.
Filmed in front of a live audience at the historic Lyric Theatre in Lexington, Kentucky, “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour” features an eclectic array of popular artists from genres of folk, blues, country, jazz, new-age, and rock.