McNeese Farms

McNeese’s three working farms cover a combined 1,000 acres and are home to a diverse population of livestock, including cattle, horses, pigs, chickens and sheep, as well as agricultural land used to grow corn, soybeans, sorghum and forage. At our farms, students in our agricultural sciences and natural resource conservation management programs have the opportunity to gain practical experience in all areas of farming and ranching, including livestock and equine research and development, cultivating native plants and biomass and crop production. 

Members of the community can enjoy locally grown, free-range beef, pork, mutton, goat meat and honey, all sourced from our farms and available for purchase in our CAMPP store.

A number of special projects are also currently underway at our farms, including:

Heifer Development Program

Our Heifer Development Program is the only one of its kind in Louisiana. Through this program, students in our agricultural sciences program and related degree programs learn how to care for cattle, as well as use and share their expertise and resources to help local cattle producers improve the quality of their herds.

Heifers are committed to the program on a consignment basis from November until April. During that time, the cattle are fed special diets and monitored closely while producers are provided with a monthly report on the animals’ growth performance, including weight, body condition, intramuscular fat, carcass merit and a relative temperament rating. Additionally, heifers can be entered into the breeding program and be artificially inseminated at the conclusion of the feeding period.

Since the program’s start in 2008, nearly 2,500 heifers from across Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas have participated. Several McNeese student graduate theses have been based on research conducted in conjunction with the program.

Bee Program

McNeese students can also get involved with the McNeese bee program, which is the result of a partnership between the university and local beekeepers. In this program, students have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of maintaining a healthy and productive beehive through interacting with and maintaining campus hives located at the McNeese farm, including the process of harvesting, extracting and bottling honey.

For more information on McNeese Farms, the Heifer Development Program or the Bee Program, contact the College of Agricultural Sciences at 337-475-5690.