New Orleans farmer Marguerite “Margee” Green has announced her candidacy for agriculture commissioner.
Green is a Democrat who currently operates Fat River Flowers, a flower farm and floral design studio in New Orleans East and St. Roch. She is also the co-organizer of the SPROUT NOLA (Sustainable Produce Reaching Our Urban Table) group. SPROUT offers year-round classes to teach people how to grow food plants as a career, including market preparedness training, Farm Service Administration training, good agricultural practice and food modernization, sustainable farming, and more. SPROUT also operates a seed library and farmer’s market to help small farmers and gardeners get started.
According to Green, she wants to help Louisiana farmers overcome the hardships that have been created by President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs. Green says that too many of the state’s farmers focus heavily on exporting goods rather than producing food for Louisiana residents. She also believes that farmers need to adapt to climate change by diversifying their crops.
Green is the second candidate to announce a run against Republican agriculture commissioner Mike Strain. Strain has faced increasing public criticism because of the way he and his department have handled the launch of Louisiana’s medical marijuana program. Also in the running is Democrat Charlie Greer, a farmer from Natchitoches Parish.
