Federal shutdown hits Louisiana farmers during harvest: 'the math just doesn't work'

It's a key moment on Stephen Logan's farm in Gilliam, La. And in farming, he said, "timing is everything."

His team has harvested the final corn, soybeans, cotton and peanuts, in that order. Now they're spreading cereal rye seed and making plans for the next growing season. But the government shutdown has made paying for those cover crops and finalizing those plans more difficult.

Each fall, farmers across Louisiana count on the now-shuttered U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies for financial assistance and information. For three weeks, they've been unable to get a loan from the agency, apply for a conservation program or receive a market report.

"All of that is shut down," said Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain.

That means many farmers are flying b