The Louisiana Wine Industry- Why not?

This is a good article out of the AP. Louisiana vineyard struggles for recognition

This is sad, predictable, and infuriating
As it turned out, the growing conditions were good, but a bacteria in the soil of the eastern United States is fatal to European grape vines.
Seago said the Louisiana State University agricultural department and extension service seemed uninterested in the problem and that he got help working with researchers at the University of California.
"On no level of the state is there interest," he said. "It's very discouraging. I'm growing a few vines here, and in Texas they are growing an industry."

Uggh. Having been supported and in fact lived on LSU Ag stations, I can see that the irksome bureaucracy in Baton Rouge would not see an opportunity here. Of Course LSU is now finishing up a decade of neglect to a state wide Agricultural research system that used to be noticed worldwide.