(Distributed 12/01/08) The Louisiana 4-H Educational Awards Trip is one that 4-H members across the state look forward to. In addition to receiving awards, winners are treated to meals and tours in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 11/26/08) Donations from across the state are beginning to make their way to the St. Helena Parish High School where students are in makeshift classrooms following a Nov. 3 fire that destroyed their school.

(Distributed 11/26/08) LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Brandon Guillory, Calcasieu Parish 4-H’er, took first place in the National 4-H Chicken Barbecue Demonstration contest held here Nov. 19-20.

(Distributed 11/25/08) Although Christmas trees were among the thousands of trees damaged during the hurricanes that hit Louisiana this year, this shouldn’t affect the current holiday season, according to Don Reed, LSU AgCenter wildlife and forestry specialist.

(Distributed 11/24/08) Carol Lammi-Keefe, professor in the LSU AgCenter’s School of Human Ecology, is the lead editor of a new book published in 2008 – Handbook of Nutrition and Pregnancy.

(Distributed 11/21/08) The LSU AgCenter’s Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar can be a great holiday gift for gardeners and others. The 2009 edition of the calendar is on sale now and provides a variety of helpful information tailored to Louisiana gardeners, as well as those who simply enjoy photos of beautiful gardens and plants.

(Distributed 11/20/08) A workshop demonstrating safe lead and mold control in household renovations will be held Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the LaHouse resource center on the LSU AgCenter campus in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 11/20/08) LaHouse, the LSU AgCenter’s showcase demonstration home, is now open for visitors interested in seeing the latest innovations in home design specifically for Louisiana’s sub-tropical climate. Hours of operation for LaHouse are Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(Distributed 11/19/08) More than 70 researchers and others involved in addressing Louisiana’s coastal wetland disappearance met recently for an update on wetland plant research and restoration efforts.

(Distributed 11/19/08) Farmers are planting the 2009 wheat crop, which will be on significantly fewer acres than the 2008 wheat crop, according to LSU AgCenter wheat specialist Dr. Ed Twidwell. In 2008, because of record high prices, farmers planted around 400,000 acres.

(Distributed 11/18/08)The LSU AgCenter’s 2008 Poinsettia Open House is set for Dec. 5 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Burden Center in Baton Rouge. This event, which is being held for the 14th time, provides poinsettia growers and the public with an opportunity to view some of the latest poinsettia varieties.

(Distributed 11/17/08) Despite a year of hurricanes and insect problems, Louisiana citrus growers are having a very good crop year, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 11/17/08) Donald T. Floyd Jr., president and CEO of the National 4-H Council, the private-sector, nonprofit partner of America's largest youth organization, visited Louisiana Nov. 13-14.

(Distributed 11/17/08) The LSU AgCenter’s Rice Research Station hosted a joint meeting of the Louisiana House and Senate agriculture committees Nov. 12 for legislators to learn the basics of the rice industry.

(Distributed 11/17/08) Despite pouring rain, more than 100 dairy producers and other industry representatives turned out for a dairy field day at the LSU AgCenter’s Southeast Research Station at Franklinton Nov. 12.

(Distributed 11/12/08) The Louisiana 4-H Meat Judging Team won seventh place overall at the 2008 American Royal Livestock Show National 4-H Meat Evaluation and Identification Contest held Oct. 28 at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.

(Distributed 11/11/08) Drinking tea to lose weight may not be a farfetched idea if a group of Louisiana researchers can pinpoint and quantify the functional components of Chinese sweet tea and blackberry leaves.

(Distributed 11/10/08) A good leader knows how to resolve conflict, build collaboration, run meetings and identify assets in the community. Those are just some of the modules taught in the LSU AgCenter’s Leadership Plenty class in Lake Providence.

(Distributed 11/10/08) With an ever-changing “Main Street” in America, the LSU AgCenter is offering e-business classes in North Louisiana to help businesses grow through the Internet.

(Distributed 11/10/08) Students around the state are taking an unusual journey without leaving their school. The students are traveling through the human body with the LSU AgCenter’s and Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s gymnasium-sized exhibit called Body Walk.

(Distributed 11/07/08) The Louisiana sugarcane harvest is in full swing and with some of the best weather conditions to get the job done.

(Distributed 11/07/08) The LSU AgCenter has named Dr. Bill Williams as state weed specialist for agricultural crops.

(Distributed 11/07/08) The LSU AgCenter has named Dr. Tara Smith research coordinator at its Sweet Potato Research Station in Chase.

(Distributed 11/6/08) Although gasoline is the fuel of choice for the American automobile, diesel is the fuel of choice for moving freight – whether by truck, train or ship. And while the primary source for diesel is from petroleum, the fuel can be made from both plant and animal sources, according to experts in the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 11/06/08) Anyone interested in fruit and vegetable production is invited to attend the Deep South Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference and Trade Show at the Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, Ala. Dec. 3-4. The early registration discount deadline is Nov. 21.

(Distributed 11/04/08) LAKEVIEW – Homeowners will learn how to secure their homes against floodwaters, as well as how to rebuild and restore their homes to be energy efficient and resist damage from storms, termites and moisture at the Community Rebuilding and Flood Protection Expo Nov. 16 in the New Orleans community of Lakeview.

(Distributed 11/3/08) Increased input costs, tight profit margins and two major hurricanes created a difficult year for many of Louisiana’s agricultural producers. To help the state’s farmers, the LSU AgCenter has established a farm financial hotline to help them make financial decisions, according to Dr. Kurt Guidry, an economist in the AgCenter’s Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness.

(Distributed 11/3/08) A compound in the fats in Louisiana oysters could be a key ingredient in treating and preventing cancer, according to scientists at the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 10/31/08) They celebrated and educated at the 2008 State Fair of Louisiana 4-H Fun Day Oct. 29. Featured activities included the 4-H Express, the Ark-La-Tex Ag Council Junior Livestock Sale, the launch of a new children’s Web site, a Platoon Patrol skit for pre-schoolers and a Louisiana 4-H Foundation drawing for $10,000.

(Distributed 10/31/08) Feeding cows for optimum performance is the theme of this year’s field day at the LSU AgCenter’s Southeast Research Station near Franklinton, La., on Nov. 12.

(Distributed 10/30/08) READHIMER – Zachary Page, a 15-year-old Natchitoches Parish 4-H’er, has won the Triumph Award through Special Olympics Louisiana.

(Distributed 10/29/08) A former 4-H’er found out the lessons he learned in his Bossier Parish 4-H club 50 years ago came in handy halfway around the world in helping a war-torn nation. Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Lane Killen, who now resides at Fort Polk in Vernon Parish, used his knowledge of raising sheep and leadership in his job as an agricultural adviser on the Diyala Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq from May 10, 2007, to March 16, 2008.

(Distributed 10/24/08) To recognize the outstanding contributions made to Louisiana through agriculture, the Louisiana Agri-News Network, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry will honor the 2009 Louisiana Farmer of the Year. Nominations for the award are being accepted now through Dec. 15, 2008.

(Distributed 10/22/08) A new Web site, Louisiana 4-H Kids’ Clubhouse, will be officially launched at the State Fair of Louisiana on Oct. 29 during 4-H Fun Day, according to Mark Tassin, director of 4-H and youth programs at the LSU AgCenter. The site at www.4-Hclubhouse.com is tailored to fourth through sixth graders and features nearly a hundred games, quizzes, downloadable activities and videos.

(Distributed 10/20/08) When the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) said they were prepared with ice for this hurricane season, they meant it. And what was left afterward is benefiting the state’s economy.

(Distributed 10/16/08) LSU AgCenter researchers think the salvinia weevil may be what they’ve been looking for as a way to control giant salvinia – an invasive aquatic species in the state.

(Distributed 10/14/08) A commercial organic vegetable production and marketing workshop will be held Nov. 12 at the at the LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 10/13/08) The Louisiana 4-H Foundation is conducting a “scavenger hunt” in a quest to find memorabilia for display in the new Louisiana 4-H Museum in Mansura.

(Distributed 10/13/08) Cotton harvest is wrapping up across Louisiana, and the situation is not good, according to industry observers.

(Distributed 10/10/09) Carol Lammi-Keefe, professor in the School of Human Ecology, is recruiting pregnant women in the Baton Rouge area to participate in a study evaluating the fat content in breast milk of women with gestational diabetes. To qualify this must be their first pregnancy in the past two years, and the participants must plan to breast feed.

(Distributed 10/10/08) The LSU AgCenter recently named Dr. Ben Legendre to head its Audubon Sugar Institute in St. Gabriel.

(Distributed 10/09/08) The 12th Louisiana Plant Materials Conference is scheduled for Oct. 29 at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station.

(Distributed 10/09/08) The LSU AgCenter is being recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its innovative efforts after the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. A team of faculty members and administrators from the LSU AgCenter have been selected to receive the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service’s Partnership Award for Innovative Program Models. The award will be presented Oct. 21 in Washington, D.C.

(Distributed 10/08/08) People in Louisiana love their gardens, and it shows in the new 2009 Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar from the LSU AgCenter. Inspiring photos of flowers, plants and lawns are just a few of the reasons Louisiana gardeners and calendar lovers alike have made the calendar a perennial favorite.

(Distributed 10/8/08) Dozens of agricultural leaders from throughout Louisiana met recently to discuss ways to help make the state’s agricultural industry competitive in the 21st century, organizers said.

(Distributed 10/06/08) Ray Schexnayder farms 1,800 acres of soybeans in Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike left his fields scattered with tree limbs, and some covered with water. “We had 200 acres that flooded. There’s nothing to them, just a little dry stem now.”

(Distributed 10/03/08) The aftereffects of two hurricanes last month are still being felt in north and south Louisiana rice fields.

(Distributed 09/30/08) Ten LSU AgCenter faculty members were part of a multi-state team that received the 1st Place National and Southern Region Program Excellence through Research Award at the Galaxy III National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) conference held Sept. 15-19 in Indianapolis, Ind.

(Distributed 9/29/08) ABBEVILLE – The LSU AgCenter is working closely with the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association, state Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Louisiana Farm Bureau to get affected cattle producers back on their feet along coastal Louisiana following hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

(Distributed 09/29/08) Louisiana 4-H’ers will join others across the country in the celebration of National 4-H Week Oct. 5-11. The main focus of the week is to celebrate the accomplishments of the young people, volunteer leaders and parents involved in 4-H Clubs – as well as to encourage others to become involved in the unique youth development program.

(Distributed 09/26/08) The totals related to hurricanes Gustav and Ike include up to $763 million in lost revenue to Louisiana farmers, ranchers, foresters and fishers and as much as $175 million to $200 million in additional damage to the equipment and facilities that form the industries’ infrastructure.

(Distributed 09/25/08) Louisiana waterfowl hunters should make sure they are following the law when hunting in crop-damaged areas of the state this year, according to a wildlife specialist with the LSU AgCenter.

Following are pages of photos shot by AgCenter Communications photographers of the effects of hurricanes Gustav and Ike on agriculture and communities in Louisiana. They include photos from three of the AgCenter research stations in the Baton Rouge area – Sugar Station, Central Station and Burden Center. The photos include the photographer’s name and the date the photo was taken.

(Distributed 09/23/08) The 2008 Fall Garden Show in New Orleans will be held at the City Park Botanical Garden from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Oct. 18-19.

(Distributed 09/19/08) LSU AgCenter Chancellor Bill Richardson was part of a group of agricultural representatives that met with Louisiana’s Congressional delegation earlier this week to provide an accurate picture of the severe damage caused to Louisiana agriculture as a result of hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

(Distributed 09/19/08) Healthy trees can make for safer neighborhoods and healthier relationships between neighbors, according to an urban forester with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 09/19/08) Hurricane Gustav dumped 18 inches of rain on Ken Thornhill’s sweet potato fields in Franklin Parish. Hurricane Ike didn’t hit his fields as hard, but sweet potato growers across the state are reeling from the two storms. “It’s really a sad period of time for Louisiana’s sweet potato industry,” Thornhill said.

(Distributed 09/18/08) Residents of Cameron and Calcasieu parishes are still coping with the ordeal of putting their lives back together after Hurricane Ike. People began trickling back to their homes in Cameron and Grand Chenier to see if anything remains to be cleaned up, although they are not being allowed to stay. Cattle owners were struggling to deal with herds still in the marsh.

(Distributed 09/17/08) The deadline has been extended to Sept. 30 for farmers who need waivers from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to qualify for federal disaster insurance to help cover their losses from hurricanes Gustav and Ike. “The deadline had been Sept. 16, but because some of the FSA offices were without power because of the hurricanes, the deadline was extended a couple of weeks,” said Dr. Kurt Guidry, LSU AgCenter agricultural economist.

(Distributed 09/16/08) Coastal residents assessing their damage from Hurricane Ike compared this storm with the Hurricane Rita in 2005. In Vermilion Parish, residents said the water rose much slower and was not as high. That wasn’t the case in Cameron Parish, where LSU AgCenter county agent Gary Wicke said the surge even reached the Lake Charles airport.

(Distributed 09/16/08) Classes on how to do business online will be offered in four locations across the state, beginning in Oak Grove on Sept. 23. The two-day classes are offered jointly by the LSU AgCenter, the Southern University Agricultural Center and the Louisiana Economic Development Department (LED).

(Distributed 09/15/08) Dr. Ron Levy has been named the state soybean specialist for the LSU AgCenter effective Sept. 15 according to Dr. Paul Coreil, LSU AgCenter vice chancellor for extension.

(Distributed 09/12/08) LSU AgCenter economists estimate Louisiana’s agricultural damage from Hurricane Gustav will total hundreds of millions of dollars while stressing the economic losses stretch well beyond the losses to farmers and associated businesses.

(Distributed 09/11/08) Red Cross officials were so impressed by the inaugural operation of the Louisiana Emergency Shelter near Alexandria during Hurricane Gustav they have invited the manager to address chapter and city officials in New York City later this year.

(Distributed 09/11/08) Earl Fontenot may have to wait a month before any losses are apparent in his sweet potato crop after Hurricane Gustav. “It’s too early to tell if we’re going to have some loss,” he said. “But it’s not looking good. They are under stressful conditions now.”

(Distributed 09/11/08) For the first time in the history of the LSU AgCenter, a powerful storm did not completely shut down communications in the hardest-hit areas.

(Distributed 09/10/08) Louisiana’s farmers are facing lost income from reduced yields and product quality in the neighborhood of $370 to $450 million as a result of the effects of Hurricane Gustav, according to economists with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 09/10/08) One sure vestige of a hurricane or bad blow is a large, dead area of the lawn. It usually is located near curbside where yard debris is piled up for many days.

(Distributed 09/10/08) Rains from Hurricane Gustav significantly affected a diversity of crops in Northeast Louisiana – particularly with parts of Tensas and Franklin parishes getting 19 inches of rain.

(Distributed 09/09/08) WHITEVILLE – Farmer Jeffrey Sylvester gazed over a field that looked more suited for water-skiing than growing rice. “There’s a rice crop under that water,” he said. “That’s all standing rice.”

(Distributed 09/08/08) Louisiana’s commercial ornamental horticulture industry received significant but not major damage from the effects of Hurricane Gustav, according to experts at the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 09/07/08) When disasters happen, dedicated volunteers and professionals swing into action to help those affected by the tragedy. But these helpers also have needs, says LSU AgCenter family and consumer sciences specialist Becky White.

(Distributed 09/07/08) You probably can’t avoid the stress coming in the wake of Hurricane Gustav, but you can manage it, says LSU AgCenter family and consumer sciences specialist Becky White.

(Distributed 09/07/08) A child may continue to be fearful following a hurricane because of the uncertainty of the future. “A child can mix up real fear and make-believe fear. This is OK, and a parent or other care-giver can help in many ways,” says LSU AgCenter family and consumer sciences specialist Becky White.

(Distributed 09/05/08) Rain resulting from Hurricane Gustav across the crawfish-producing parishes of Louisiana may cause problems for crawfish producers, according to LSU AgCenter aquaculture specialists Greg Lutz and Mark Shirley.

(Distributed 09/05/08) Louisiana agricultural producers who suffered crop damage from Hurricane Gustav need crop insurance or non-insured crop disaster assistance coverage to be eligible to participate in federal disaster assistance programs, according to LSU AgCenter agricultural economist Kurt Guidry.

(Distributed 09/05/08) Most of the mosquitoes being bred in the standing water left in Louisiana from Hurricane Gustav are not the kind that carry West Nile virus, according to LSU AgCenter entomologist and mosquito expert Wayne Kramer.

(Distributed 09/05/08) Rice is among the many Louisiana agricultural commodities hurt by Hurricane Gustav, although the majority of the crop had been harvested in the southwest Louisiana rice belt before the storm came through.

(Distributed 09/04/08) The LSU AgCenter has made available a 32-page Storm Recovery Guide for Homeowners to help Louisianians in the cleanup after Hurricane Gustav. This guide is free at any LSU AgCenter parish extension office or research station. If you cannot get to your local office or if the office is temporarily closed, you may order the publication over the Internet.

(Distributed 05/01/08) The 2008 State Fair of Louisiana, Oct. 23-Nov. 9 in Shreveport, will be dedicated to Louisiana 4-H to help celebrate the centennial of the youth organization. The fair theme is “Celebrate and Educate.”

(Distributed 03/31/08) The LSU AgCenter’s wildlife research programs will benefit from a generous donation made by the Irene and C.B. Pennington Foundation. The $600,000 donation will lead to the establishment of the Pennington Chair for Wildlife Research, an endowed research position, at the LSU AgCenter’s Bob R. Jones – Idlewild Research Station.

(Distributed 03/31/08) Some Louisiana agricultural producers are being squeezed by rising energy costs and stagnant prices for their crops, while other producers are buoyed by rising commodity prices that offset those cost increases, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 03/31/08) Rob Ferguson has been appointed interim coordinator of the LSU AgCenter’s soybean, corn and grain sorghum extension education program.

(Distributed 03/28/08) Gov. Bobby Jindal has issued a proclamation declaring March 31-April 4 Youth Wetlands Week in Louisiana, according to Paul Coreil, vice chancellor for the LSU AgCenter. “Our Youth Wetlands Week educational program reaches across the state,” Coreil said. “More than 55,000 youth will be involved this year. We appreciate the governor’s endorsement of this effort.”

(Distributed 03/27/08) An LSU AgCenter web log, or blog, that features rice farming in Southwest Louisiana has begun its second year. The blog is following a commercial rice field near Lake Arthur being grown by farmer Ronnie “Blue” Zaunbrecher. The 39-acre field is in the Rice Verification Program under the direction of Johnny Saichuk, rice specialist.

(Distributed 03/26/08) The LSU AgCenter’s annual wheat and oat field day will be held April 17 at the Macon Ridge Research Station in Winnsboro.

(Distributed 03/26/08) The LSU AgCenter’s Hill Farm Research Station’s annual field day for beef, poultry, dairy, forage and forestry producers will be held April 24. Registration and exhibits by agribusiness companies begin at 11 a.m. followed by a 1 p.m. program.

(Distributed 03/20/08) The LSU AgCenter invites you to "An Afternoon of Roses" at its Burden Center in Baton Rouge April 27. The Sunday afternoon event, hosted by the Burden Horticulture Society, will provide an opportunity for participants to view the rose garden at the Burden Center as well as to learn from experts about caring for roses. It runs from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and is free to the public.

(Distributed 3/20/08) SHREVEPORT – Conducting a family meeting with open discussions to establish and maintain legacies and groom successors is an important part of maintaining family forestlands, Dr. Allen Nipper said at the 24th annual Ark-La-Tex Forestry Forum held March 13.

(Distributed 3/19/08) The LSU AgCenter honored 14 individuals who made significant contributions to 4-H when they were inducted into the Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame at the Destrehan Plantation March 6.

(Distributed 02/27/08) Master Farmer Phase I training via distance learning will be offered by the LSU AgCenter on March 5-7 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sites available for producers in north Louisiana include the Scott Research and Extension Education Center in Winnsboro, West Carroll Parish Extension Office in Oak Grove, Red River Research Station in Bossier City and the Grant Walker Educational Center in Pollock.

(Distributed 02/27/08) Learn the basics of athletic field maintenance at an LSU AgCenter workshop to be held at the University of Louisiana-Monroe Malone Stadium on March 20 from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Dr. Buck Bounds, a Master Gardener and retired professor at ULM, will give the introduction.

(Distributed 02/27/08) The 9th Annual Southwest Louisiana Garden Festival will be held in Lake Charles on March 29-30 at Burton Coliseum at 7001 Gulf Highway.

(Distributed 02/25/08) Three LSU AgCenter scientists were honored at by the Rice Technical Working Group. They are Dr. Chuck Rush, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology & Crop Physiology, and Dr. Richard Dunand, retired plant pathologist at the AgCenter’s Rice Research Station in Crowley, with Distinguished Service Awards. Dr. Don Groth, plant pathologist at the Rice Station, received the Distinguished Rice Research and Education Award.

(Distributed 02/21/08) BOSSIER CITY – A capacity crowd of 50 people gathered at the Red River Research Station Feb. 13 to learn about blackberries – the fruit, not the mobile telephone/e-mail device.

(Distributed 02/20/08) The LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Equine Council (LEC) are sponsoring the 2nd Annual Louisiana Horse Expo on March 8-9 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales.

(Distributed 02/20/08) Roll with the Changes is the theme of the 24th annual Ark-La-Tex Forestry Forum to be held Thursday, March 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Airport Financial Plaza in Shreveport.

(Distributed 02/20/08) The LSU AgCenter and EPA Region VI will conduct a series of three workshops across the state to help local officials and consultants develop storm water management plans and make sure the ones they have will fulfill the requirements of the new storm water permit.