e-Directions is an information-sharing newsletter issued at least bi-monthly to help keep you updated on Extension-related issues covering restructuring, programming opportunities, strategic plan initiatives and enhancements and other information.
If you have any comments or suggestions to improve e-Directions or the Director’s Web site, please contact me at pcoreil@agcenter.lsu.edu.
Comparison of the House and Senate 2007 Farm Bills
USDA and the National FFA Organization Release 2007 Census of Agriculture Lesson Plans
4-H Centennial Celebration Begins
Annual Conference a Success
2008 AgOutlook Conference: “Connecting Agriculture and Renewable Energy Opportunities”
Livestock Show 2008 Feb. 9-16
2008 Weed Control Guide
Cotton eXtension Goes Live
eXtension National Launch Celebration
Bioeconomy Conference Scheduled Feb. 12-13
Commissioner-elect Announces Assistant Commissioners
LSU AgCenter Releases Two New Rice Varieties
St. John Interim Parish Chair
Sabine Interim Parish Chair
New AgCenter Personnel
Comparison of the House and Senate 2007 Farm Bills
The House Agriculture Committee conducted its markup of its version of the farm bill (H.R. 2419) in mid-July and completed House floor action on July 27, 2007. The Senate Agriculture Committee approved its version of the farm bill (S. 2302) in late October. On December 14, the Senate completed floor action on its bill, which was offered as a substitute to H.R. 2419 (Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007).
Conference negotiations between the House and Senate are anticipated to start in January 2008.
This report compares the major provisions in the House and Senate versions of the farm bill with each other and with current law. This comparison does not provide an exhaustive list of all provisions by individual sections or subsections within each title, nor does it provide a detailed discussion of the budget offsets to cover additional spending on programs in certain titles that were adopted as part of these bills.
By farm bill issue area, the major provisions in these two bills are:
Commodity Programs: Make changes to payment limits, modify loan rates and target prices among commodities; add a revenue counter-cyclical payment option, among other program changes.
Horticulture: Provide mandatory funding for specialty crop block grants and additional support for organic agriculture and provide additional funding for inspection and pest and disease detection programs, among other provisions.
Livestock: Provide for animal welfare and inspections, competition and marketing provisions, and country-of-origin labeling requirements, among other provisions.
Conservation: Reauthorize, expand, and/or modify existing working lands and farmland retirement programs and create some new programs and initiatives.
Agricultural Trade: Reauthorize and amend USDA’s food aid, export market development and export credit guarantee programs.
Nutrition: Rename the Food Stamp program, increase food stamp benefits and loosen food stamp eligibility rules; review or limit initiatives to “privatize” state food stamp administration, add funding for emergency food assistance, fresh fruit and vegetable programs, farmers’ market nutrition programs and health and nutrition promotion; allow “geographic preference” when buying food for school meals.
Agricultural Credit: Expand borrowing opportunities under USDA’s Farm Service Agency loan programs, among other changes.
Rural Development: Reauthorize, expand and/or modify existing programs and create new programs and initiatives, including rural CRS-2 infrastructure, economic development and broadband and telecommunications development.
Research: Expand existing research initiatives, as well as reorganize the administration of USDA’s research, extension and economic agencies; establish a national institution to administer competitive programs.
Forestry: Make changes to existing forestry programs, allowing one to expire.
Energy: Reauthorize, expand and/or modify existing programs and create new programs and initiatives to promote biofuels and cellulosic ethanol production.
Miscellaneous: Make changes to crop insurance and other programs.
Both the House and Senate bills also contain provisions that would make certain changes to tax laws, which are intended to offset new spending initiatives in the 2007 farm bill. These revenue and offsetting cost provisions are not covered in this report.
The view the full report, please visit http://www.tcfa.org/Newsletter/FarmBill/FB_Comp.pdf.
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USDA and the National FFA Organization Release 2007 Census of Agriculture Lesson Plans
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the National FFA Organization announced the release of classroom-ready lesson plans about the 2007 Census of Agriculture. These resources can be used by junior and senior high school teachers to educate students about the importance of collecting agricultural data, how the data are used and how to interpret findings in a way that is relevant to their lives.
“Collaborating with FFA on this endeavor is helping to inform and empower students to play an active role in the Census process – a process that benefits them, their families and their entire agricultural communities,” said NASS Acting Administrator Joseph Reilly. “FFA members are respected leaders in their communities and the future of agriculture. As such, their support and partnership in the Census will help ensure a greater understanding and participation across the country.”
Conducted every five years by USDA, the Census is a complete count of the nation’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The Census provides valuable information used to help deliver programs and funding in support of agriculture – crucial resources that will benefit the next generation of farmers and the communities they call home.
“We are glad to be assisting with the 2007 Census of Agriculture. These online resources will be valuable products for our teachers as they help educate FFA members,” said Dr. Will Waidelich, senior division director for Research, Development and Sponsored Programs at the National FFA Organization.
“The 2007 Census of Agriculture provides farmers and ranchers with a voice in the futures of their operations and communities,” added Reilly. “As the beneficiaries of Census data, young farmers and ranchers have much to learn from the information that is collected in the Census.”
The Census coursework is aligned with national agricultural education and academic standards. The five lesson plans address such topics as what the Census of Agriculture is, how surveys are conducted and the importance of civic responsibility and advocacy.
The materials can be accessed for free at the Team Ag Ed Learning Center (TAELC), www.agedlearning.org. TAELC was designed by the National Council for Agricultural Education and the National FFA Organization to create a one-stop shop for electronic instructional resources for agricultural education teachers and their students. For more information about the Census of Agriculture visit www.agcensus.usda.gov.
Source: USDA Press Release
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4-H Centennial Celebration Begins
The 100th year of 4-H in Louisiana is under way, and events are planned for every month. Please join in the effort to call attention to this momentous achievement. One of the major activities of the year will be the induction of the first 100 members into the Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame. Each region is planning a special activity, starting with the Northeast Region, which will host a banquet for the new inductees in Delhi on Jan. 24.
All of the major 4-H events throughout the year will have a centennial theme, including the state livestock show Feb. 9-16, 4-H Day at the Capitol on June 5, 4-H University June 17-20, and 4-H Camp from May through the summer. Find out what’s going on by going to 4-H Centennial Celebration. Renee Castro is doing an outstanding job of coordinating all the pieces for this exciting year.
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Annual Conference a Success
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all ACE group leaders and participants that helped make the recent meetings at Annual Conference a success. The ACE Group, its leader, and the Administrative Advisor are listed below.
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ACE Group* |
Leader |
Admin. Advisor |
|
Animal Waste |
Bill Carney |
Dan Thomas |
|
Aquaculture |
Robert Reigh
(Greg Lutz) |
VACANT |
|
Basic Animal & Plant Biology |
Phil Elzer
(Rodrigo Valverde) |
Fred Enright |
|
Beef |
Danny Coombs
(Jason Rowntree) |
Paul Humes |
|
Citrus, Fruit, Nuts |
C.E. Johnson |
Jere McBride |
|
Consumer Horticulture |
Dan Gill |
Regina Bracy |
|
Consumer Nutrition & Health |
Heli Roy |
Roy Martin |
|
Corn, Sorghum, Wheat |
Steve Harrison
(David Lanclos) |
Freddie Martin |
|
Cotton |
Sandy Stewart
(Ernie Clawson) |
Bob Hutchinson |
|
Dairy |
Gary Hay |
Mike McCormick |
|
Family & Child Development |
Diane Sasser |
Ellen Murphy |
|
Food Science |
Joan King
(Jon Bell) |
John Finley |
|
Forestry/Forest Products |
Hallie Dozier
(Qinglin Wu/Mike Dunn) |
Bill Kelso |
|
Horses |
Clint Depew
(Don Thompson) |
Paul Humes |
|
4-H Youth Development |
Janet Fox |
Mark Tassin |
|
Ornamentals & Turf |
Jeff Kuehny |
Pat Hegwood |
|
Pasture/Forage |
Wink Alison
(Ed Twidwell) |
Sonny Viator |
|
Plant Improvement & Testing |
Blair Buckley
(C.E. Johnson) |
Jerry Berggren |
|
Poultry |
Theresia Lavergne |
Allen Nipper |
|
Precision Agriculture |
Maurice Wolcott
(Keith Morris) |
Bob Hutchinson |
|
Rice |
Jim Oard
(Johnny Saichuk) |
Steve Linscombe |
|
Small Ruminants |
Jim Miller
(Terry Dumas) |
Mike McCormick |
|
Social & Economic Stability |
Karen Overstreet |
Gail Cramer |
|
Soil, Water, Environment |
Magdi Selim
(Mike Materne) |
Freddie Martin |
|
Soybean |
Steve Moore
(David Lanclos) |
John Barnett |
|
Sugar |
Ken Gravois |
Ben Legendre |
|
Sweet Potato |
Arthur Villordon
(Tara Smith) |
Pat Bollich |
|
Swine |
Tim Page
(Lee Southern) |
Wade Baumgartner |
|
Vegetables |
Jimmy Boudreaux
(Carl Motsenbocker) |
Pam Hodson |
|
Wildlife & Natural Fisheries |
Mike Chamberlain
(Don Reed) |
Dearl Sanders |
* Faculty shown in parentheses are co-leader or vice chairperson of that group.
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2008 AgOutlook Conference: “Connecting Agriculture and Renewable Energy Opportunities”
To continue addressing the current issues facing Louisiana agriculture, the LSU AgCenter will host the 2008 Agricultural Outlook Conference on February 25-27, 2008, at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Monroe. The theme of this year’s conference is “Connecting Agriculture and Renewable Energy Opportunities.”
Learn the latest information on large- and small-scale technologies for producing fuel from agricultural products at the 2008 AgOutlook Conference. Speakers will address bioenergy opportunities ripe for development and provide economic information on various alternative-energy enterprises. Attendees will hear alternative-energy success stories and learn about grant funds and other support for new bioenergy businesses. There will also be the chance to network and exchange ideas that may result in collaborative ventures..
The event will begin with an opening reception on Monday evening, February 25, from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Monroe.
Registration will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, February 25, and 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 26, with presentations starting at 8:30 a.m. and concluding at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27.
A registration fee of $55 for participating in the AgOutlook conference covers breakfast, breaks, reception, and lunches. Advance registration is required because of limited seating capacity.
To register: www.regonline.com/AgOutlook2008. The conference is sponsored by the LSU AgCenter.
For more information contact: Dr. Bob Hutchinson at rhutchinson@agcenter.lsu.edu or (318) 435-2908.
Source: AgCenter Communications
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Livestock Show 2008 Feb. 9-16
This year’s state livestock show, which will once again be held in the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, will be dedicated to Louisiana 4-H and its 100th birthday, says Dwayne Nunez. Special events will include a band for entertainment during the Friday night festivities. The belt buckle awards will feature the centennial logo, and all class winners will receive special centennial pins – all of which will probably become collectors’ items.
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2008 Weed Control Guide
The 2008 Louisiana Suggested Weed Control Guide is posted on the web at:
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_livestock/
When you click on the picture of the guide, it will come up as 2007, but all of the contents below the picture of the book contain all of the 2008 information.
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Cotton eXtension Goes Live
After a couple of years of work and effort by the Cotton Community of Practice (CoP) – led by our own Dr. Sandy Stewart, we now have a “live” eXtension cotton Web site. You can access it from the link off of www.extension.org. The official unveiling is taking place this week at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in Nashville, Tenn. I would like to congratulate Dr. Stewart and the entire Cotton CoP Team for the outstanding job they have done developing THE most complete and well-developed cotton industry website in the United States. There is no doubt that it will serve the cotton growers, processors and all land grant institutions interested in cotton very well. Thanks for a job well done!
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eXtension National Launch Celebration
eXtension is scheduled to hold a national launch on Feb. 21-22 at the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum in Washington, D.C. The Secretary of Agriculture and other USDA and CSREES officials have been invited to “cut the ribbon” and “open the door” to eXtension. Exciting media events are being organized throughout the country. In La., a group of extension and research faculty will be meeting at the Central Region office in Alexandria to share in the launch. Dr. Pam Hodson has been leading the eXtension Institutional Team for the LSU AgCenter, and she has been planning and conducting numerous media and outreach events publicizing the launch and the variety of Communities of Practice that will make up useful eXtension content covering many important program topic areas important to Louisiana and the SE region.
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Bioeconomy Conference Scheduled Feb. 12-13
Bioeconomy Conference, sponsored by Farm Foundation and USDA, titled “Transition into a Bioeconomy: Integration of Agricultural and Energy Systems,” is scheduled for February 12-13. The conference will be held at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel in Atlanta, Ga.
This is the first of a series of a conferences planned by Farm Foundation and USDA to examine how the rapidly evolving transition to a bioeconomy will affect U.S. agriculture, the food system, rural communities and the global economy over the next decade. These conferences will be a platform to inventory current knowledge, highlight lessons learned, examine possibilities for the future and identify future needs. The objective information and analysis generated through these conferences will help leaders in industry, government, rural communities and academia make more informed decisions related to the bioeconomy.
The conference focuses on the integration of agricultural and energy systems. It will explore farming systems, markets for by- and co-products, potential impacts of the bioeconomy on animal agriculture, energy efficiency and biotechnology. It will also examine new farming and energy systems may be needed to support the cellulosic industry, which many experts believe will become commercially viable over the next decade.
This conference is targeted to producers, processors, input suppliers, community leaders, government agency representatives, commodity group leaders and academics. It is an opportunity to hear reports on cutting edge research and dialogue with industry and government leaders. Detailed program information, as well as registration and hotel information, is available at the Farm Foundation Web site, www.farmfoundation.org. Early bird registration of $200 is available until January 28, after which the fee will be $230.
For more information contact Steve Halbrook, steve@farmfoundation.org.
Source: Steve Halbrook, Farm Foundation
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Commissioner-elect Announces Assistant Commissioners
Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner-elect Mike Strain, DVM, announced the appointment of five assistant commissioners to his staff at the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. These appointments were effective Jan. 14.
James “Todd” Parker of Baton Rouge will lead the Office of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (AES); Benjy Rayburn of Denham Springs the Office of Agro-Consumer Services (ACS); Brent Robbins, DVM of Folsom the Office of Animal Health Services (AHS); Craig Gannuch of Baton Rouge the Office of Management and Finance (OMF); and Rene Simon of New Iberia the Office of Marketing.
“The core mission of the department is to advance and promote agriculture and forestry, and these assistant commissioners have the focus and drive to successfully accomplish this goal,” Strain said. “They are exceptional leaders the taxpayers of this state can count on to run efficient, effective programs that serve the public well.”
Parker is a former Louisiana Senate analyst with experience staffing the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and obtained an MBA from the LSU Graduate School. Parker will oversee programs ranging from structural pesticides and boll weevil eradication, to horticulture and quarantine and seed certification. AES licenses and certifies people who apply pesticides in crop fields and residential or commercial structures.
Rayburn has worked for LDAF 17 years and is the current assistant commissioner of ACS. He is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond and holds a masters degree from LSU.
Rayburn manages programs including dairy stabilization, agricultural commodities and weights and measures. The weights and measures division verifies taxi meters, meat scales and UPC scanners at retail stores and annually inspects fuel pumps at gas stations.
Robbins is a former veterinary clinic owner and current director of St. Tammany Parish Animal Services. He is a graduate of LSU with degrees in both animal science and dairy science. Robbins also obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from LSU and an MBA from the University of New Orleans. AHS includes the Livestock Brand Commission, the State Veterinarian’s office, the Livestock Sanitary Board, meat inspection and poultry, egg, fruit and vegetable programs. Robbins will be responsible for the prevention and control of livestock diseases in the state as well as investigating farm crimes.
Gannuch has worked for the Louisiana Legislature as a budget or fiscal analyst since 1995. He holds a bachelors degree and Master of Public Administration degree from LSU. Gannuch will oversee administrative services, auditing, fiscal and accounting offices, personnel, facility maintenance, management information services and food distribution.
Simon comes to the department from McIlhenny Co. He is a graduate of LSU and is a former sugarcane, soybean and wheat farmer. Under Simon’s leadership, the marketing office will organize promotional events for Louisiana products, administer agricultural loan programs and staff promotion and research boards for commodities like crawfish, catfish and strawberries.
Seven assistant commissioners are within the department. The state's Forestry Commission and Soil and Water Conservation Committee each make their own assistant commissioner appointment.
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LSU AgCenter Releases Two New Rice Varieties
The LSU AgCenter has released two new rice varieties:
1. Neptune (tested as LA0402028) is a semidwarf early maturing medium grain. It has excellent yield potential, very good milling quality and a bold grain that is similar to that of Bengal. Neptune also has good levels of resistance to current blast races.
2. Catahoula (tested as LA0302082) is a very early maturing semidwarf long grain. It also has excellent yield potential and milling quality. Catahoula is moderately resistant to sheath blight and has good levels of resistance to predominate blast races.
Foundation seed of these two varieties will be available from the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station.
For additional information contact Steve Linscombe at 337-788-7531 or slinscombe@agcenter.lsu.edu
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St. John Interim Parish Chair
As of Jan. 15, Rene Schmit is the interim Parish Chair for St. John Parish. Mr. Schmit will serve in this capacity until June 30. Please give Rene your full support and cooperation.
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Sabine Interim Parish Chair
Effective immediately, Hubert Wilkerson is the Interim Parish Chair for Sabine Parish. Hubert will serve in this capacity until June 30. Please give Hubert your full support and cooperation as he served in this interim role.
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New AgCenter Personnel
Please join me in welcoming our new personnel!
- Guillermo Scaglia, Asst. Professor, Iberia Research Station
- Monique Hebert, 4-H Agent in Iberia Parish
- Katie Wilcox, 4-H Agent in Lafourche Parish
- Joshua Fredieu, 4-H Agent in Iberia Parish
- Matt Faust, Extension Associate, B & A Engineering
- Cassie Trahan, Asst. Ext. Agent, SE Region
- Deborah Hurlbert, Extension Associate, Human Ecology
- Amanda Calhoun, Asst. Ext. Agent, NE Region
- Laura Bradley, Asst. Ext. Agent, NE Region\
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Brenton Hoyt, Res Farm Asst, Central Res Station
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Michael Warren, Res Farm Specialist, SE Res Station
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Ashley Boughton, Admin Coordinator, School of RNR
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James Tyler, Mobile Equip Operator, Iberia Res Station
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Blake Broussard, Res Farm Asst, Iberia Res Station
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For more information, please visit the Director's website at http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/administration/about_us/extension/. For questions or concerns, you may
contact the Director at pcoreil@agcenter.lsu.edu.
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