Home > Our Offices > Parishes > St. Mary > Lab Testing, Insect, Plant Disease and Weed Identification Instructions for collecting soil samples, plant tissue, water samples for testing. Includes request forms. Hurricane Season is Upon Us [Image: image of hurricane flooding] Tips on preparing for hurricane season. St. Mary Parish results from the 2009 District Cookery Contest [Image: picture of 4-Hers from St. Mary Parish at Cookery Contest] Contest results for St. Mary Parish from the 2009 District Cookery Contest held in Houma, La. 2009 St. Mary Record Book Contest Results Results from St. Mary Parish 4-H record books, from Elementary and Senior 4-H'ers, completed in 2009.  more articles... The Louisiana Home Orchard Growing your own fruit can be rewarding, both in nutrition and in money saved. Here is some advice on producing your own orchard. Physical Activity Tips for Inside Here are a few ideas to provide safe, indoor physical activity for children in their classrooms, daycare centers and at home. 2009 St. Mary 4-H Achievement Day Results [Image: St. Mary 4-H'ers at the 2009 Achievement Day] Elementary and senior results from the St. Mary Parish 4-H Achievement Day held March 21, 2009. Results of the 2009 St. Mary Parish Fair and Livestock Show Results from the Homemaking and Livestock Divisions of the 2009 St. Mary Fair and Livestock Show, held January 29-31, 2009 . 2009 St. Mary 4-H Achievement Day Elementary and Senior rules for the 2009 Achievement Day in St. Mary Parish, to be held March 21, at Centerville High School. Louisiana Suggested Chemical Weed Management Guide [Image: weed management guide] This guide includes helpful information on herbicides and weed control with detailed suggestions for aquatics, commercial nursery stock, field crops, forestry, fruit crops, home gardens, lawns and many other Louisiana crops. It includes information on different types of herbicide registrations, as well as information on herbicide labels and restricted uses. Also included are sprayer calibration techniques, suggestions for reducing herbicide drift and a guide to proper spray tip selection. Microwave Safety & Tips Safety tips and lists of things to do or not to do when using a microwave oven Eat Right When Money Is Tight Now more than ever, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrition Assistance Programs can help. Many families are concerned about the rising costs of food. Read this material for tips for how to stretch your food dollars through budgeting, food selection and low-cost recipes. Healthy Recipe Substitutions This article lists several substitutions for healthier eating. 2009 Projected Louisiana Sugarcane Production Costs [Image: 2009 Sugarcane Production Costs] This report presents projected cost estimates for sugarcane production in Louisiana for the 2009 crop year. Cost estimates are included for all phases of sugacane production including seedbed preparation, planting, plant-cane and stubble-crop operations and harvest. Whole-farm projected income and expense statements are also included for harvest of sugarcane through second, third and fourth stubble (ratoon) crops. Click for more information...