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News
I-69 route will not affect Pecan Station
The LSU AgCenter Pecan Research-Extension Station in Shreveport will not be affected by the alignment of Interstate 69 in southern Caddo Parish after all, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
LSU AgCenter officials received the word through a letter signed by Richard Savoie, deputy chief engineer of DOTD.
He said his department and the Federal Highway Administration have met with LSU AgCenter representatives and “after hearing their concerns, have engaged our consultant to develop an alignment that will avoid any required right-of-way from the facility.”
The new alignment misses the southeast side of the Pecan Station by approximately one-tenth of a mile, said Dr. Randy Sanderlin, research coordinator at the station. The route is just north of the Caddo-Bossier Port Commission docks, he said.
“This is great news,” said Dr. Patrick Colyer, Northwest regional director of the LSU AgCenter. “Now we can concentrate on our research programs. Our research and extension programs are important not only for Louisiana producers but also for pecan producers throughout the Midsouth. The AgCenter is the only institution in the region conducting pecan research.
“We would like to thank Dr. Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and Dr. William Ankner, secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, for recognizing the importance of this program to the state and for their assistance in getting the route changed,” Colyer said.
“This was a team effort,” said Sanderlin. “We had support from the growers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.”
The station has served the commercial pecan industry for 79 years, and projects at the station are not duplicated elsewhere, Colyer said.
The commercial pecan industry currently represents an annual value of about $300 million to the nation, Sanderlin said.
Events
LSU AgCenter Red River Research Station field day set for June 18
The LSU AgCenter’s annual Red River Research Station field day will be held Thursday, June 18, at the station in Bossier City.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the program beginning at 9 a.m.
Planned topics for the field tours include:
–Weed control in row crops and pastures.
–Row crop variety trials.
–Early-season insect control in cotton.
–Seed treatments for nematode management in corn and soybeans.
–Dallis grass and fescue forage production.
–Soybean and southern pea breeding.
Field tour speakers will include LSU AgCenter research and extension personnel.
Dairy events scheduled
Northwest Louisiana Dairy Day will be Thursday, June 18, at the DeSoto Parish Extension Office in Grand Cane at 10 a.m.
Topics include weed identification and control in pastures, hayfields and fence lines by Dr. Ron Strahan, LSU AgCenter weed specialist. A U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center update will be given by Ralph Laffitte and Brain Baiamonte.
Chuck Griffin will present Quality Milk and production awards.
Lunch is courtesy of Louisiana Dairymen (Louisiana Dairy Industry Promotion).
The 15th Annual North Louisiana Dairy Festival will be held Saturday, June 20, at the State Fair of Louisiana in Shreveport.
Events include a dairy show, showmanship clinic, cow capers and ice cream-eating contest. Lunch will be provided by the Dairy Promotion Board.
Showmanship will be broken down into a Pee-Wee, Junior, Intermediate and Senior divisions.
Events begin at 9:30 a.m.
Community Gardens form coalition to grow together
Recognizing that a “trellis” is needed for all the growth community gardens have been experiencing, volunteers trained by the LSU AgCenter have been meeting as a visionary committee and have formed the Red River Coalition of Community Gardeners.
Meeting since August, the group looked at the big picture of what is possible for the community-gardening effort in this area, said Dr. Grace Peterson, LSU AgCenter Family Nutrition Program (FNP) agent and community garden coordinator.
The group’s first event was a Community Garden Open House on May 30. Community gardeners gave information and answered questions.
Gardens on the tour were Allendale Garden of Hope and Love, corner of North Allen and Buena Vista; Cedar Grove Garden of Love, corner of Line and 73rd; Highland Community Garden, corner of Herndon and Stephenson; Mooretown Community Faith Garden, 3811 Crosby St.; Sankofa Garden, 1651 Tulane; and St. Catherine’s Cedar Grove Community Garden, corner of 71st and Henderson.
“The coalition’s mission is to create and maintain community gardens in the Shreveport/Bossier area, using sustainable practices, to grow healthy food, to provide education for healthy lifestyles and to empower people to share their unique contributions,” Peterson said.
Regular monthly meetings start Monday, June 22, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Caddo Parish Extension Office, 2408 E. 70th St. The meetings will include a short educational presentation and time for announcements and fellowship.
Peterson is looking for volunteers to teach youth, work in garden plots to grow food for food pantries, provide education and activities at the community gardens and help install and maintain the first of five gardens in collaboration with Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation. The first will be at Valencia Recreation Center on Viking Drive adjacent to Caddo Magnet High School in the Stoner Hill neighborhood.
“We hope to break ground in the next few weeks,” Peterson said.
FNP agents such as Peterson provide educational programs that help those on a limited budget make healthy food choices consistent with the most recent dietary advice reflected in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid.
Peterson said the gardens not only provide nutritious, affordable produce for the neighborhood, but also teach leadership, organization, diversity, conflict resolution and creativity -- “all centered around gardening.”
She adds, “This connects people, teaches them how to engage their neighbors and forms an organizational structure.”
The gardens also provide exercise, beauty and family time. Hopefully, participants will share healthy recipes and stories about grandma’s garden, Peterson said.
AgCenter participates in Cane River Green Market
Master Gardener Jan Starks talked about herbs at the Cane River Green Market in Natchitoches on May 16.
The LSU AgCenter was represented by aiding guests in making their own fruit yogurt parfaits and passing out nutritional information about healthy snacks.
Beef cattle meeting in DeSoto provides helpful information
A beef cattle meeting in DeSoto Parish on May 19 attracted more than 30 producers.
Dr. Christine Navarre, LSU AgCenter extension veterinarian, was the keynote speaker. She explained the new regulations that both Louisiana and Texas have adopted to help reduce the spread of trichomoniasis.
Navarre also went over ways of reducing health concerns in a cattle herd. Nutrition, parasite control and biosecurity were on top of her list for ways of reducing poor heath in a herd.
Josh Salley, a graduate student at McNeese State University, informed the group of a heifer enhancement and development program being conducted by McNeese’s Agricultural Department and Fuller Farms in Kinder.
Millhollon gives storm water pollution solutions
An LSU AgCenter environmental scientist explained storm water pollution solutions for residential and commercial entities at the May 14 Lunch and Ag Discovery event held at the LSU AgCenter’s Red River Research Station.
Dr. Eddie Millhollon presented “After the Storm: When it rains, it drains,” explaining that the water that runs off lawns, streets and driveways contains dirt, motor oil, fertilizers and pesticides that will eventually end up in the nation’s waterways.
Such impervious surfaces as driveways, sidewalks and streets prevent storm water from naturally soaking into the ground, Millhollon explained. Storm water can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt and pollutants and flow untreated into a storm sewer system and then into a body of water used for swimming, fishing or drinking water.
He said possible pollutants are construction and agricultural sediments, hazardous waste and fecal matter. “The average citizen can recycle and properly dispose of household chemicals,” Millhollon said. He specifically mentioned used motor oil, anti-freeze, detergent and paint.
Millhollon oversees a constructed wetland research effort to evaluate the effectiveness of natural biological and chemical processes on reducing water pollution. This research project at the LSU AgCenter Red River Research Station has determined that a constructed wetland can intercept runoff from getting into the nearby Flat River, which runs into the Red River, Millhollon said.
He described the constructed wetland as a shallow swamp with vegetation that enables sediment to pull fertilizers and pesticides out of the water. A nine-foot-deep pond further reduces the level of impurities in a created environment where anaerobic bacteria break down the impurities.
Excess fertilizers and pesticides can lead to destructive algae blooms and poison aquatic animals, Millhollon said. “When algae die, they sink to the bottom and decompose in a process that removes oxygen from the water.”
Millhollon added that plastic bags, six-pack rings and cigarette butts washed into water can choke, suffocate or disable aquatic life.
“No man is an island,” Millhollon said. “Pollution affects those downstream. We all live downstream.”
The next Lunch and Ag Discovery is Thursday, June 11, with Dr. Mike Hall discussing fire ants.
‘Kids in the Kitchen’ offered by LSU AgCenter
“Kids in the Kitchen,” a program for 9- to 13-year-olds presented by Connie Aclin and Dianne Glasgow, LSU AgCenter extension educators, is scheduled June 30-July 2 from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
The three-day class will be at the Caddo Extension Office, 2408 E. 70th St. Registration is limited and costs $25. Checks should be made payable to the LSU AgCenter. Please call 226-6805 to reserve a spot.
Children will learn about MyPyramid, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommendations for healthy eating and activity for kids, food and knife safety and preparing healthy snacks.
4-H News
Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame to get 12 new inductees at museum grand opening
Virginia Shehee of Shreveport is one of 12 new members of the Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame.
She will be inducted at the grand opening of the Louisiana 4-H Museum in Mansura on Saturday, July 18, from 2 to 4 p.m.
One hundred members were inducted into the Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame last year in honor of the 4-H’s centennial in the state.
The museum will display treasures of thousands of current and former 4-H’ers from across Louisiana to showcase the history and importance of Louisiana 4-H, said Rose Anne St. Romain, museum coordinator.
“The results are quite stunning,” said Dr. Paul Coreil, LSU AgCenter vice chancellor. “Many thanks to everyone for all the items and photos submitted. We will display as many as possible for the grand opening and add to displays over time.”
The museum at 8592 Highway 1 is near where the first Corn Club for boys was formed in 1908. That club and other boys’ agricultural and girls’ domestic clubs formed in the early 1900s eventually evolved into what now is the Louisiana 4-H program.
Shehee was recognized in 1974 for purchasing the champion market hog at a record price for a special needs youth. The pig provided the youth support to enable him to learn to walk as a result of cerebral palsy. She was later recognized on the national broadcast of Paul Harvey news for her impact on the youth and his compelling story with his pig. She annually contributes more than $20,000 to the youth during the Junior Livestock Sale at the State Fair of Louisiana. She routinely donates to 37 non-profit organizations, including the Louisiana 4-H Foundation.
Anna Loftin presented at Plantation Ball
Ten sons and 11 daughters and thousands of acres of farm, ranch and timberland were represented at the 2009 Plantation Ball April 24 at the Scottish Rite Temple.
Anna Loftin, a Bossier Parish 4-H’er, was presented.
Girls wore formal white dresses and gloves and boys wore white tuxes with black “Colonel Sanders” ties.
Afterwards, a longstanding tradition to dance the Virginia Wheel, as seen in Gone with the Wind, was continued.
In a gracious setting reminiscent of the Old South, the 1952 Holiday in Dixie heralded a new tradition, the Plantation Ball, to which area planters proudly squired their lovely ladies. In 1960, the Plantation Club was formally organized as the sponsoring group of the ball, an annual and established function of Holiday in Dixie.
In 1959, the featured event of the Plantation Ball was the presentation of area planters’ daughters. This tradition continued and in 1963, the sons of planters were honored as escorts.
Some of the family farms go back six generations. Among products are cattle, timber, cotton, soybeans, pecans, rice, crawfish, minerals, horses, bison, wheat, corn, catfish, dairy cows, beans and natural gas.
One of the farms was part of Keachi Women’s College and used as an infirmary in the Civil War, and one has Indian mounds dated 1,100 years old. They are located in Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto, Red River, Natchitoches, Bienville, Caldwell, Sabine, Lincoln and Ouachita parishes and South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.
Bayou Dorcheat duck boxes serve dual role
The Doyline 4-H Club constructed duck boxes and sold them during a fundraiser to the Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The boxes will be used as channel markers along Bayou Dorcheat. The markers will enhance safety and the natural surroundings.
Craig Watson, owner of Impressions Advertising in Minden, etched the fronts of the boxes
Safety crew, teens constructing safer tomorrow
At Marthaville Junior High School this year, learning was happening beyond the classroom.
Lynn LaCaze’s seventh-grade health class partnered with LSU AgCenter 4-H Agent Laura Brumbaugh to participate in a service learning project entitled, Safety Crew, Teens Constructing a Safer Tomorrow.
Service-learning is a program that was offered from the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H youth development program. The concept takes community service and makes it become more relevant. It allows youth to take ownership of the project all the while participating in learning experiences.
Students who participated were Ashton Cruse, Charley Desadier, Tyler Dubois, Taylor Ford, Elizabeth Haigh, Hannah Haigh, Hannah Jones, Jacob LaCaze, Sarah Lester, Taylor Lodridge, Kelsey Longino, Jacy Morace, Tyler Rose, Savannah Settle, Shannon Smith, Christian Sparks, Christen Tate, Anthony Thomas and James Walker. Project leaders were Brumbaugh, LaCaze and Melinda Powell, Marthaville Junior High volunteer.
The class performed a needs assessment using a community survey and interviewing the school principal, Terry Williams. From those results they decided that the community collaborator they would partner with would be the fourth- and fifth-grade classes at the elementary school, which is housed on the same campus.
The participants decided to use LSU AgCenter Safety curriculum to teach weather, hunter, ATV and home alone safety to address those community concerns identified through their needs assessment. They also collaborated with Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Agent B.J. Shoemaker and District 7 Fire Chief Doug Birdwell.
In preparation for teaching the lessons, students researched their topics, worked in groups to develop their lessons, created displays for their topic and reflected throughout the process on their thoughts, feelings and what they were doing.
Through the lessons taught during three days in April, 29 fourth-grade students and 38 fifth-grade students were reached. The lessons included hands-on learning experiences that the service-learning students prepared and taught. These lessons were truly youth led and delivered.
On April 27, ATV safety lessons were taught by Hannah Jones, Jimbo Walker, Sarah Lester, Charlie Desadier and Anthony Thomas. The lesson included a demonstration of the proper gear to wear while riding an ATV.
On April 28, the hunter safety lesson was taught by Shannon Smith, Ashton Cruse, Savannah Settle and Tyler Dubois. Shoemaker spoke during this lesson.
The weather and home alone safety lessons were taught on April 29. The weather or not safety lesson was taught by Christian Sparks, Kelsey Longino, Jake LaCaze and Tyler Rose. The home alone safety lesson was taught by Hannah Haigh, Elizabeth Haigh, Jacy Morace, Taylor Lodrige and Christen Tate.
During these lessons the Natchitoches Fire Department brought in their safety trailer, where fourth- and fifth-graders were taught about weather and fire safety. Chief Birdwell, City of Natchitoches Fire Department driver and operator Michael Sesvold and Volunteer District 7 firefighter Richard Bruce all assisted with the safety trailer.
At the conclusion of the project, students enjoyed a celebration for their efforts. They enjoyed a field trip to Lake Martin for a swamp tour in St. Martin Parish and an afternoon at the Mall of Acadiana in Lafayette. One group saw six alligators while on the tour.
This project allowed youth to become part of the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Development Program as a school enrichment group, a delivery mode of the 4-H program. Through this project, these youth not only learned about the importance of safety, they also developed communication skills, learned to work as a team, investigated their feelings and reactions to events and were engaged in meaningful service to their community.
The project exceeded the expectations of leaders. “To reflect back and remember where we started at and to see the journey of growth for each of these youth is really amazing. It only shows the power of youth and what they are capable of doing if given the opportunity,” said Brumbaugh.
LaCaze adds, “When I was first approached with this idea, I had never really considered integrating service into my curriculum, but from this success I believe in the power of a service-learning project.”
Anonymous surveys from the youth who participated in the service learning project stated: “I liked it and felt that I learned more about my community and way of life.” “It felt great because we got to teach little kids responsibility.” “I feel I learned a lot. Also as future leaders of America we need to participate.” “I felt very good about this project. I felt good about it because I believe the kids that we taught actually learned something.”
Red River Parish participates in Youth Wetlands Week
One hundred of Velma Moseley’s sixth-grade students at Red River Junior High were active participants in the Youth Wetland Week program and completed the pre- and post-test that was mailed to Baton Rouge.
By completing all the requirements, they were awarded a pizza party on May 18. Soft drinks were donated by Rivertown Market, and the pizzas were purchased from Pizza Hut in Natchitoches.
Awards, Retirements
Van Osdell named state Communicator of Achievement
Mary Ann Van Osdell, communications specialist for the LSU AgCenter, was named the Louisiana Press Women's Communicator of Achievement for 2009 at an awards ceremony in Baton Rouge on May 16.
She will compete for the national Communicator of Achievement title at the National Federation of Press Women Conference in September.
Van Osdell also won first-place awards for online newsletter (this one), a news release on the hurricane shelter in Alexandria, feature press release on a former 4-H’er in Iraq, a series of press releases on community gardening, writing for the Web commentary (Forum auto reviews) and a media kit for Author! Author! Shreveport’s Celebration of the Written Word.
LEAFCS presents awards, installs officers
The Louisiana Extension of Family and Consumer Sciences presented awards to members at the annual convention in Lafayette May 6.
Among those receiving the Florence Hall Award -- first place team -- were Connie Aclin, Caddo; Joan Almond, Webster; Vicky Chesser, Caddo; and Cathryn Robinson, Caddo.
Second place team -- Aclin and Dianne Glasgow, Caddo.
The Florence Hall Award is given to an individual or team for an outstanding program conducted by members who have been alert in recognizing new concerns and interests of families and have involved people in planning and implementing the programs. The first place team winner this year was for the 2008 Live Fit Chancellor’s Wellness Initiative that team members helped coordinate and implement throughout the state.
Other winners were:
Community Partnership Award -- third, Robinson.
Educational Publications Award -- first, Glasgow.
Officers were also elected and include Robinson, vice president for member resources, and Aclin, director, northern region.
Caldwell retires
Claiming to be a turtle on a fencepost, David Caldwell chose to host his own retirement party rather than be honored by co-workers and friends.
He completed 42 years as a professor at the LSU AgCenter on March 31. The party was held at Fellowship United Methodist Church on May 12. He also held thank-yous in Baton Rouge and northeast Louisiana for co-workers there. Good Eats catered, and the cake featured cotton artwork.
Paying their respects were supervisors and former supervisors, his college roommate and student workers he mentored.
Calendar
June 9 -- Gilliam Library, Hand washing Educational Program by Connie Aclin
June 11 -- Lunch and Ag Discovery
June 15 -- Chancellor at Red River Research Station
June 18 -- Red River Research Station Field Day
June 23 -- 4-H University
June 23 -- EFNEP Day Camp -- Wildlife Program -- Sunset Acres Center
June 24 -- EFNEP Day Camp -- Wildlife Program -- David Raines