Please continue to use this method of communication to keep up with Extension Service related policies and programs.
Due to the length of this e-Directions, it has been divided into sections. Click on the section you would like to read.
Faculty Appointments
LSU AgCenter International Programs Director Chosen for Leadership Program
2009 4-H Hall of Fame
New Parish Chair
Biofuel Fact Sheet
Vilsack Reverses Two Bush Administration USDA Actions
Congressman Cassidy on Critical Committee
Youth Wetlands “Week Program of Distinction”
CSREES Lists Open Requests for Grant Applications
Growing the Small and Minority Farmer Industry in Louisiana
Faculty Appointments
Effective January 2 Quincy Cheek is FCS Program Coordinator for the Central Region. Ms. Cheek will continue her FCS duties in Rapides, Beauregard, Grant and Vernon parishes. She can be contacted at (318) 767-3968 or email at qcheek@agcenter.lsu.edu.
Her additional duties will include:
- Overall responsibilities for coordination of all FCS programs in the region.
- Involved in interviews and hiring recommendations, making recommendations on areas of responsibility for multiparish assignments.
- Working with the regional director on personnel issues.
- Participating in annual performance evaluations of all central region FCS faculty members.
- Responsibility for all regional FCS training.
- Keeping the regional director informed of FCS needs and issues in the region.
Please give your full support to Quincy in her new responsibilities.
Mr. Glen Daniels, County Agent and Parish Chair, has for many years served the clientele of Concordia Parish and provided leadership for the parish staff and Extension programs. To better serve the needs of the LSU AgCenter and row crop farmers in Concordia and Catahoula parishes, effective February 2, 2009; Mr. Daniels has been reassigned as an Area Agent (Agriculture).
In his new position he will provide leadership for both the Concordia and Catahoula Parish ANR programs and continue to have supervisory responsibility for the Concordia Parish Staff. His domicile will continue to be at Vidalia in Concordia Parish; however he will expand his agriculture program to include clientele in Catahoula Parish. Glen can be reached by contacting the Concordia (318-336-5315) or Catahoula Extension (318-744-5442) offices or by cell phone (318-308-2249) or e-mail at gdaniels@agcenter.lsu.edu.
Please join me in congratulating and supporting Glen as he takes on these new duties.
Dr. Roger Leonard has been named interim extension cotton entomology specialist for the LSU AgCenter.
Dr. Leonard is a professor of entomology. He has been a member of the LSU AgCenter faculty at the Macon Ridge Research Station in Winnsboro and also in the Department of Entomology on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge for 20 years. In 2006, he was awarded the Jack Hamilton Endowed Chair in Cotton Production.
His research focuses on the development and implementation of insect pest management strategies in Louisiana row crops with a major emphasis on cotton, field corn and soybean production systems.
Roger may be reached by phone at (318) 435-2157 or email at RLeonard@agcenter.lsu.edu.
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LSU AgCenter International Programs Director Chosen for Leadership Program
Dr. Lakshman Velupillai, associate vice chancellor for International Programs for the LSU AgCenter and LSU, has been accepted for the fall 2008 Food Systems Leadership Institute (FSLI). A top-tier leadership development program for higher education, industry and government, the FSLI emphasizes leadership, organizational skills and a broad, interdisciplinary perspective of food systems.
As an FSLI scholar, Velupillai will focus on knowledge and skills that will prepare him for an increased leadership role in food system programs within the LSU AgCenter and LSU. The leadership institute is a two-year program that includes intensive executive education sessions and an in-depth leadership project, according to program officials.
Source: www.fsli.org.
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2009 4-H Hall of Fame
I want to thank everyone who took the time to nominate deserving individuals (91 nominated) for the 2009 Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame committee recently met and spent hours thoroughly reading each application. Although there were many deserving individuals it was decided by the committee that each year after our Centennial year, 10-12 individuals would be inducted into our 4-H Hall of Fame.
The list below is our 2009 4-H Hall of Fame inductees
1. Billy Nutt – Bienville
2. Charles Lesley Flowers – East Baton Rouge
3. Denise Turner – Lafayette
4. Diane Duhe – St. John
5. John Stamper – Bossier
6. Lafayette Fearn Swoope Jr. – Calcasieu
7. Loretta Guidry – Lafourche
8. Mable Yvonne Lorenz – Beauregard
9. Mansel Slaughter – East Baton Rouge
10. Marleen Frederico – St. Bernard
11. Nancy Marceaux – Vermilion
12. Virginia Kilpatrick Shehee – Caddo
A recognition ceremony will be held for all inductees. Further information will be sent when and where this ceremony will take place. Thanks again for all of your help with this process.
Source: Renee N. Castro, rnaquin@agcenter.lsu.edu
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New Parish Chair Appointments
Effective January 1, Allen Hogan, extension agent, was appointed parish chair for Jeff Davis Parish. Mr. Hogan will serve in this capacity through June 30, 2010 and will continue his parish responsibilities. Alan can be contacted at ahogan@agcenter.lsu.edu or 337-824-1773.
Effective February 1, 2009, Gwen Fontenot, Assistant Extension Agent, was appointed Parish Chair for Natchitoches Parish. Miss Fontenot will serve in this capacity through June 30, 2010, and will continue her parish responsibilities. Gwen can be contacted at gfontenot@agcenter.lsu.edu or (318) 357-2224.
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Biofuel Fact Sheet
The attached biofuel factsheet, “Current Status of U.S. Biofuel Industry and Opportunities for Louisiana Agriculture,” has been posted on the LSU AgCenter Bioenergy Web page under Publications: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_livestock/crops/Bioenergy/Publications/.
Please feel free to review this timely information.
Source: Michael E. Salassi, Ph.D., msalassi@agcenter.lsu.edu
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Vilsack Reverses Two Bush Administration USDA Actions
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently said the Obama administration has decided to reverse two decisions the Bush administration made in its last days. Vilsack said USDA will withdraw a Bush administration plan to use $3.2 million from a fruit and vegetable block grant program to enforce mandatory country-of-origin labeling program for agricultural products. He said the public-comment period on a farm subsidy payment limit rule that had been scheduled to end Wednesday would be extended for 60 days. Vilsack's comments came during his first telephone news conference as secretary. "We are extremely pleased that Secretary Vilsack has made this decision and reversed what was simply bad public policy all the way around," said Robert Guenther, senior vice president of the United Fresh Produce Association, of the block grants, which are distributed through state agriculture departments.
Vilsack noted the Obama administration supports congressional plans to include money for updating the USDA computer system in the stimulus package and said the basic goals for food safety should be decided before considering a merger of food safety agencies. He also said that in negotiating trade agreements it is important that "we don't sacrifice agriculture."
Source: Jerry Hagstrom, http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/
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Congressman Cassidy on Agriculture Committee
Dr. Bill Cassidy, the new 6th District (Baton Rouge area) U.S. Congressman sits on the Ag Subcommittee on Rural Development, biotechnology, specialty crops and foreign agriculture. Cassidy’s leadership role on this subcommittee may be beneficial as we work on rural development, sugar, biotechnology, farm security and farm family issues and trade promotion issues. Congressman Cassidy is the only member of the Louisiana delegation on the Ag Committee.
The subcommittee has jurisdiction over peanuts, sugar, tobacco, marketing orders relating to such commodities, rural development, farm security and family farming matters, biotechnology, foreign agricultural assistance and trade promotion programs.
Source: http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/subcomms.html
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Youth Wetlands “Week Program of Distinction”
Louisiana’s Youth Wetlands Education and Outreach Program recently has been named a Program of Distinction. Programs of Distinction are a collection of peer-reviewed program descriptions that reflect the high quality of cooperative extension youth development programs. Mark Tassin, Ashley Mullins and Hilary Collis submitted the manuscript.
Given the nature of this program, it is now in a pool of programs being reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for an award. We partner with FWS on a 4-H Natural Resources and Conservation Award. One program will receive a $10,000 cash award in Washington, D.C. in March.
Source: Maria Arnold, Youth Development Program Specialist, National 4-H Headquarters, CSREES, USDA, marnold@csrees.usda.gov
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CSREES Lists Open Requests for Grant Applications
The following listing shows grant opportunities through CSREES. All CSREES funding opportunities are advertised through "Find Grant Opportunities" on the Grants.gov Web site. This searchable site contains summary information on all federal funding opportunities with links to the full announcements. Users can search announcements by topic, funding agency and date, as well as subscribe to an e-mail notification service based on these parameters.
Funding Opportunities:
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program
Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy: A Joint Research Solicitation - USDA, DOE
Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative
Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI)
All Extension and research faculty are encouraged to seriously consider these excellent grant funding opportunities.
Source: Lyda C. Gatewood, lgatewood@agcenter.lsu.edu
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Growing the Small and Minority Farmer Industry in Louisiana
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry along with the LSU AgCenter, Southern AgCenter, Southern Law School, USDA’s Rural Development, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency will host the Growing the Small and Minority Farmer Industry in Louisiana conference on March 12 at the Charles Dewitt Center on the LSU AgCenter Dean Lee Research and Extension Station in Alexandria. The goal of the conference is to identify action steps to address the declining number of small and minority farmers. The program will feature presentations from John Pierre of Southern Law School discussing the legal issues affecting the small and minority farmer as well as state and federal agencies outlining financial planning and funding opportunities.
The conference is free, but advanced registration is required because of limited seating. Registration includes the conference packet, morning refreshments and lunch.
Source: Carrie Castille – ccastille@ldaf.state.la.us, (225) 952-8081
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