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
East Baton Rouge Parish Horticulture Program & LMG Program Relocating
New Financial Focus for eXtension
USDA Provides $77 Million to Repair Farmland Damaged by Flood and Drought
DTV Conversion
CSREES Announces Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Funding Opportunity
Holiday Seasons Greetings!
The holiday season is a special time for bringing friends and loved ones together. It also is a time to reflect on the real purpose of the season and the meaningful work we do all year long. Even with the statewide devastation we have suffered due to Gustav and Ike, and the current budget challenges we are facing, we must count our blessings, be thankful for all we have and be hopeful about all we want to become, both individually and as an organization.
As we end what continues to be a very challenging year, I want to express my true appreciation to all of you for the support and commitment you have shown to your coworkers, to the LSU AgCenter and to the vital Extension Service mission that will be critical to post-hurricane recovery statewide. Let us enter 2009 with renewed enthusiasm for helping to solve problems, address critical community issues and ultimately improve the quality of life for all. These goals reflect the spirit of the season and will help us continue to make a positive difference in Louisiana during this critical time of need.
Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year!
Paul D. Coreil
Vice Chancellor
Faculty Appointments
Dr. Don Boquet, Jack Jones Professor of Agronomy at the Macon Ridge Research Station, has agreed to accept additional responsibilities as Interim Cotton Specialist for the LSU AgCenter. In this interim capacity, Dr. Boquet will have statewide responsibilities for the cotton extension education program, which include being the primary contact for cotton programming efforts, parish grower meetings, extension agent training, AgCenter cotton publications and planning for 2009 extension field demonstrations. Don brings many years' experience as a research cotton agronomist to bear on the job that will help us in maintaining excellent cotton-related outreach efforts across the AgCenter. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Boquet as he assumes these new responsibilities within the Extension Service effective December 1. Dr. Boquet can be reached at the Macon Ridge Research Station with the following contact information:
212A Macon Ridge Road
Winnsboro, LA 71295
Phone: (318) 435-2157
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East Baton Rouge Parish Horticulture Program & LMG Program Relocating
The East Baton Rouge Parish Horticultural Program and Louisiana Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program will be relocated from 805 St. Louis Street (Extension Office) to the LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center on Essen Lane effective January 1, 2009. This move will help further establish the Burden Center as the premier horticultural showplace in Louisiana and the Southeast United States.
The EBRP office and parish constituents will continue to have complete access to horticultural resources. Both programs will become more involved with the Burden Center’s planned urban horticultural center currently under development. This transition will be seamless, and the public will have full access to horticultural information, resources and both horticultural personnel and LMG volunteers.
This opportunity will advance LSU AgCenter’s presence in the local, state and regional communities.
Source: Bob Souvestre, bsouvestre@agcenter.lsu.edu
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New Financial Focus for eXtension
“Money Management in Tough Times” is a new focus for eXtension. More Americans feel additional stress and anxiety about their financial future as talk of rising consumer debt, falling housing prices, rising costs of living and declining retail sales brings up worries about the nation’s economic health. Visit eXtension for access to 18 fact sheets covering such topics as managing stress, stretching grocery dollars and keeping a roof overhead.
The importance of “Money Management in Tough Times” was also stressed as one of the focus areas of the 2008 AFCPE Extension Pre-conference, recently held in Garden Grove, Calif. More than 80 extension educators at the AFCPE preconference focused on programs and evaluation strategies related to natural disasters, mortgage foreclosure, bankruptcy and more. Contact Jane Schuchardt, CSREES national program leader, for more information.
Source: Jane Schuchardt, CSREES national program leader
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USDA Provides $77 Million to Repair Farmland Damaged by Flood and Drought
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said farmers and ranchers will receive $77 million in Emergency Conservation Program funds to repair farmland damaged by natural disasters in 2008. Producers will be able to use the money to remove farmland debris, restore fences and repair conservation structures that were damaged by floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, storms and wildfires and to carry out emergency water conservation measures after severe drought.
"These funds will allow farmers and ranchers to repair the severe damage to conservation systems caused by disaster conditions from hurricanes Ike and Gustav, as well as the 2008 Midwest floods," said Schafer. "USDA has always worked shoulder-to-shoulder with producers during a disaster, and we remain committed to help through the weeks and months of recovery."
Source: USDA, USDA Provides $77 Million to Repair Farmland Damaged by Flood and Drought.
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DTV Conversion
On February 17, 2009, all full-power broadcast television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and begin broadcasting only in digital. In times of crisis or emergency, television service is a critical communication mechanism to help citizens be prepared and to recover. Please help us ensure that your citizens, especially elderly and rural residents, are able to make the transition from analog to digital before the change occurs.
The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) was asked by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (DOC/NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to distribute information to the county Extension offices for distribution to their county residents. This information should prevent residents from experiencing any interrupted services.
The NTIA Web site has information on applying for coupons and buying and testing converter boxes. This information is available in 12 languages. FCC’s Web site contains details about digital TVs, toolkits, publications, FAQs and other resources. These materials are in the public domain and can be downloaded and copied as needed.
Source: Janet Allen, CSREES Communications Director, jallen@csrees.usda.gov
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CSREES Announces Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Funding Opportunity
USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) has announced the addition of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) to its funding portfolio as authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill. The Request for Applications is expected to be released early in 2009 on the CSREES and Grants.gov Web sites.
"AFRI continues CSREES’ commitment to advance fundamental and applied sciences in support of agriculture," said Gale Buchanan, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics. "By combining research, education and extension, CSREES ensures science-based knowledge is delivered to the public, allowing them to make informed, practical decisions."
In FY 2009, CSREES anticipates $190 million will be available for AFRI. However, the enactment of the FY 2009 Appropriations Act may impact the overall level of funding for the AFRI program. AFRI replaces the former National Research Initiative and the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems programs and addresses six priority areas: 1) plant health and production and plant products; 2) animal health and production and animal products; 3) food safety, nutrition and health; 4) renewable energy, natural resources and environment; 5) agriculture systems and technology; and 6) agriculture economics and rural communities.
AFRI will support grants to address key problems of national, regional and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of agriculture. The flexibility in programming provided by the 2008 Farm Bill allows for support of a variety of project types, all of which will be reflected in the 2009 AFRI request for applications. These include single-function as well as integrated, multifunctional research, education and extension projects.
Applicants and other parties interested in the AFRI funding opportunity are encouraged to contact CSREES at (202) 401-5022 or AFRI@csrees.usda.gov. The complete public announcement can be viewed online at www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/afri/pdfs/program_announcement.pdf
Source: www.csrees.usda.gov.
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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.
Paul Coreil
Vice Chancellor and Director