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 Assignment Changes
Crop Loss Estimates Developed by Dr. Kurt Guidry
Strain announces disaster declaration
Dr. Ken Gravois named new Sugarcane Extension Specialist for the LSU AgCenter
NIFA Leadership
NIFA Lists Open Requests for Grant Applications

Faculty Assignment Changes

I am pleased to announce that Mr. Robbie Hutchins is scheduled to assume the position of Assistant Area Extension Agent (Forestry) effective February 1, 2010. His assigned area will be Avoyelles, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon, and Winn parishes. He will also be responsible for educational programming in the North Central Region parishes as needed. His official domicile will be the Rapides Parish Extension Office, Alexandria, LA.

Please welcome Mr. Hutchins as he assumes this important new responsibility.

Source: Dr. John Barnett
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Crop Loss Estimates Developed by Dr. Kurt Guidry

Attached are crop damage estimates from excessive rains in September and October developed by Dr. Kurt Guidry from our Ag Economics and Agribusiness Department. This information was developed with significant input from our ANR agents across the state. These estimates are being used by both state and federal officials to help justify disaster assistance for agricultural producers most impacted by weather related challenges. I do want to thank Kurt, our commodity specialists and our county agents for their hard work developing these critical estimates.

The report can be viewed here.
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Strain announces disaster declaration

Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said the United States Department of Agriculture has designated 53 Louisiana parishes as primary agricultural disaster areas.

Extreme weather in early spring in the form of drought and excessive rainfall during the harvest months hurt our farmers. One of the wettest Octobers on record made it nearly impossible for some farmers to recover from the drought. Many of our state farmers, foresters and ranchers have been devastated by natural disasters for a second year in a row and we are grateful for the help from the Governor’s office and USDA. A concerted national effort is needed to assist our agricultural producers so American farmers may continue to produce and compete in the worldwide market place. For full article, click here.

Source: LDAF
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Dr. Ken Gravois named new Sugarcane Extension Specialist for the LSU AgCenter

Effective January 1, 2010, Dr. Ken Gravois will be assuming the position of Extension Sugarcane Specialist for the LSU AgCenter. During his transition to this new position, Dr. Ben Legendre will continue to be directly involved in assisting Dr. Gravois in extension related activities including parish grower meetings, agent inquiries, etc. The Experiment Station is now actively seeking candidates for the vacant sugarcane breeder position created by Dr. Gravois’ move to the specialist position, and the previous breeder vacancy created by the retirement of Dr. Keith Bischoff. During these position vacancy searches, Dr. Gravois will continue assisting in the breeding program on a limited basis.

I want to take this time to thank Dr. Ben Legendre for the outstanding job he has done covering both the director responsibilities at the Audubon Sugar Institute and the sugarcane specialist position duties more recently in an Interim capacity. I know all of you will pledge your full support to Dr. Gravois as he assumes this important Extension position within the AgCenter. He is anxious to meet with all of our ANR agents with sugarcane production duties within their area of work, and he and Dr. Legendre will be contacting all of you soon to continue planning appropriate educational programs for the upcoming production season.

Thanks to both of these gentlemen for their continued leadership and support of our Extension programs in sugarcane across the state.
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NIFA Leadership

With the announcement of the departure of Dr. Raj Shaw as Undersecretary and Chief Scientist at USDA planning for the structure of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) continues to move forward. Transitional leadership responsibilities are being transferred to the current senior NIFA executives. In most cases, these new responsibilities will be in addition to their current duties. These senior executives, along with others on the NIFA Executive Council, will develop the proposed structures and recommend personnel assignments for each of the new Institutes and Center that will be established.

(1) Colien Hefferan will serve as an Advisor to the NIFA Director.

(2) Ralph Otto will serve as the Interim Deputy Director of NIFA. He will carry out most of his current duties but will be moving to the Waterfront Centre. In addition, he will provide transitional leadership responsibility for the Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition. Ralph also will work with the SERD-International Programs staff to develop a proposed design for the Center for International Programs.

(3) Meryl Broussard will become a second Interim Deputy Director of NIFA and initially will focus on the reorganization along with other representational activities for the Director’s Office. He will move to the Whitten Building. The three current supervisors in Plant and Animal Systems (PAS) will rotate on a monthly basis as the Acting Deputy Administrator of PAS.

(4) Frank Boteler will provide transitional leadership for the Institute of Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment.

(5) Dan Kugler will provide transitional leadership for the Institute of Youth, Family, and Communities.

(6) Deborah Sheely will provide transitional leadership for the Institute of Food Production and Sustainability.

(7) Andrea Brandon will provide transitional leadership for the Office of Grants and Financial Management.

(8) Michel Desbois will provide transitional leadership for the Office of Information Technology.

(9) Mary Gray is being reassigned to the Economic Research Service.

Source: Roger Beachy – NIFA Director
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NIFA Lists Open Requests for Grant Applications

NIFA advertises all of its funding opportunities through "Find Grant Opportunities" on the Grants.gov Web site. This site is searchable and contains summary information on all federal funding opportunities with links to the full announcements. Users can search announcements by topic, funding.

Source: NIFA
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