The 77th LSU AgCenter Livestock Show is Feb. 11-18 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. Working with livestock helps young people develop a sense of responsibility and skills that last a lifetime. More than 2,000 4-H and FFA exhibitors and 1,500 breeding animals, 1,600 market animals, 180 pens of broilers and 700 exhibition birds will be in the competition.

The LSU AgCenter offers home gardeners opportunities to develop their skills and share their knowledge with others through participation in the Louisiana Master Gardener program.

February is a month dedicated to the heart – in more ways than one. This is the time to celebrate love and give your sweetheart a valentine. This is also the month to wear red and call attention to prevention of the No. 1 killer of women – heart disease.

In 2012, we celebrate 125 years of research excellence at the LSU AgCenter through the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, which was established in 1887. That was the year Congress passed the Hatch Act, which provided federal funding to support agricultural experiment stations at the nation’s land-grant colleges. The year 2012 is also the 40th anniversary of the LSU AgCenter, which was established in 1972.

Not only do Louisiana strawberries taste good. They’re good for the state’s economy. And this year Louisiana strawberry growers once again are producing a delicious crop.

Louisiana has stepped out ahead of all other states in the nation in helping farmers learn to voluntarily comply with stricter environmental regulations governing water quality. This has happened because of the LSU AgCenter’s Master Farmer Program.

Louisiana has gained a reputation as producing the best sweet potatoes in the world. And there will be plenty available for the 2011 holiday season.

The holiday season brings eating and drinking temptations galore, and many people gain a pound or two – but usually not any more. The problem is that any weight gained during the holidays tends not to come off the rest of the year, unless you make a commitment to weight loss.

The nation’s financial crisis continues to put constraints on the holiday season. Unemployment rates are high, and budgets are tight. To cope, LSU AgCenter family economist Jeanette Tucker recommends approaching spending this season the way one should every year – with a plan and a budget, even if that budget is shrinking.

Pointy and pretty, no flower quite has the petal power of poinsettias at the holidays. And the selection would be far fewer in Louisiana were it not for the LSU AgCenter. Although AgCenter horticulturists do not develop new varieties of poinsettias, they do evaluate the varieties that come on the market and test them for their suitability to grow here.

Pick up Louisiana oranges at roadside stands and in local markets and groceries from now through January. The 2010 crop of Louisiana citrus has been excellent, says Alan Vaughn, LSU AgCenter agent in Plaquemines Parish, the leading citrus-producing parish in the state.

You can fry it, brine it, grill it or roast it. Just don’t let that turkey or other foods served at the holidays spoil, says LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames. Learn ways to keep food safe and how to avoid overindulging.

Food scientists keep discovering more nutritional value from eating pecans. And that's good for Louisianians because they love pecans. And they also like to grow them. Pecan production contributes, on average, about $12 million to the Louisiana economy each year.

Do you think food, clothing, lumber and other products only come from a store? Come to AgMagic at the State Fair to see and learn where your food and fiber really come from. Visitors will enter the world of agriculture and follow a path that leads to knowledge in wildlife, crops, livestock, nutrition and 4-H.

Pink abounds in October during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the United States.

Established as the Fruit and Truck Experiment Station in 1922, the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station is now focused on providing research and education for Louisiana's nursery and landscape industry.

During the week of October 2-8, 4-H members across Louisiana will celebrate National 4-H Week with lessons and activities focus on science and technology. The week will feature 4-H students from across the country engaging in science competitions with the chance to win prizes such as an Apple iPad or $10,000 from Toyota.

Not all gardeners have a green thumb. And consumers may want beautiful landscaping, but they may not be sure about which plants will work well in their yards. LSU AgCenter’s Super Plants to the rescue!

Fall is a transitional time of year for Louisiana gardeners. And the LSU AgCenter has a wealth of information to help you keep your landscaping green and blooming year-round.

In August, the President signed a proclamation declaring September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month to call attention to this national problem. In Louisiana, the LSU AgCenter has an educational program established called Smart Bodies, which points the way to a solution.

It might seem like that buckaroo who rides off into the sunset was born in the saddle. But the truth is he or she had to learn equestrian skills. And a good place to learn these skills is through the LSU AgCenter Master Horseman Program.

If you drive by a field of Jazzman rice, its pleasant, nutty aroma is unmistakable. For farmers, the pleasant fragrance is the smell of money. The LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station developed Jazzman rice varieties to compete with Thai Jasmine.

The primary areas of research at the Iberia Research Station are efficient production of sugarcane and beef cattle and production of sweet sorghum as a biofuel. The station is in Iberia Parish, just a few miles north of the Gulf of Mexico.

Yards and gardens generally look a little frayed by this time of the year. The final really hot days that usually come at the end of a long, hot summer are especially hard on plants, says LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill.

The LSU AgCenter’s “LaHouse” is designed to hold up against strong winds and flooding and serve as a model for how to build homes with hurricane-resistant features in Louisiana.

Mosquitoes buzz around Louisiana every day of the year. More than 60 species inhabit the state. While many are benign, some are carriers – or vectors – of several worrisome diseases. It's everyone's responsibility to keep their numbers down.

Teach the young about the value of Louisiana’s coastline and marshes, and they’ve learned a lesson for a lifetime. That’s the philosophy behind the LSU AgCenter’s annual series of Marsh Maneuvers camps. They’re unique opportunities to mix fun with education – and in the end, help save our coast.

More than 4 million young people have been part of Louisiana 4-H since its beginnings in 1908. Now 4-H alumni have the opportunity to revisit those experiences – some of which were life-changing – by planning a trip to a new museum in Mansura dedicated to 4-H.

From cotton and corn to soybeans and cattle, just about every major agricultural commodity in Louisiana grows in central Louisiana. The LSU AgCenter’s Dean Lee Research Station in Alexandria serves this region, the heart of Louisiana agriculture.

Community gardens are blossoming in Shreveport neighborhoods and providing access to cheap, healthy food for the people who live there.

When the Jesuit priests first brought sugarcane to Louisiana in 1751, little did they know that they were laying the foundation for an industry that now contributes $2 billion to the state's economy. The industry could not be sustained, however, without the research of the LSU AgCenter.

Though the number of dairies in Louisiana has been decreasing, the dairy industry remains strong, contributing more than $160 million to the state’s economy in 2006. Louisianans benefit from having local dairies supply fresh, wholesome milk. These local dairies exist because of the strong dairy research and extension program at the LSU AgCenter.

Blueberry bushes across Louisiana are heavy with dark, plump berries. This time of the year consumers can find ripe, fresh blueberries at grocery stores, farmers markets and u-pick farms. The sweet berries can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, but their claim to fame is the health benefit they provide.

Since 1908, the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station has been conducting research and developing new rice varieties that benefit the rice industry in Louisiana and help put rice on the table for families around the world. Rice farmers in Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi and Missouri rely heavily on rice varieties developed at the station located in southwest Louisiana near Crowley.

More than 1,600 4-H’ers and volunteer leaders from Louisiana's 64 parishes will converge on the LSU campus to participate in competitive activities and learning experiences June 23-26, 2009.

The LSU AgCenter Red River Research Station in Bossier City serves the agricultural research needs of northwest Louisiana. The primary crops grown in that part of the state are cotton, soybeans and corn.

Northeast Louisiana's economy depends on the LSU AgCenter’s Northeast Research Station near St. Joseph in Tensas Parish. That's because agriculture is the backbone of the regional economy, contributing about $1 billion.

Attention is focused on floods right now with the rising Mississippi River. But hurricane season is right around the corner, officially starting on June 1. NOAA forecasts 12 to 18 named storms, and six to 10 could become hurricanes with winds 74 mph and more. Are you ready for a hurricane?

LSU AgCenter scientists continue to add weapons to their arsenal as they battle the spread of the Formosan subterranean termite. And they’re making headway. This pest voraciously consumes wooden structures and woody plants and causes millions of dollars in damages.

The LSU AgCenter’s interactive journey through Louisiana agriculture, AgMagic, returns to Parker Coliseum on LSU’s campus April 19-25. Children and families that visit will learn the many facets of farming and where their food and fiber comes from.

Four plants carry the distinction of Louisiana Super Plant for spring 2011 – Serena angelonia, Frostproof gardenia, Butterfly pentas and Shoal Creek vitex.

To educate young people on the importance of all Louisiana wetlands, the LSU AgCenter’s Youth Wetlands Program offers a wetlands-based curriculum for grades four through 12. Each year, the program coordinates a Youth Wetlands Week. This year it will be held April 18-22.

Taxpayers have three extra days to file their federal tax return this year. The deadline was extended to April 18. LSU AgCenter extension specialists suggest those still waiting to file, file electronically.

The LSU AgCenter’s Iberia Research Station conducts research on sugarcane, cattle, row crops and energy cane. A field day will be held April 9 to highlight the facility’s key areas of research.

Get ready for spring gardening by attending one of the LSU AgCenter-sponsored shows. Experts will be at all the shows giving advice, making presentations and answering your questions.

Louisiana agriculture contributed $9.9 billion to the state’s economy in 2010 – up 20 percent from the year before, according to the latest figures compiled by the LSU AgCenter in its annual Ag Summary.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines, which are issued every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, call for some drastic changes in the American diet.

“Get in Touch with 4-H at Camp Grant Walker!” That’s the theme of the summer 2010 4-H camping experience at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center near Pollock, La.

Learning safety in the operation of all-terrain vehicles, also known as ATVs, is a popular part of the science and technology program in 4-H in Louisiana and nationwide.

Developments in molecular biology, immunology and genetic engineering have given new dimensions to research on farm animal production. The LSU AgCenter’s Reproductive Biology Center is recognized worldwide as a leader in assisted reproductive technologies for use in livestock improvement, biomedical applications, and propagation of exotic and endangered animal species.

Nestled among rolling pastures framed by tall pines is the LSU AgCenter’s Hill Farm Research Station – so named for the geography of Claiborne Parish, where it is located. It is the northernmost of the AgCenter’s 20 research stations across the state.

From pre-K through college, LSU AgCenter experts offer advice about preparing for and making sure of a successful school year. Getting ready involves more than students. It’s important to the family, the community and, ultimately, our society.

Improving the lives of Louisiana families and children has long been a goal of the LSU AgCenter. The “Be Child Care Aware!” educational campaign is one example of that work.

The "Be Child Care Aware!" initiative involves many projects including the training of child-care providers. The following photos were taken over the past two years and include some of the sites where training was held.