(News Distributed 11/06/2009) HAMMOND, La. – Landscape and nursery professionals heard about the latest plant varieties and LSU AgCenter plant evaluations at a plant materials conference here Oct. 29.

(Distributed 11/06/09) Thanksgiving is a perfect time to enjoy Louisiana yams. The Louisiana yam is an exceptional type of sweet potato – sweet and flavorful, with a soft, moist flesh, says LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames .

(Distributed 11/06/09) SHREVEPORT, La. – AgMagic, a new exhibit at the State Fair of Louisiana, can be likened to opening a fun encyclopedia. Only all of the five senses are involved while learning takes place.

(Distributed 11/06/09) Truancy problems go beyond the school grounds, and an LSU AgCenter family life specialist says it is a problem for the community.

(Distributed 11/04/09) CARENCRO, La. – Having bulls tested for reproductive soundness is a simple precautionary measure that could prevent a disastrous year for a cattle producer, said Stan Dutile, LSU AgCenter extension agent in Lafayette Parish, who was among the speakers at a cattle field day here on Oct. 31.

(Distributed 11/04/09) Lead poisoning is a disease caused by swallowing or breathing anything that has lead in it. Even tiny amounts of lead can harm a child in many ways.

(Distributed 11/03/09) CROWLEY, La. – Three LSU AgCenter scientists have been named to F. Avalon Daggett Professorships in Rice Research. Dr. Chuck Rush, Dr. Don Groth and Dr. Eric Webster were recognized at a reception at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station Oct. 27.

(Distributed 11/02/09) CROWLEY, La. – Saving Louisiana’s coast with vegetation was the focus of a coastal plants field day at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station Oct. 28.

(Distributed 11/02/09) After two major hurricanes in 2008, most Louisiana agricultural producers were hoping for a much-improved production environment in 2009. Unfortunately, 2009 has once again been a challenging one for the agricultural sector, according to an LSU AgCenter agricultural economist.

(Distributed 11/02/09) SHREVEPORT, La. – While 2,000 students tour the LSU AgCenter’s AgMagic at the State Fair on Nov. 4-6, another 1,500 will have participated in an education program focused on germs and hand washing, according to Cathryn Robinson, assistant extension agent in Caddo and Bossier parishes.

(Distributed 10/30/09) Well-managed lawns and landscaping are good for the environment as well as being attractive. Bad management, however, can negate a lot of the environmental benefits.

(Distributed 10/28/09) The LSU AgCenter has received two specialty crop block grants for two research and promotion projects to enhance the competitiveness of Louisiana-grown sweet potatoes and nursery crops.

(Distributed 10/26/09) Louisiana’s agricultural and seafood industries will have a new marketing tool in early 2010 when MarketMaker, a national Internet-driven service, is inaugurated in the state, according to officials with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 10/23/09) A home remodeling project – and your investment in it – can do so much more than update. It can make your home a healthier place to live and breathe for you and your family.

(Distributed 10/23/09) An affordable “high-performance” demonstration home in Ponchatoula will be open Nov. 12 for free tours and live demonstrations of home performance testing.

(Distributed 10/23/09) Shrubs are important background plants for any home landscape. They have definite growth habits in height, spread and form.

(Distributed 10/22/09) BOSSIER CITY – Marbling is the No. 1 way to determine quality in a cut of meat, said LSU AgCenter county agent Johnny LeVasseur at the latest monthly Lunch and Ag Discovery program at the AgCenter’s Red River Research Station.

(Distributed 10/21/09) Entrepreneurs considering cut flowers as a full-time or part-time business may want to attend the regional “Rolling the Dice with Cut Flowers” workshop Nov. 17-18 at the Hilton Hotel in Memphis, Tenn.

(Distributed 10/21/09) Everything looks good for the Christmas tree crop in Louisiana, according to Dr. Don Reed, LSU AgCenter forestry and wildlife specialist.

(Distributed 10/20/09) A leisurely bicycle tour of Shreveport’s most significant trees will be held Nov. 7, led by Shreveport native Dr. Hallie Dozier, an urban forester with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 10/20/09) To recognize the exceptional contributions made to Louisiana through agriculture, the Louisiana Agri-News Network, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry will honor the 2010 Louisiana Farmer of the Year. Nominations for the award are being accepted now through Dec. 11, 2009.

(Distributed 10/19/09) The LSU AgCenter has approved the release of two new Clearfield lines for the 2010 rice-growing season, according to Dr. Steve Linscombe, LSU AgCenter rice breeder.

(Distributed 10/16/09) Students at Warren Easton High School in New Orleans along with 10 other schools around the state really know what it means to get down and dirty, thanks to a $25,000 grant secured by the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Development office.

(Distributed 10/16/09) The LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Department of Economic Development have partnered to bring e-business training to north Louisiana beginning Oct. 21.

(Distributed 10/16/09) Azaleas are the most widely planted shrub in Louisiana, but few gardeners would ever think about planting them in the fall because many of the varieties aren’t blooming in the nurseries for gardeners to compare colors.

(Distributed 10/16/09) FARMERVILLE, La. – A youth wetland camp in Union Parish on Oct. 10-11 included a variety of activities to let 4-H’ers know the importance of clean water in an area affected by the gradually diminishing Sparta Aquifer.

(Distributed 10/15/09) More than 100 commercial turf and landscape professionals from across Louisiana heard about the latest research with ornamental plants and turfgrass at an LSU AgCenter field day Oct. 15.

(Distributed 10/14/09) The Burden Horticulture Society will conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Nov. 7 to celebrate for the grand opening of Trees and Trails, a 5-mile system of pedestrian, recreational and educational trails located at the LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center in the heart of Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 10/14/09) CROWLEY, La. – Coastal restoration using native marsh plants will be the focus of a field day at the LSU AgCenter’s Rice Research Station Oct. 28.

(Distributed 10/14/09) ZWOLLE, La. – AgCellent Expo, an educational event held at the Zwolle Tamale Fiesta Oct. 9, taught students about wildlife and furs, dairy products, nutrition and forestry.

(Distributed 10/13/09) The LSU AgCenter, along with a Mississippi agriculture agency and three other southern universities, has been awarded a $518,000 grant to develop an interactive, educational Web site about blueberries. The site’s initial purpose will be to teach people in the southeastern United States how to grow this commodity, which is increasingly popular, and to encourage consumers to eat more blueberries, which are a valuable source of many nutrients and fiber.

(Distributed 10/13/09) Many household appliances such as gas heaters and dryers, fireplaces, furnaces and gas ranges operate by burning a combustible fuel such as natural gas, propane, wood or other fossil fuel. Appliances of this type (combustion appliances) need proper venting to operate safely.

(Distributed 10/09/09) The Venice Port Complex has donated $7,500 to Plaquemines Parish 4-H, according to Jan Morgan, LSU AgCenter 4-H agent.

(Distributed 10/09/09) Petunias continue to be one of our most popular bedding plants. They long have been relied on for their consistent landscape performance and can be used as either warm-season or cool-season ornamentals.

(Distributed 10/08/09) FRANKLINTON, La. – LSU AgCenter 4-H agents, parents and volunteers celebrated National Hunting and Fishing Day Sept. 26 at the LSU AgCenter’s Southeast Research Station here.

(Distributed 10/08/09) Managing animal waste and finances in these tight economic times will be two topics featured at the LSU AgCenter dairy field day Nov. 12 at the AgCenter’s Southeast Research Station in Franklinton.

(Distributed 10/08/09) CROWLEY, La. – Agriculture producers attending an LSU AgCenter seminar Oct. 6 learned how they can make extra income by opening their farms and ranches to tourists. “Across the state, people are learning they can make money off the family farm,” said Dora Ann Hatch, LSU AgCenter rural community development agent.

(Distributed 10/06/09) BATON ROUGE – Wood outperforms other building products because it requires less energy to produce, provides better insulation in buildings, stores carbon and can be fabricated into many advanced building products.

(Distributed 10/06/09) Heavy rains since mid-September have severely delayed sweet potato harvest in some northern Louisiana parishes, according to the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 10/06/09)The 13th Louisiana Plant Materials Conference is scheduled for Oct. 29 at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station.

(Distributed 10/05/09) An $11,600 donation from the Lincoln Health Foundation will provide additional resources for teachers at two Ruston elementary schools for the Take 10! classroom program.

(Distributed 10/05/09) Frequent rains during September and continuing into October have kept cotton farmers out of their fields and have jeopardized the crop, according to LSU AgCenter cotton specialist, Don Boquet.

(Distributed 10/02/09) Who knows when we will get another bad storm blowing through Louisiana? We may get just a nasty wind from some front or tornado-like activity. In any case, there will be fallen limbs and branches to deal with.

(Distributed on 10/1/09) NEW ORLEANS – Military families had a chance to enjoy some quality time together at a camp at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans September 18-19.Sponsored by Operation Military Kids, children and their parents got back to nature, complete with the sounds of the zoo animals in the background.

Trash is everyone’s problem. We all create it. Every time we empty a plastic milk jug or read a newspaper, we create eventual trash. Of course things wear out, spoil or are no longer useful.

(Distributed 09/29/09) HAMMOND, La. – Landscape industry professionals attending the landscape horticulture field day at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station this past summer chose Jade Princess, a new ornamental grass, as their favorite in a vote comparing 340 assorted warm-season plants.

(Distributed 09/25/09) CAMERON, La. – Officials held groundbreaking ceremonies on Sept. 24 for a new LSU AgCenter Cameron Parish extension office, to be rebuilt on the site of the previous facility, which had been destroyed by Hurricane Rita in 2005.

(Distributed 09/24/09) Here’s some more depressing news about losing weight – the older you get, the less you can eat. Heli Roy, LSU AgCenter nutritionist, says one reason people aren’t successful with weight-loss programs is as they age, they have to gear down the quantity and richness of the foods they eat. So even though they may be eating less calorie-dense food – and less food – their bodies need fewer and fewer calories.

(Distributed 09/24/09) SHREVEPORT, La. – Enter the World of Wonder and follow a path through a forest as you listen to birds chirping and water trickling in the wetlands. Feel the soft fur of different types of animals, and count the years of growth on a large tree “cookie.”

(Distributed 09/23/09) The LSU AgCenter will conduct an ornamental and turfgrass field day for nursery and landscape professionals Oct. 15 at its Burden Center in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 09/23/09) PONCHATOULA, La. – Construction will pause on a “high-performance” demonstration house on two separate dates to give the general public and housing professionals insider views of the innovative structure being built in the Pine Island subdivision.

(Distributed 09/23/09) BOSSIER CITY, La. – Food handling precautions can prevent illness from sidelining football fans who enjoy tailgating, according to LSU AgCenter experts.

(Distributed 09/22/09) The LSU AgCenter’s Youth Wetlands Education and Outreach Program has received an additional three years of funding for $1.5 million from the Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration. The program will receive $500,000 each year beginning in January 2010 and ending December 2012, according to Paul Coreil, LSU AgCenter vice chancellor for extension.

(Distributed 09/22/09) CROWLEY, La. – An information session to help farmers take advantage of the potential of agritourism will be held Oct. 6 at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station.

(Distributed 09/22/09) HENRY, La. – Workers at Vermilion Gator Farm are busy curing the skins of some of 80,000 alligators the farm raises. But next year the skinning and curing sheds will sit mostly empty. The Sagrera family has operated the farm for more than 25 years, but they’ve never seen a year this bad. In June, they didn’t collect any alligator eggs and won’t raise a crop of alligators in 2010.

(Distributed 09/21/09) RAYVILLE, La. – “It’s up. It’s live. It’s running.” With those words, the Rayville mayor’s office became the first governmental entity to be connected to wireless Internet service through the Louisiana Delta Initiative’s Bricks to Clicks for Local Governments program, said Dr. James Barnes, director of the LSU AgCenter's Delta Rural Development Center.

(Distributed 09/18/09) To help celebrate National 4-H Week, which is Oct. 4-10, Louisiana 4-H members will join millions of other 4-H’ers across the nation in participating in a science and technology project. They will make ethanol, one of the most common biofuels in the country. “Every parish will receive at least one Biofuel Blast experimental kit,” said David Boldt, state 4-H science and technology coordinator.

(Distributed 09/18/09) The LSU AgCenter’s Wood Durability Laboratory recently received accreditation for additional test standards by the International Accreditation Services, according to the lab’s director.

(Distributed 09/18/09) Thanks in part to technology and the age of communication, our gardens these days are more often being looked at as extensions of our homes to live in and use, rather than just being pretty plantings to look at.

(Distributed 9/17/09) TALLULAH, La. – LSU AgCenter 4-H youth development staff members provided literacy training to more than 110 parents and Head Start and elementary school teachers from a three-parish area Aug. 19 to help prepare them for the upcoming school year.

Distributed 09/17/09) A new invasive insect is threatening to move into Louisiana, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter. Rasberry crazy ants are lurking in Texas counties adjacent to Louisiana and are poised to invade the state, according to LSU AgCenter entomologist Linda Hooper- Bùi.

(Distributed 09/17/09) BATON ROUGE – The LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center and the LSU Rural Life Museum will host Harvest Days, an event for the whole family, on Sept. 26 and 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(Distributed 09/16/09) You can now scream for ice cream at LSU football games both inside and outside Tiger Stadium as well as at the LSU AgCenter Dairy Store on South Stadium Drive, which is open on game days from 10 a.m. until right before kickoff. The School of Animal Sciences, which operates the store, has opened two other venues for ice cream this football season.

(Distributed 09/15/09) When dealing with electrical appliances in the home, it’s often aggravating to have a three-prong plug with only a two-prong outlet, such as with extension cords.

(Distributed 09/14/09) The 2009 Fall Garden Show in New Orleans will be held at the City Park Botanical Garden Oct. 17-18 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day.

(Distributed 09/14/09) More than 70 Louisiana and Mississippi cattle producers heard about interseeding summer annuals into Bahia grass sod at a forage tour Sept. 1 in Folsom.

(Distributed 09/11/09) Some of the most beautiful irises for our gardens are the hybrids of several native species. Called Louisiana irises, these plants are becoming increasingly popular in gardens all over the world.

(Distributed 09/11/09) Representatives of Louisiana’s most-active small municipal separate storm sewer systems –called MS4s – have met and agreed to form a self-help coalition to assist participating organizations comply with permit requirements by sharing information, ideas and techniques.

(Distributed 09/09/09) The diaprepes root weevil comes in multiple colors, and it can cause problems for multiple plants according to LSU AgCenter entomologist Dr. Natalie Hummel.

(Distributed 09/04/09) Saving seeds from plants growing in your landscape can be a part of sustainable landscaping – it saves you money from unnecessarily buying new seed.

(Distributed 09/02/09) The Pass A Loutre Wildlife Management Area, also known as the Bird’s Foot Delta because of its shape, lies at the end of the Mississippi River and protrudes about 40 miles farther into the Gulf of Mexico than the rest of Louisiana. Despite the location, freshwater vegetation prevails because of massive freshwater inflows from the Mississippi River. Saline waters intrude only during tropical storms and extreme low flow of the river.

(Distibuted 09/02/09) With the current economic situation, home buyers have to be especially careful when shopping for reputable lenders.

(Distributed 08/28/09) One of the LSU AgCenter’s many educational efforts is the Louisiana Yards and Neighborhoods program for gardening and landscape enthusiasts.

(Distributed 08/27/09) An LSU AgCenter soil scientist is part of an effort to improve the water and soil quality in Haiti. David Weindorf, assistant professor in the LSU AgCenter’s School of Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences, traveled to Bayonnais, Haiti, Aug. 10-14, as part of a team of two soil scientists to provide some initial assessment and education to farmers.

(Distributed 08/27/09) Louisiana’s soybean harvest is just getting started. A small portion of the crop is out of the fields, and these early-harvested beans revealed lingering effects of the midsummer drought, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 08/27/09) A lack of rain in early summer has affected Louisiana’s corn and cotton crops, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 08/26/09) LAFAYETTE, La. – The Louisiana 4-H Foundation has announced a gift of $30,000 from the LHC Group, a Lafayette-based health care company.

(Distributed 08/24/09) ALEXANDRIA, La. – LSU AgCenter weed scientists warned farmers that weeds will develop resistance, as they have in Arkansas and surrounding states, if resistance-management strategies are not adopted.

(Distributed 08/24/09) LSU AgCenter experts are warning Louisiana property owners to be on the lookout for laurel wilt, a devastating disease of red bay and sassafras trees. The disease recently was found in Jackson County, Miss.

(Distributed 08/24/09) Innovative uses for forest and forage biomass will be featured at the LSU AgCenter's Calhoun Research Station field day Oct. 29.

(Distributed 08/21/09) The LSU AgCenter is helping gardeners and others learn about and enjoy gardening in Louisiana with next year’s edition of its popular “Get It Growing” calendar. The recently published 2010 Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar offers monthly gardening tips for the seasoned or novice gardener, as well as beautiful photos of plants, flowers and gardens that were taken by a variety of photographers whose roots stretch across the state.

(Distributed 08/20/09) Ornamental grasses provide nice, low-maintenance options in sustainable landscapes. Many perennial types of ornamental grasses work well in Louisiana.

(Distributed 08/20/09) Considering special food needs is important when preparing emergency foods for the hurricane season, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.

(Distributed 08/20/09) South Louisiana rice farmers are reporting some of their best yields ever this year as the harvest season winds down.

(Distributed 08/18/09) The discovery of Asian soybean rust in a soybean field in Iberville Parish on Aug. 18 was the latest of four finds of this potentially serious disease over two days in Louisiana. So far, the finds are in soybean plants that have already formed the beans and are nearing harvest, making them immune to any yield damage that could be caused by the disease, said Clayton Hollier, LSU AgCenter extension plant pathologist.

(Distributed 08/18/09) HOMER, La. – The LSU AgCenter's Hill Farm Research Station will host an educational field day Oct. 1.

(Distributedf 08/17/09) The 2010 LSU AgCenter Livestock Show will be held at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, LSU AgCenter officials announced.

(Distributed 08/14/09) Yes, we are getting to late summer and hopefully less lawn mowing over the next couple months. Nevertheless, it’s still important to mow your lawn properly.

(Distributed 08/13/09) MARKSVILLE, La. – Museums should attract, entertain, arouse curiosity, preserve history and culture and serve as a social resource for meetings, said Cliff Deal, director of museums for the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office

(Distributed 08/11/09) Louisiana had first, second and third place winners in the Southern Regional 4-H Horse Championships, which was July 28-Aug. 2 in Little Rock, Ark. In saddle-type geldings (trotting), Robbin LeJuene of Acadia Parish placed first and Allison Newman of Jackson Parish placed third. Dani Anderson of West Carroll Parish placed second in barrel racing.

(Distributed 08/11/09) CROWLEY, La. – “It’s fascinating. Every time I do this, I learn more,” U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany said during a visit to the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station Monday (Aug.10).

(Distributed 08/10/09) AVERY ISLAND, La. – Zachary Cecil, a 4-H’er from Vernon Parish, rode on the side of a boat one morning during a recent session at the LSU AgCenter’s Marsh Maneuvers program. It was his first time in the marsh, and he was enjoying the experience, even though he was soaking wet from wading in muddy marsh water.

(Distributed 08/10/09) The LSU AgCenter has announced it will hold a "green" building conference Sept. 29 at its Burden Center in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 08/07/09) ALEXANDRIA, La. – The LSU AgCenter Dean Lee Research Station will hold its annual field day Aug. 20 with presentations for cotton and soybean farmers.

(Distributed 08/07/09) Low landscape maintenance is the goal of homeowners, but it’s possible only through proper planning. With the fall planting season coming soon, begin your planning now.