What is 4-H? 4-H is fun. It is learning. And it is making new friends and doing new things. Sometimes it's even going new places. The 4-H Club is the largest youth organization in the United States! Louisiana has more than 85,000 4-H members in more than 1,700 clubs. Beauregard Parish has more than 800 4-H’ers in 18 clubs. 4-H is conducted by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service of the LSU AgCenter.

In recent months, a few trained green thumbs called “Master Gardeners” have been busy at the LSU AgCenter with horticultural events.

A quarterly newsletter from the Horticulture Division of the LSU AgCenter's School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences.

Several Beauregard Parish Master Gardeners, along with the local county agent, recently completed two days of LSU AgCenter training on starting and maintaining a community garden.

On June 3, 2009, Beauregard Parish 4-H'ers, along with their parents and 4-H agent Mike LaVergne, participated in the annual 4-H Day at the State Capitol activities. While touring the Capitol grounds, youth listened to speeches from several elected officials and learned about the history of the state Capitol and the Armory. 4-H members also had the opportunity to visit with our elected officials.

It's a renewable natural resource and a valued commodity that sparked international trade and helped spur on the exploration of North America, and its ability to change its natural surroundings is second only to humans. Can you guess what it is? It’s a beaver, of course!

So, what’s growing in the hay bales in front of the AgCenter? Master Gardeners Shirley Corda and Carol Morton have been working in the Master Gardener demonstration garden, building a pumpkin patch in hay bales. This type of container gardening has been both interesting and fun and a new experience for both Master Gardeners.

This is a new fundraiser for Beauregard Parish 4-H. For every magazine purchased or renewed, we receive 40 percent profit. Please click the picture to learn more or to purchase your magazines online. It's simple and easy. Make sure to use the BEAUREGARD PARISH WEBCODE # WC3381. Thank you for your support.

The Beauregard Parish Fair is set for October 6-10, 2009. The fair theme is Beauregard Agriculture: Building the Future in '09. The fair will have opportunities for youth to enter their handmade crafts, produce, canned items, baked goods and project records, as well as livestock projects.

An introductory 4-H shooting sports/outdoor skills meeting to serve as an advisory committee, plan our program activities and discuss program goals and future activities has been set. The meeting will be held Monday, August 31, 2009, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the War Memorial Civic Center.

Want to know what is going on with 4-H in Beauregard Parish? Check out the monthly newsletters.

Hectic lifestyles of both parents and children make sitting down to a healthy dinner difficult for everyone. In a world where time is of extreme value, families are left with little time to shop for food, prepare healthy meals and sit down together as a family to eat. Family mealtime promotes healthy nutrition habits for children and adults.

2010 Spring Show Validations and entry fee increases, Louisiana Show Regulations, Animal Health, Off Season Prep, State Fair Entry Information due Monday August 31st in the Beauregard 4-H Office, Spring Possession and Show Dates Award Trip Information

After the last beekeeping workshop this spring, several attendees wanted to have a fall meeting. This fall event will occur on Saturday, September 26, from 8:30 a.m. until noon in the training room of the DeRidder Police Department, next to the City Hall, in DeRidder, La.

Beauregard Parish had 20 parish youth represent their school and Beauregard 4-H during state contest held during the 95th annual 4-H University. This contest was held on LSU Campus June 23-25, 2009.

Effective for the 2010 Spring LSU Livestock Shows, there will be some entry and validation changes that all Livestock exhibitors and parents should be aware of and follow.

Beauregard 4-H youth had the opportunity to represent Beauregard Parish at annual 4-H Summer Camp held at Camp Grant Walker Educational Center. This year's theme is 4-H Camp Grant Walker “It Will grow on You."

Good nutrition is very important for optimum learning experiences for youth.

Find out how to protect your most personal investment against wildfure. The LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry have partnered up to bring the Firewise program to Louisiana citizens.

Reforestation is a positive management tool for landowners, and our friends at LDAF have seedlings to replant forests. This article provides information that could enable landowners to acquire the seedlings they need.

Late last summer, a forest landowner called me to look at a bark beetle infestation. The good news was that the “bug” spot was inactive and was not spreading. It has some dead trees and dark green trees close by. If it had been a “hot” bug spot, there would have been dead brown trees, then yellow trees, then light green trees and then dark green trees. The gradual change in needle colors would indicate that the bark beetles were spreading.

Forest landowners and foresters can add reference items to their personal libraries with several new items from the LSU AgCenter.

The Woodland Wordsmith is an LSU AgCenter newsletter covering important forestry issues and events in southwest Louisiana. You are invited to read up on these topics.

Even though we are in the throes of hurricane season, Beauregard Parish residents should still prepare for a hurricane event well before another Rita-clone arrives here. The LSU AgCenter has Disaster Information Resources to help citizens prepare for a hurricane before it arrives and after it leaves. This article provides a list of fact sheets and booklets available at no charge.

The Chinese tallow tree arrived in the United States in the 1700s in South Carolina. The U.S. Department of Agriculture distributed this tree along the Gulf Coast in the 1900s in an attempt to establish a soap making industry. This nuisance tree infests thousands of acres of Louisiana landscape and is the bane of most landowners who are looking for new ways to control this weed.

Jane Jones of the LSU AgCenter is the Central Louisiana Region Child Care Provider Trainer. She has a B.S. from Appalachian State University and an M.S. from the University of Tennessee in Family and Consumer Science. Give her a call at (318) 473-6501 for more information on classes. Classes for child care providers and child care centers are posted quarterly. For Class A and in-home caregivers, the price is $7.50; for Class B providers, the price is $42.50. (The orientation class is manda

Hurricane season isn’t something we necessarily look forward to in Louisiana, but it is something we need to be aware of and need to prepare for in advance. Beginning June 1 is hurricane season, which usually runs through November 30. In recent years, the most devastating storms in Louisiana have rolled in around August and September, but it’s never too soon to start preparing.

Find out more about Bi-Parish Horse Show, Southwest District Horse Show and Louisiana State Horse Show.

This 2009 guide was compiled by LSU AgCenter experts and includes regulations, precautions and suggestions for pest control in Louisiana. Detailed topics include drift of pesticides, hazards of pesticides to beneficial insects and wildlife, phytotoxicity and using beneficial insects to control pest populations. A section on organic gardening also is included.

4-H Achievement Day was held on April 30, 2009 at the Beauregard Parish Fair Grounds. Members from all Beauregard 4-H Clubs were in attendance. Check out the results.

Find out more information on the 2009 State Fair of Louisiana Livestock Show and 2010 LSU AgCenter Spring Livestock Show.

Beauregard 4-H Executive Council 2008-09

Foods Field Day #2 Commodity Cookery Contest will be held at the War Memorial Civic Center on February 12, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. Foods Field Day #2 contest will feature tasty recipes consisting of Egg, Poultry, Rice, or Pecan dishes. Find out more by checking out the rules and regulations below. An educational workshop will take place while dishes are judged. Come join the fun!

Results on the Foods Field Day #1 held on December 8, 2009.

A monthly fisheries newsletter from the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant.

Louisiana Wildlife News is a bi-monthly publication intended to serve as an outlet for wildlife issues relevant to Louisiana and the Southeast. In addition to current news events, profiles on specific plant, wildlife and nuisance wildlife species are included in each issue.

This manual has been developed as a guide for the meat goat industry in evaluating live meat goats, measuring important carcass traits and standardizing cutting procedures for goat carcasses. A single copy is available for free. Please use the order form to purchase multiple copies.

A lawn that’s properly cared for and healthy will resist weeds and other pest problems. Following the best management practices (BMPs) in this publication should help keep your lawn in good condition. 32-page, full-color guide. Cost: $5 plus tax (free shipping). To order this book, use the Order Publication link below.

Blackberries and dewberries are native to Louisiana, and many commercial varieties are well adapted to growing conditions of the state. They can be profitable commercial fruit crops. Blackberries also can be grown in the home garden with few or no pesticides. Types, recommended varieties, location of site, soil preparation, fertilization, pruning, and weed, disease and insect control included.

This guide for 2009 contains suggestions for management of the most important or more prevalent diseases of Louisiana plants. It includes information on fungicides, bactericides and nematicides, as well as safety precautions for using them.