Please click on the image above to view the PDF version of the 2012 Jackson Parish Profile.

Program Highlights

Family, Nutrition & Health
Smart Bodies The incidence of youth obesity is rising at an alarming rate, not only in Jackson Parish, but across the country. The LSU AgCenter is combating childhood obesity through Smart Bodies. Three schools participated in the Smart Bodies program which in-cluded more than 1,211 students. This program has three components: 1) Wisercise– hands-on curriculum in which teachers educate students on nutrition concepts, an aca-demic subject and perform 10 minutes of exercise; 2) Organ-Wise Guys-characters that help children understand physiology and healthy behaviors through books, games, dolls, and videos; 3) Body-Walk Exhibit-a 35’ x 45’ walk-through representing the human body where students explore the brain, mouth, stomach, small intestines, heart, lungs, bones, muscles, and skin to learn the effects that food has on the organs. Students learned the importance of fruits and vegetables in their diet and the role exercise plays in improving health in a twelve week series through these three components. Evidence reflects improve-ment in nutrition knowledge through pre/post-tests filled out by teachers and students.

4-H, Youth & Family Development
Four-H offers educational programs and life skills to five schools throughout Jackson Par-ish, with one parish-wide 4-H Junior Leadership Club and one project club in the area of Outdoor Shooting Sports. During the 2011-2012 school year Jackson Parish 4-H enrolled 300 youth. Good Character Skills within the use of technology were identified as a need by the Jackson Parish 4-H Advisory Council. Four-H youth learned how to be more respon-sible, respectful and more trustworthy while using internet and text messaging through a series of seven character lessons. In addition to 4-H club Programming, Jackson Parish 4-H youth participate in community service projects.

Agriculture & Natural Resources
Jackson parish agricultural producers rely on research based management techniques to maintain profitability and sustainability. Parish cattlemen attend monthly educational sessions which focus on forage crop and beef production best management practices. The poultry industry in Jackson Parish is responsible for over $52 million in gross farm income. LSU AgCenter faculty watch closely the demonstrations conducted at the Hill Farm Research Station broiler demonstration houses to bring back useful techniques that can be implemented on broiler farms in the parish. The Jackson Parish office of the LSU AgCenter takes great pride in supporting the valuable agricultural industries of the parish which contributed $92.2 million to the state’s economy as commodities left the farm gate in 2010.

Who we reach:

 298 4-H youth enrolled in 12 clubs at 5 schools, 23 4-H youth and adult volunteers,  70 FCS volunteer leadersm, 150 Cattlemen, 18 Poultry Growers, 2 Master Gardeners.

How we reach them:

4-H clubs, Class series, School Enrichment, Demonstrations, Field days/Workshops, Television, Newsletters, Web sites, Publications, Local media, Ag Alley, Ag Magic, Ag Adventures, and Roughin’ It Camp.

Expanding our efforts:

95 Volunteers 4-H Adult & Youth, Master Gardeners, Family & Consumer Science.

Parish Facts  

LSU AgCenter County Agents provide research-based information on plant, aquaculture, wildlife and animal enterprises to Jackson Parish clientele. The 2010 total dollar amount from these commodities were:

• Plant enterprises - $33,410,967
• Natural Resources - $1,327,456
• Animal enterprises - $57,465,278

 Data from the Louisiana Ag Summary Web site: LSUAgCenter.com/agsummary  

Population - 16, 274
Land area (square miles) - 569.75
Persons under 18 years old - 22.8%
Persons 65 years old and over - 16.7%
Median household income - $40,674
Persons below poverty - 15%

Local Issues & Plans for this year:

1. Increase productivity and profitability of Louisiana Agriculture.

• On-Farm variety verification trials, field days, other seminars.
• Write news articles, web page content, newsletters

2. Promote the wise use of natural resources and protection of the environment. 

• Pesticide Recertification Program 
• Soil Samples 
• Educate the public and farmers about farm run-off by distributing ―est Management Practices‖literature

3. Build leaders and good citizens through 4-H youth development.

• Develop and implement service learning projects throughout the parish.
• Parish youth will develop and utilize their knowl-edge and appreciation of our natural resources by participating in planned wildlife, forestry and shooting sport activities.

4. Strengthen families and communities

• To engage the community in the Smart Portions, healthy weight series
• To conduct Family Nutrition Night program in the parish
• To strive to gain additional community partners