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

Program Highlights

Family, Nutrition & Health
Childhood obesity is of great concern in LaSalle Parish, often caused by limited resource families and lack of knowledge of healthy food choices. This past semester 280 students toured the Body Walk exhibit and participated in the Smart Bodies program. Teachers and parents reported these children were eating more fruits and vegetables and less junk food. The focus of 4-H programs this school year is Healthy Choices. Members learn how to read labels, understand portion sizes, and how to make better selections in what they eat.

The LaSalle Parish Early Literacy Program provides books for parents of young children. The LaSalle Parish Health Unit has partnered with the AgCenter for this project.

The Connect My Louisiana is a broadband (high-speed internet access) education and awareness initiative for Louisiana. Connect My Louisiana promotes broadband adoption in parishes where it is under-used.

4-H Youth Development
LaSalle Parish has 856 youth enrolled in fourteen 4-H clubs; including Shooting Sports and Clover Buds. The school club focus for the year is Healthy Living. 4-H programs are designed to enrich the lives of youth by teaching life skills through club meetings, workshops, camps and contests. There are about 30 youth who are actively in-volved in the new shooting sports program; which offers learning opportunities for youth in rifle, ar-chery, and shotgun. There are currently four (4) shooting sports instructors.

Agriculture & Natural Resources
LaSalle Parish has a varied group of agriculture producers. These include those with a small acreage of row crops, part-time beef producers and home gardeners. The largest group is made up of clientele with concerns about vegetable gardens and home grounds. Safe and proper uses of pesticides and fertilizers as well as variety selection and use are of great interest to all.

Local residents utilize the soil testing services that are available through the local office. Recommendations are given for fertilization of home grounds and gardens.

Who we reach:

1400 Youth (includes 856-4-H members enrolled in 12 school 4-H clubs), 800 Adults, 300 Ag & Natural Resources, and 500 Family, Nutrition & Health

How we reach them:  

4-H clubs, Class series, School Enrichment, Demonstrations, Workshops, Social media, Newsletters, Web sites, Publications, Newspaper, and Radio.

Expanding our efforts:

Volunteers - 70 4-H, Master Gardeners, Nutrition & Health 

Parish Facts  

LSU AgCenter County Agents provide research-based information on plant, aqua-culture, wildlife and animal enterprises to LaSalle Parish clientele. The 2010 total dol-lar amount from these commodities were:

• Plant enterprises (including timber)$33,494,718
• Aquaculture and wildlife - $2,411,313
• Animal enterprises - $38,346,486

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

2010 Statistics
Population - 14,890
Land area (square miles) - 624.68
Persons under 18 years old - 23.7%
Persons 65 years old and over - 14.8%
Median household income - $37,572
Persons below poverty - 13%

Local Issues & Plans for this year:

1. Strengthen families and communities

• Conduct nutrition education programs for families and youth.
• Promote character education and drug awareness among families and groups.
• Promote literacy by encouraging parents to read daily to their children.
• Use regular mail, e-mail distribution, web page, newsletters, and news columns to disseminate timely information and publications.

2. Leadership and Youth Development

• Clubs develop and carryout service learning projects.
• Recruit and train adult leaders and involve more parents in the 4-H program.
• Promote the Junior leader club.
• Expand Shooting Sports program through increased volunteer recruitment and training.

3. Increase productivity and profitability of Louisiana Agriculture

• Use regular mail, e-mail distribution, web page, newsletters, and news columns to disseminate timely information and publications.
• Quarterly distribution of Horticulture Hints.
• Provide research-based information on home grounds and gardens.

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

• Teach youth the importance of recycling materials and reducing waste.
• Recruit schools to participate in the youth wetlands week.