This report provides information about funding sources, program highlights for the area and local issues that are being faced by the parish with assistance from the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.

The annual St. Landry Parish 4-H/FFA Livestock Show was held Friday, Jan. 20 2012 and Saturday, Jan. 21 2012 at the Agricultural Arena in Opelousas, La. The youth participated in the following categories: beef, dairy, market lamb, goat, market hog, poultry, broiler, rabbit and premier exhibitor. Results are listed here.

The St. Landry 4-H Junior Leader Chatter is a newsletter to inform current Junior Leader members about upcoming events and activities.

The 4-H Chatterbox is the monthly newsletter for the St. Landry Parish 4-H program. It includes a calendar of events along with the various contests and activities that will be held during each month.

The 4-H Chatterbox is the monthly 4-H newsletter for St. Landry Parish. It includes a calendar of events along with the various contests and activities that will be held during each month.

Sweet potatoes are not very sweet or moist when first dug. It takes six to eight weeks of proper curing and storage before they have the sweet, moist taste and texture desired when baked, says LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

Attention 7th grade 4-H'ers. Enjoy a weekend of fun and adventure at 4-H Challenge Camp at Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center. The camp is designed to create team spirit and build self-reliance skills.

The 4-H Food Festival was held Dec. 11, 2010 at St. Ignatius School in Grand Coteau. Contests included Sugar Cookery, Ground Beef Cookery, Seafood Cookery, Rice Cookery and Consumer Foods Judging.

Horse owners really need tips on how to cut horse maintenance costs in order to be able to keep their horses.

As families are forced to cut back and downsize or relinquish their homes, keeping a pet becomes much less affordable or even impossible.

4-H'ers participated in 4-H Fall Activity Day on Oct. 27, 2011, at the Ag Arena in Opelousas, La. The participants were able to exhibit dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents, fish, birds, reptiles, plants, pumpkins and posters.

Practical financial advice from experts that will help you plan ahead.

In addition to flowers, bedding plants may be grown for their colorful foliage or interesting forms or textures. With proper selection, they can be used to provide color throughout the year. Use this publication to help you with bedding plant selection and proper care.

This publication includes information on conserving existing trees, planting and transplanting, pruning, tree fertilization, street and parking area plantings, tree evaluation, tree lists and a quick tree selection guide.

This publication includes information on the planting, fertilization, pruning, failure to flower, insects and diseases and varieties of crape myrtles.

The 4-H Award of Excellence is awarded to junior 4-H members who have been in 4-H for at least two years.

You'll find suggestions on appropriate dress for an interview.

This information will help you to become resilient in protecting yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft.

Graduating seniors can apply for the 4-H Honor Cord Award. The application deadline is Dec. 7, 2011, and should be sent to the St. Landry Parish Extension Office.

Plant-parasitic nematodes can damage plants in many ways and are considered to be a serious threat to sweet potato production in Louisiana. This publication describes problematic nematode species and management strategies available for these pests.

Be prepared for the possibility of a hurricane in your area.

Begin teaching kids about money at an early age.

You'll find examples of what to discuss with your new college student.

You'll find suggestions on how to approach kids on the topic of money.

What impact does a Federal Reserve rate cut have on you, the consumer? We hear and read about rate changes, but we don’t always understand how they affect us as consumers, according to LSU AgCenter family economist Gloria Nye.

You'll find suggestions that will help you prepare and research various avenues in finding an affordable answer.

St. Landry Parish will be offering an outdoor skills program that has been named the St. Landry Parish Shooting Sports Club. All instructors in the program will be certified by the state committee.

The St. Landry Parish 4-H Junior Leader Club has decided to participate in the Operation Military Kids program for their 2011-2012 service-learning project.

The St. Landry Parish Junior Leader Club is having a club fund-raiser by selling holiday poinsettias.

Visit the Louisiana 4-H Museum where you can explore the history of 4-H in the state.

The St. Landry Parish Livestock Chatterbox provides updated information for 4-H livestock exhibitors. A Dates to Remember section previews upcoming events, the deadlines for possession of animals and completion of paperwork. The newsletter also gives details about various livestock shows.

Links to food and health resources that have been provided by Extension Agents with the LSU AgCenter Family and Consumer Sciences Division.

Links to resources on different fruit varieties and preservation.

Come out and support the St. Landry Parish Youth Program's "4-H Promotion Project Day" on Oct. 1, 2011, sponsored by Tractor Supply Co.

The St. Landry Parish Livestock Chatterbox provides updated information for 4-H livestock exhibitors. A Dates to Remember section previews upcoming events, the deadlines for possession of animals and completion of paperwork. The newsletter also gives details about various livestock shows.

The 4-H Calendar highlights the contests, events and activities that 4-H members can participate and compete.

A new rabbit show will be held at the Parish Livestock Show which will be held Jan. 20-21, 2011, at the Ag Arena. Order broiler chicks to be ready for exhibition at the parish livestock show.

The Sweet Potato News is a newsletter that has been developed by the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station to provide sweet potato crop updates to area producers.

List of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Committee Members and links to meeting minutes.

With the unseasonably warm temperatures and reasonably favorable weather, harvest time has arrived in Acadiana. Every commodity crop grown in Louisiana is grown in St. Landry Parish, making St. Landry Parish perhaps the most diversified crop production area of the entire state.

4-H University was held the week of June 21-24, 2011 at LSU in Baton Rouge. Youth were able to interview for state boards, compete in contests to win trips and awards and participate in Clover College.

St. Landry Parish 4-H held its first 4-H Shooting Sports Competition on June 2, 2011, at the Kops & Kids Camp in Washington, La.

The St. Landry Parish Extension Office offers Family & Consumer Sciences Programs in the following areas: Family Resource Management, Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), Nutrition & Health and Parenting Education.

The 2011 St. Landry Parish 4-H Achievement Day was held on Saturday, April 30th at Opelousas High School. This is a day of various written contests, demonstrations, public speaking and exhibits that often help determine which 4-H'ers will proceed in state competition.

The event was held at 4-H Camp Grant Walker in Pollock, LA, April 15-17, 2011. This year’s theme was “Peace, Love and 4-H Challenge Camp."

4-H'ers participated in a mock job interview on Feb. 9, 2011. The contest helps 4-H'ers improve their communication skills.

An LSU AgCenter and Southern University AgCenter Community Nutrition Programs Newsletter.

Pecan variety recommendations for yards and small, unmanaged plantings.