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

Program Highlights

Family, Nutrition & Health
Family Nutrition Program Classes aim to help individu-als to achieve a healthy weight and to improve healthy food choices. The program is offered at the Department of Children and Family Services, Terrebonne Parish Head Start, and Council on Aging. After completing the nutrition lessons, clients reported changes were made in their daily diets to improve their health. As a result, 40% of the participants have increased fresh fruits and vege-tables into their food choices daily and have added 30 minutes of exercise daily.

4-H Youth Development
4-H develops leadership skills in 4-H youth through educational programs conducted in school club meet-ings, service learning projects, workshops, and after– school settings. The Terrebonne Junior Leaders is a club made up of over 60 7th – 12th graders, learn the im-portance of teamwork, leadership, responsibility, and civic involvement. Terrebonne Junior Leaders volunteer their time cooking for the local homeless shelter, hosting fundraiser booths and the local Relay for Life, as well as helping our at all 4-H parish functions. Over 204 youth from Terrebonne participated in overnight 4-H trips such as 4-H Camp, Challenge Camp, LOST Camp, Junior Leadership Conference, Citizenship Camp, and 4-H University. Youth involved in the Terrebonne 4-H program are accepted by their peers and adults, feel a sense of belonging and are more confident about them.

Agriculture & Natural Resources
Terrebonne Parish is dependent on the oil and gas industry, seafood industry and agri-culture industry. The recent oil spill has affected these industries in both environmental and economic concerns. LSU Agents and Sea Grant Fisheries Agents have been involved in assessing the economic impact and environmental impacts caused from it. Meetings with producers and fishermen have taken place. We are guiding local fisherman in direc-tions where they can sustain economic stability.

Seafood consumption safety is a key issue and agents are working with the LSU Vet School and Wildlife and Fisheries. Samples are being taken and analyzed to determine the health status of the seafood and the safety of the consumption of the seafood.

Our coast continues to be venerable to hurricanes and flood damage. We continue to promote tree plantings in the right locations that will benefit with wind damage protection and absorption of storm surge water.

Who we reach:

1874 - Youth (includes 1224 4-H members & 37 school 4-H clubs, 638 Smart bodies prgm, youth wetlands week, project clubs) 24,901 - Adults 3,548 Ag & Natural Resources, 21,353 Family Consumer Sciences

How we reach them:

Expanding our efforts:

150 Volunteers - 4-H, Youth/Adult Master Gardeners, Family & Community, Master Horse men

Parish Facts

LSU AgCenter County Agents provide research-based information on plant, aqua-culture, wildlife and animal enterprises to Terrebonne Parish clientele. The 2009 total dollar amount from these commodities were: —Plant enterprises - $3,261,827,739.

• Aquaculture and wildlife - $575,103,681.
• Animal enterprises - $1,684,025,121.

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

Population - 111,860
Land area (square miles) - 1,231.82. Persons under 18 years old - 26%
Persons 65 years old and over - 11.2%
Median household income - $48,437
Persons below poverty - 17.4%

Local Issues & Plans for this year

1. Increase productivity and profitability of Louisiana Agriculture.

• Conduct Sugarcane Field Day
• Conduct Master Garden Vegetable Field Day, spring and fall and open to public
• Write news column, web page content, and seminars on agriculture practices
• Conduct farm and home educational visits

•  Before and after hurricane tree care seminars
• Acorns of Hope Coastal Tree plantings
• Develop a Comprehensive Tree Management Plan and ---Tree Best Management Practices plan for guidelines of trees on public property.
• Organize/conduct Crawfish Production Program: seminar with experts, social media with follow-up field visits.
• Develop/promote social media network to enable infor-mation and knowledge dissemination and adoption.
• Shrimpers Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program workshops and follow up support.

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

• Develop and implement service learning projects throughout the parish
• Hands on educational activities and programs on safety (internet safety, bullying, food safety, first aid)
• National Rifle Association grant recipient. Supports the educational outreach efforts of the shooting sports program
• Junior Leaders will work with CASA, Character Education projects, and Fashion Club members on promoting youth development activities

• FNP clients will receive training on feeding their families nutritionally on a budget