TOPICS
|
2011 West Feliciana Parish Profile
| | Click on the image above for the PDF version of the 2011 West Feliciana Parish Profile. |
Program HighlightsFamily and Consumer Sciences
According to a 2005 health profile, 13.5 percent of children from 2 to 5 years old in West Feliciana Parish were at risk of being overweight and 9.7 percent were overweight. This puts many children at early risk for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. Approximately 605 students participated in a series of lessons in elementary physical education classes on topics including healthy food choices, diabetes awareness, bone health and fruits and vegetables. Pre- and post-tests of 50 students indicated significant knowledge gain. In response to behavioral questions 62.5 percent of the students said they would eat three servings of fat-free or low-fat dairy products most days. 52.5 percent said they would eat more servings of fruits and vegeta-bles most days. These responses indicated that the students understood the desirability of these healthy food choices.
4-H Youth Development
The annual Feliciana 4-H/FFA Minifarm held in conjunction with the parish livestock show gives stu-dents the chance to participate in a variety of exhibits and activities related to Louisiana agriculture. In the “Grow Your Groceries” exhibit, students “harvested” arti-ficial fruit from trees, root vegetables from the ground and tomatoes and peppers from plants to help them un-derstand where their food comes from. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry provided information on forestry, the No. 1 agriculture product in the Felicianas. Other exhibitors were Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana Egg Commission, Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association and Farm Bureau.
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Commercial horticulture enterprises in West Feliciana in-clude the Feliciana Farmers Market and large-scale produc-tion of vegetables and row crops at Angola State Penitentiary. Educational needs of producers are addressed primarily through farm visits and annual seminars tailored to grower needs. Annual workshops are offered to home gar-deners in addition to home visits and phone calls to address specific issues. Assistance with the local farmers’ market includes coordinating an early season tour of farms with LSU AgCenter specialists. Farm-ers learn from each others’ farms while getting specialized help in vegetables, diseases and insects. A second Master Gardener class has been trained to develop volunteers ca-pable of extending the AgCenter’s reach in the community. Forty-nine volunteers have now been trained. The volunteers have utilized their increased knowledge and skills in a variety of community projects such as school gardens, 4-H club meetings, environmental education days and plant clinics.
Who we reach:1,769 - Youth (includes 303 4-H members and five school 4-H clubs)
2,327 - Adults 1,382 Ag and Natural Re- sources
945 Family Consumer Sciences
How we reach them:4-H clubs, Seminars, School enrichment, Demonstrations, Field days, Workshops, Newsletters, Websites, Publications, and Social media
Expanding our efforts: 150 Volunteers - 4-H, Master Gardeners, Family and Community
Parish FactsLSU AgCenter county agents provide re-search-based information on plant, wildlife and animal enterprises to West Feliciana Parish clientele. The 2010 total dollar amount from these commodities was: —Plant enterprises - $8,696,038
- Wildlife and fisheries- $2,007,688
- Animal enterprises - $5,778,265
Data from the Louisiana Ag Summary Website.
Population - 15,055
Land area (square miles) - 406 Persons under 18 years old - 16.8%
Persons 65 years old and over - 10%
Median household income - $50,095
Persons below poverty - 21.9%
Local Issues and Plans for this year
1. Increase productivity and profitability of Louisiana Agriculture.
- Increase volunteer involvement with school gardens and other Master Gardener projects to improve youth awareness of agriculture.
- Organize seminars, with volunteer assistance, to increase knowledge for home gardeners and farmers’ market growers to improve gardening and commercial production practices.
- Provide educational information on seasonal issues and specific needs through news arti-cles and farm/home visits.
- Provide support for local agritourism projects.
- Facilitate local participation in statewide fruit and vegetable variety trials.
2. Build leaders and good citizens through 4-H youth development.
- 4-H members and other youth will become aware of the value of agriculture to Louisiana and its importance in their individual lives.
- Young children will learn about positive character traits through stories and activities led by teen trainers.
- 4-H teen leaders will develop their leadership and communication skills by conducting activities for younger 4-H members and other youth.
3. Strengthen families and communities.
- School children and families will receive information to help them make healthier food and activity choices.
- Children and adults will learn the importance of hand-washing and other food safety practices to prevent the spread of disease and foodborne illness.
- FNP clientele will receive training on feeding their families nutritionally on a budget.
|
| Last Updated: 6/9/2011 1:52:05 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
|