| | Students observe the automated goat dairy at Ryal's Farm. |
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| | The Celebrate Girls! summer class poses after dancing. |
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| | Lola Shuttleworth and Louise McDonald, left to right. |
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Events
SAIL Class reaches 53 child care providers
Terry Foster taught a SAIL (Saving and Investing for Life) class Aug. 4 and 6 at the Caddo office from 6 to 10 p.m., reaching 53 child care providers.
She is also planning a community forum to address the financial issues facing persons receiving Haynesville Shale monies. It will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Airline High School.
The panel includes David Taggert, oil and gas attorney; Joe Gilsoul, estate planning attorney; Lisha Landry of the Louisiana Attorney General’s office; Lisa Hargrove and Beth King, real estate agents; Mike Hardison and Scott Martin, investment brokers; Debbie Rolland, Penny Durham and Keith Reed, financial planners; Tom Glass, banker; and David Oliver, certified public accountant.
“The event will help people find the right, reputable professionals and learn why they need someone in these fields to assist them,” Foster said. “We want to educate them as much as possible on choosing a financial team and learning terminology so they can make the most of their monies and not spend it all at once.”
Persons are asked to register for the SAIL shale program by calling (318) 965-2326. While the program will focus on shale royalties, anyone who wants to learn how to achieve a healthier financial future may attend, Foster said.
Deer browse plants, hunting safety topics of Sept. 4 program
Do you want to learn about importance of native deer browse plants and how to identify them, deer hunting safety and cost-share programs on wildlife habitat?
The LSU AgCenter, DeSoto Parish Extension Service, DeSoto Parish Farm Bureau and DeSoto Soil and Water Conservation District will conduct a seminar on these topics Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
It will be held at the Dave Means 4-H Center in Grand Cane, 10117 Highway 171.
Dr. Don Reed, associate professor at the LSU AgCenter Idlewild Research Station, will discuss identification and importance of native deer browse plants. Brian Baiamonte, district conservationist, will identify financial and technical assistance concerning wildlife habitat management, and Wendell Miley, Farm Bureau director of safety and natural resources, will discuss hunter safety issues.
The event is free, but those interested are asked to register by Sept. 2 with Chuck Griffin, (318) 872-0533 or cgriffin@agcenter.lsu.edu.
LSU AgCenter helping SPAR youth in summer program
Participants in Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation’s “The Performance Project” summer teen program are learning about nutrition and gardening concepts from the LSU AgCenter.
Grace Peterson, Family Nutrition Program garden coordinator, conducted classes on soil and the soil ecosystem, the plant life cycle and parts of a plant, and how to plan a vegetable garden.
The classroom lessons also involved some type of food demonstration and taste test to further demonstrate topics from the main lessons. Taste tests involved rating favorite fruits for color and flavor and tasting the difference between farm-fresh produce and that from the grocery store.
“Garden-fresh foods taste better, and kids are more likely to eat vegetables and fruits if they grow them themselves,” said Peterson.
In the process, Peterson trained volunteers to work with youth and community gardening and is training Master Gardeners who want advanced credit. Each received 10 hours of hands-on training and 10 hours in the classroom.
LSU AgCenter teams up with National Governors Association Grant
The LSU AgCenter, along with the National Governors Association, the Louisiana Obesity Council and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, have partnered to identify strategies and actions needed to advance the level of the wellness policy implementation in elementary and middle public school settings.
To combat childhood obesity, Congress passed a law requiring each school food authority participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s school meals programs to establish a local wellness policy. This project is the approach to strengthen the wellness policy implementation efforts.
LSU AgCenter faculty have been asked to conduct focus group discussions in each of the five Louisiana school food service regions. Gwen Taylor Fontenot, FCS extension agent, Natchitoches/Sabine, has taken on the role of the Northwest focus group facilitator.
Two focus group discussions will be conducted in each region: one with such district-level personnel as school food service supervisors and superintendents and the second with school-level personnel (teachers and principals).
The goal of this project is to use the information obtained from the focus group discussions to develop and distribute a resource manual for district- and school-level personnel to use to develop, improve and implement and/or evaluate their local wellness policy.
Those assisting with the project in the Northwest region include Connie Aclin, FCS extension agent, Caddo/DeSoto; Quincy Cheek, FCS extension agent, Rapides/Grant, and Denise Holston, grant project coordinator for the LSU AgCenter.
Seminars, Conferences, Exhibits
Next Lunch and Ag Discovery on safe tailgating
The next luncheon will tackle preparing food safely for tailgating. Joan Almond and Connie Aclin are the presenters Wednesday, Sept. 17, for a fun-filled program that will include recipes for grilling and a door prize from Tiger Island. KTBS has already requested them for a morning show appearance.
4-H News
School Board votes to raise 4-H funding
The Webster Parish 4-H programs will receive an extra $2,000 in aid from the School Board, enabling the organization to continue the programs that students take advantage of each year.
To further ensure that the programs are continued, the Webster Parish School Board voted to increase the annual supplement from $10,400 to $12,400 in response to a request by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.
4-H Goat Trip an educational experience
4–H and FFA goat exhibitors from across Louisiana took part in the second 4-H Goat Educational Trip in Louisiana and Mississippi Aug. 3-8.
The exhibitors earned the right to attend this trip by participating in the 2008 LSU Spring Livestock Show and placing with their goat in showmanship or the premier exhibitor contest.
The trip is designed to educate the youth on the goat industry as a whole and not just through the show ring, said Hubert Wilkerson, LSU AgCenter agent in Natchitoches Parish and one of the chaperones. The trip also lets the youth explore some other aspects of different parts of the country. “The youth are introduced to different goat farms and operations and hopefully gain some knowledge that they will bring back and apply to their projects,” Wilkerson said.
Colton Pilcher of Sabine Parish was one of the area students.
This year the exhibitors explored all corners of Mississippi and the boot of Louisiana. The first stop was in Tylertown, Miss., at the Ryal's goat farm. The youth observed the Ryal's meat goat herd and viewed an automated dairy in action. They were also able to sample some goat milk.
Traveling to Starkville, they were given a tour of Mississippi State University’s Veterinary School, Agriculture Department and campus. In the Tunica area, they toured the Riverpark Museum that contains educational material about the importance of the Mississippi River and its history.
On Aug. 6, the group was able to see Chris Phelps’ operation in Senatobia, Miss., and Terry Hankins’ farm and the Goat Rancher Magazine headquarters in Sara, Miss.
On Aug. 7, they were given a tour of the agriculture facilities and campus at Hinds Community College in Raymond. That afternoon they explored the history of the Mississippi Delta at the Mississippi Department of Agriculture’s Ag Museum.
In Louisiana on Aug. 8, the group saw Tran Asprodites’ operation in Kentwood, Coco’s Boer goats farm in Robert and the Streckers' operation in Greenwell Springs.
Celebrate Girls! meets for summer camp
Celebrate Girls!, an after-school club for fifth through seventh graders offered through the 4-H program in Webster Parish, held a summer camp.
Participants learned about MyPyramid, fitness and line dancing and walked a mile on the indoor track at the Minden Recreation Complex. They learned to take their pulse, and homework included checking their heart rate after doing an exercise they enjoy.
On Aug. 6 and 7, the campers read food labels and recipes, measured ingredients, learned kitchen safety and made bread.
The regular Celebrate Girls! club will start up again in October.
At a graduation ceremony at the end of the school year, the girls indicated they would like to go fishing, swimming and skating and make a butterfly garden, so Holmes put together the summer program.
Sabine 4-H’ers compete at forestry invitational
Two area 4-H’ers were among competitors from 14 states who participated in the 29th Annual National 4-H Forestry Invitational July 20-24 at West Virginia University’s Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp and Conference Center.
Julie Barrios and Kristen Hippler of Sabine Parish were on the Louisiana team that came in seventh.
Events included a written test, tree identification, tree measurement, compass and pacing competition, insect and disease identification, topographic map use, the Forestry Bowl and forest evaluation.
Gwen Fontenot, LSU AgCenter 4-H agent in Natchitoches Parish who accompanied the group, said the event helps the team members develop leadership and communication skills.
Employee News
Fond farewell to Louise McDonald, who after more than 37 years of serving the people of Louisiana retired July 31 as an extension agent (4-H) for Caddo Parish. A reception honoring her was held Aug. 15.
Warm welcome to Laura Haley, who started as administrative coordinator III in the Caddo office on Aug. 25.
She has been married for a year and a half to her husband, Joey. He has a forestry degree from Louisiana Tech University and he works for Wildlife and Fisheries out of the Bistineau lab. They are expecting their first child, a boy to be named Wyatt, to arrive around Thanksgiving.
Haley went to high school in Shongaloo, and she grew up showing paint horses in the American Paint Horse Association and 4-H. She also had pigs for one of her 4-H projects. She has gone to college at four different universities (LSUS, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Louisiana Tech University and Northwestern State University) and has reached junior status. She plans to go back and finish her general studies degree at either LSUS or Tech Barksdale.
The Hayleys bought a house in Doyline and are loving the quiet country life. Hobby wise – Haley likes to sleep right now and is perfecting her sewing skills.
And to Valerie Mitchell, administrative coordinator III in Natchitoches Parish. She spent 12 years working as an administrative assistant in the Department of Engineering Technology at Northwestern State University, where she got her degree, a bachelor’s in business administration.
Originally from Missouri, she has lived in Louisiana off and on since age 6. She attended Assumption High School.
She is married with one daughter, two stepsons and two grandchildren.
Awards/Recognition/Training
Jindal recognizes Project Learning Tree
Gov. Bobby Jindal recently recognized Oil City Elementary School and Principal Mike Irvin for all their success and national awards, including the Project Learning Tree program.
Project Learning Tree is an environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation. Ricky Kilpatrick, area forester with the LSU AgCenter, is a PLT coordinator.
Kilpatrick works with parish school systems, individual schools and universities to make PLT a part of their curriculum. He supports the development of outdoor classrooms and learning stations using PLT as a focus.
Walker SET to serve
Calvin Walker, assistant extension agent in Webster Parish, has been named to the Science, Engineering and Technology board as a sponsor to assist 4-H with the new track that prepares youth to be leaders in the SET workforce.
Foster helping Bossier Council on Aging, Plater aids Community Renewal
Terry Foster is serving on the advisory committee of the Bossier Council on Aging, which will have a golf tournament at Stonebridge on Oct. 13 to benefit Meals on Wheels.
Brenda Plater, EFNEP nutrition educator II, will participate in the building of a new playground for Community Renewal on Sept. 4.
From the Past
David Caldwell shared a Willing Workers Journal he found among his mother’s files. Dated 1934, it had a story on 4-H members and appetizing demonstrations. One was about milk and milk drinks and the other was about salad dressings.
Calendar
4-H Tailgate Party and Football Game
The LSU Athletic Department is once again offering the 4-H program an opportunity to participate in the Sept. 13 LSU football game at the reduced price of $25. A large tailgate party is being planned at Parker Coliseum prior to the game with food and door prizes. LSU cheerleaders and Mike the Tiger will participate.
Webster Parish Fair
The Webster Fair is Sept. 30-Oct. 4 at the fairgrounds in Minden. The 4-H centennial is a focus of the fair theme this year. Lisa Holmes says a radio announcement done by Robert J. Wright of KVKI will start airing Sept. 15 on 96.5, 94.5 and 93.7 stations, with a great reference to the centennial.
The Lions Club and Jaycees, who work the gates, want to put 4-H stickers on everyone coming in, and they want to wear centennial buttons.
Highlights include the 4-H Pig Show at 6 p.m. Oct. 1, 4-H Leaders/Principals Pig Show at 6 p.m. Oct. 2 and 4-H Goat, Lamb Beef and Dairy Show at 6:30 p.m.
The Junior Livestock Luncheon and Sale is at 11:30 on Oct. 3 and the 4-H Talent Show is at 9 a.m. Oct. 4.
Sabine Fair and Festivals Exhibition
Friday, Sept. 26, is Fair Day with no school in Sabine Parish. Events include a forestry skills contest, poultry show, 4-H Talent Show, Goat, Lamb and Hog Show, carnival and rodeo.
The fair will be jam-packed with fun, featuring the 4-H centennial.
Natchitoches Parish Fair and Rodeo Sept. 21-27
4-H Night at the Fair in Natchitoches is Thursday, Sept. 25. An alumni social will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and the 4-H Talent Show is at 6:30 p.m.