(News You Can Use for May 2004) With hurricane season around the corner, it’s a good time to begin preparing the landscape for storms, according to LSU AgCenter agriculture and natural resources expert Barton Joffrion.

(Distributed July 2004) Although Louisiana summers are predictably hot and humid with afternoon thunderstorms, Mother Nature still can throw a curve ball at the Sportsman's Paradise. That curve ball is tropical weather, says LSU AgCenter climatologist Jay Grymes.

(Distributed June 2004) After a disaster strikes, you don't want to be caught saying, "I wish I had..."

(Distributed July 2004) We may be only half way through 2004, but many Louisiana residents feel like they have already experienced more than a year's worth of weather, according to LSU AgCenter climatologist Jay Grymes.

(For Release On Or After 01/30/04)If we Louisiana gardeners used only plants that are hardy in our area, we would never have to cover them or be worried about them when it freezes.

(For Release On Or After 01/23/04)Invisible pests are living in the soil of our vegetable gardens, and these microscopic round worms known as nematodes are problems for home gardeners and commercial farmers.

(For Release On Or After 01/16/04)Arbor Day, a day we set aside to appreciate trees and plant them, is celebrated on the third Friday in January in Louisiana.

(For Release On Or After 01/09/04) Pruning is a gardening job that is often neglected because gardeners are not exactly sure what to do. There is a great deal of confusion about how to prune, when to do it and even why pruning is done.

(For Release On Or After 01/02/04) Three flowers, two bedding plants and three vegetables earned the distinction of being named 2004 All-America Selection Awards. And one of them was an All-America Selection Gold Medal winner.

The thousands who attended this year's Ag Expo in Monroe Jan. 16-17 had a chance to see a new feature known as Ag Alley. See photos from that event.

(Distributed 01/30/04) Louisiana youth are learning how agriculture affects their lives with the help of LSU AgCenter and its faculty members across the state.

(Distributed 01/30/04) The LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association are sponsoring a workshop for those interested in becoming certified as pesticide applicators in mosquito control.

(Distributed 01/30/04) The LSU AgCenter’s 8th annual Greenhouse Tomato Seminar and Field Day is scheduled for the afternoon of Feb. 27 at the Red River Research Station near Bossier City.

(Distributed 01/20/04) Louisiana cotton producers Tuesday (Jan. 20) heard a variety of experts tell them how research and technology can help them bring in a bumper crop this year just as they did in 2003.

(Distributed 01/20/04) Agricultural experts say the future for the 2004 American food and fiber markets looks "good." That was the message given to about 130 people who attended the LSU AgCenter’s AgOutlook Conference Thursday (Jan. 15) in Monroe.

(Distributed 01/15/04) 4-H Club members, 4-H leaders and representatives of other organizations volunteered to jump start Arbor Day celebrations in Louisiana by planting trees, flowers and making improvements to the Native Grove Trail Jan. 10 at the historic Southern Forest Heritage Museum in this community near Alexandria.

(Distributed 01/15/04)Dr. Johnny Saichuk, rice specialist with the LSU AgCenter, received the prestigious 2003 Rice Industry Award recently.

(Distributed 01/14/04) The LSU AgCenter’s 69th annual Livestock Show will have a new home this year as the Feb. 7-14 events move to the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales.

(Distributed 01/14/04) Crawfish farmers will have a way to improve the diets of their crustaceans, thanks to researchers at the LSU AgCenter’s Rice Research Station at Crowley.

(Distributed 01/14/04) The LSU AgCenter will present information that can help farmers grow profitable crops during the 2004 Louisiana Cotton Forum slated for Jan. 20 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Monroe.

(Distributed 01/13/04) The LSU AgCenter will formally kick off a new educational program for beef cattle producers later this month. A brief introduction and the first sessions of what is known as the Master Cattle Producer Program will be offered Jan. 23 during the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association Convention and Trade Show in Lafayette.

(Distributed 01/09/04) Consumers shouldn’t be afraid of eating beef in the wake of the report that a cow in Washington State was diagnosed with "mad cow disease," according to faculty members in the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 01/09/04) Reports concerning Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy have raised a lot of questions. To clear up some of the misconceptions or questions, here are some of the questions being raised and the answers provided this week (Jan. 5-9) by LSU AgCenter veterinarian Dr. Steve Nicholson.

(Distributed 01/09/04) The future of the Louisiana cattle market will be discussed during the AgOutlook Conference scheduled for Jan. 15 in Monroe.

(Distributed 01/09/04) The LSU AgCenter is among the sponsors for the 2004 Gulf States Horticultural Expo scheduled for Jan. 29-31 at the Arthur Outlaw Convention Center and Adams Mark Hotel in Mobile, Ala.

(Distributed 01/08/04) The recent warm days and chilly nights have been near perfect for this year’s strawberry crop, according to the LSU AgCenter’s Dr. Regina Bracy, who says the 2004 crop is off to a good start but could be slowed a little by the recent cold snap.

(Distributed 01/06/04) Rains around the New Year’s holiday weekend didn’t dampen this season’s Louisiana sugarcane harvest – which experts say turned out to be "relatively good."

(Distributed January 2004) Are you in the market for child care? Do you want to find just the right setting for your child, but you don't know enough about the all options to choose one? It may be time for some expert advice.

(Distributed January 2004) Working families may pay anywhere from 10 percent to 15 percent of their total family income on child care, and experts say the cost frequently is related to the quality of services you and your children receive.

(Distributed January 2004) Parents and grandparents often face the challenge of deciding what toys are appropriate for their children or grandchildren. The same thing is true of child-care providers seeking new toys for their child-care centers.

(Distributed January 2004) The cold and flu season is here, and that means young children are at risk of contracting contagious diseases such as influenza, diarrhea, strep throat and rashes – just to name a few.

(Distributed January 2004) Many New Year’s Resolutions are long forgotten by the first of February. One to make and keep, however, is resolving to take control of your family finances, according to LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed January 2004) In January and February, outdoor gardening is at a low to nonexistent rate in most homes. "Why not clean up the yard in preparation for spring gardening?" asks LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

(Distributed January 2004) "Sometimes Medicare isn’t enough," says LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker. To help out is Louisiana Medicaid’s Medicare Savings Program.

(Distributed January 2004) Scientists are learning about the role of genetic and non-genetic factors in cardiovascular, metabolic and hormonal responses to aerobic exercise through a three-part investigation begun 12 years ago, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Heli Roy.

(Distributed January 2004) What is an insurance score? How does it differ from a credit score? "Although very closely related, they are not the same," says LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed January 2004) During the past holiday season, many Americans went on a shopping spree. "Now they’re paying the piper," says LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed January 2004) Louisiana's "green industry" continues to be one of the leading economic players among the state's agricultural commodities, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske. It trails only forestry.

(Distributed January 2004) With winter here, garden produce may not look so good. The cold may bring out off-colors because of a different concentration of pigments in the plants, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

(Distributed January 2004) "You don’t want food poisoning as your memento of the Mardi Gras season," says LSU AgCenter nutritionist and food safety expert Dr. Beth Reames. By following some simple practices, you can enjoy the festivities without suffering from foodborne illnesses.

(Distributed January 2004) Eating raw or undercooked eggs is an invitation for foodborne illness. The same is true for lightly cooked eggs and egg dishes, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.

(Distributed January 2004) Young and mature adults, ages 18-44, who get type 2 diabetes are 14 times more likely to have a heart attack and up to 30 times more likely to have a stroke than their peers without diabetes. "The heart-attack rate is especially alarming," says LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.

(Distributed January 2004) Aquatic exercise is one of the fastest growing segments of the fitness industry, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames, who advocates exercise with a proper diet for a healthy lifestyle.

(Distributed January 2004) With the beginning of the year comes a new start at vegetable gardening. In January, you may already have at least 20 crops growing in the garden from last fall, says LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

(Distributed January 2004) The New Year ushers in new rose varieties and winners of the All-America Rose Selection, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Allen Owings.

(Distributed February 2004) Although competition was part of the process of vying for top honors with beef and dairy cattle, goats, hogs, poultry and sheep at the 2004 LSU AgCenter Livestock Show, the events were about much more.

(Distributed 02/12/04) The second Louisiana Food Processors Conference is scheduled for March 3-4 at the Lod Cook Conference Center on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 02/04/04) More than 125 private landowners, loggers and forest industry leaders attended the LSU AgCenter’s Central Louisiana Forestry Forum recently to learn about the challenges facing the industry.

(Distributed 02/04/04) Scientists studying plants’ resistance to insects will gather in Baton Rouge next month.

(Distribtuted 02/04/04) Rice growers soon will have one less weapon in their arsenal to fight the rice water weevil. After this year, the international company Bayer CropScience will no longer manufacture the seed treatment Icon for rice grown in the United States.

(Distributed 02/04/04) Louisiana lawmakers and others involved in public decision making will have another source of information to use in developing public policy as a result of a new research unit in the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed February 2004) Although this year's LSU AgCenter Livestock Show was held at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, participants were given opportunities to maintain a connection to the LSU campus in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 02/04/04) The father of Louisiana 4-H will be inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame on March 22 at the National 4-H Center in Maryland.

(Distributed 02/05/04) Thousands of youngsters from across the state are headed for the LSU AgCenter’s 69th annual Livestock Show starting this weekend and running throughout next week.

(Distributed 02/06/04) A group of Jefferson Parish 4-H Club members are working to make their school a little brighter and their community a better place – thanks, in part, to a $1,000 grant from Wal-Mart Corp.

(Distributed 02/06/04)The LSU AgCenter is helping Louisiana residents and companies prepare for the 21st century business climate through its community economic development programs.

(Distributed 02/12/04) Those engaged in the battle with red imported fire ants will gather in Baton Rouge March 21-23 for a conference focused on the latest research in managing the pests.

(Distributed 02/13/04) Cotton farmers and farm leaders gathered here last week to learn about the cotton situation and the new technology available to help grow the crop during the Central Louisiana Cotton Information Day.

(Distributed 02/14/04) The LSU AgCenter recognized outstanding volunteer leaders and 4-H and FFA members Saturday (Feb. 14) for their involvement in and contributions to youth livestock programs.

(Distributed 02/14/04) Six students received top honors Saturday, winning the Gerry Lane Premier Exhibitor Awards at the 69th Annual LSU AgCenter Livestock Show.

(Distributed 02/14/04) Hundreds of youth from across Louisiana were named as state champions before the 69th Annual LSU AgCenter Livestock Show wrapped up Saturday (Feb. 14).

(Distributed 02/14/04) Scholastic awards in excess of $44,000 were presented Saturday (Feb. 14) to the top exhibitors of market animals at the 69th Annual LSU AgCenter Livestock Show.

(Distributed 02/16/04) The LSU AgCenter will host the 20th Annual Ark-La-Tex Forestry Forum March 11 at the Holiday Inn Airport Financial Plaza in Shreveport.

(Distributed 02/16/04) Louisiana forest products companies have a new way to reach customers worldwide with the recent launch of an Internet Web site.

(Distributed 02/18/04) Students in Judy O’Neal and Daina Jackson’s second-grade classes at Tensas Elementary School in St. Joseph are taking a portion of their day to fight childhood obesity thanks to the LSU AgCenter and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

(Distributed 02/19/04) The LSU AgCenter will help to encourage Louisiana residents to obey a different kind of "LAW" to observe national nutrition month during March.

(Distributed 02/20/04) More than 2,500 4-H’ers from across the state will venture to New Orleans next week as the New Orleans Hornets show their support for the LSU AgCenter youth development program.

(Distributed 02/20/04) Shearita Thomas of Ruston wants to make a better life for herself and her children – and she believes an LSU AgCenter program designed to help participants find better jobs will help.

(Distributed 02/20/04) The LSU AgCenter presented three major awards Friday (Feb. 20) recognizing faculty members for their contributions to its diversity initiatives.

(Distributed 02/23/04) Twenty-five men and women from across Louisiana have been accepted into the two-year Agricultural Leadership Development Program sponsored by the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 02/20/04) A variety of speakers challenged participants from across the country to respect and honor diversity during the LSU AgCenter’s 2004 Diversity Conference this week in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 02/27/04) Students across Louisiana are learning what it takes to "make ends meet" through programs offered by the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 02/27/04) The 19th Annual Louisiana Nursery Festival is slated for March 19-21 in Forest Hill.

(Distributed 02/27/04) It's difficult now to picture 11-year-old Valerie Guidry as a withdrawn child too afraid to go outside. But there was a time two years ago when she was too fearful to walk alone to the barn.

(Distributed 02/27/04) This year’s planting of rice in Louisiana could exceed 500,000 acres, according to an LSU AgCenter economist.

(Distributed February 2004) It’s time for early spring planting of spinach. "Spinach enthusiasts celebrate their love of the vegetable every spring and fall here in Louisiana," says LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske, himself a hopeless addict.

(Distributed February 2004) February is the ideal month for Louisiana gardeners to plan, prepare and plant roses, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Allen Owings. At this time of year, new rose bushes can be planted, and established bushes can be given the maintenance they need to get off to a good start this spring.

(Distributed February 2004) Springtime often sees large outbreaks of a little lawn weed with stickers on it. And although some call it "sticker grass," it's not a grass, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske

(Distributed February 2004) The last five to 10 years have seen a tremendous increase in the number of annual bedding plant species and varieties available for residential and commercial landscape use. The LSU AgCenter has conducted landscape trials on annual bedding plants for a number of years, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Allen Owings.

(Distributed February 2004) The LSU AgCenter's 8th Annual Greenhouse Tomato Seminar and Field Day will be held Feb. 27 at the Red River Research Station in Bossier City. Running from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the free-of-charge Friday afternoon program will cover what is new in the industry, production problem solutions, pest control and a tour, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

(Distributed February 2004) Understanding the numbers on a bag of fertilizer helps you apply the right amount and ratio of fertilizer your yard and garden need, says LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske. Fertilizers come in different strengths and blends, with the three numbers on the bags showing the percentage by weight of the three major nutrients.

(Distributed February 2004) Mardi Gras is a time with lots of colorful beads and other throws that children like. LSU AgCenter Family Development professor Dr. Diane Sasser offers some tips to help keep kids safe during Mardi Gras parades.

(Distributed for February 2004) Following its recent consumer alert about ephedra, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will issue a rule to ban the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames says consumers should stop buying and using ephedra products now.

(Distributed February 2004) February is Children’s Dental Health Month. LSU AgCenter nutrition expert and dentist Catrinel Stanciu says now’s the time to ask yourself about your children’s oral hygiene.

(Distributed February 2004) Want to lose weight and keep it off? LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames says a combination of healthy eating and physical activity promotes successful long-term weight control.

(Distributed February 2004) March is National Nutrition Month sponsored by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and its Foundation. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames says the observance reinforces the importance of nutrition as a key component of health, along with physical activity.

(Distributed February 2004) Each year, heart disease and stroke kill more than 500,000 women. "That equates to about one death a minute," calculates LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.

(Distributed February 2004) February is American Heart Month. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames says this year’s campaign is a call to action for women to take charge of their heart health.

(Distributed February 2004) Both obesity and being overweight have increased significantly in the recent years with nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults being one or the other. Whether this weight gain has resulted more from an increasing sedentary lifestyle or from less exercise is under debate, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Heli Roy.

(Distributed February 2004) Financial security in retirement doesn’t just happen, according to LSU AgCenter family economics specialist Dr. Jeanette Tucker. It takes planning, commitment and, of course, money.

(Distributed February 2004) Would you like to reduce the time and money required to repay your debts without increasing the total amount being paid monthly to creditors? LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker says there's a computerized debt reduction analysis program that will help you do just that.

(Distributed February 2004) Adults often bemoan their lack of financial training and all the money management skills they learned the hard way. To help future generations from repeating this mistake, LSU AgCenter family economics specialist Dr. Jeanette Tucker shares 12 principles every young person should know.

(Distributed February 2004)You may have encountered a variety of terms while looking for a child-care program. But just what do Class A, Class B or NAEYC-accredited mean?

(Distributed February 2004) Did you know your child-care provider must have a variety of written policies and that they must provide a copy to you?"The Louisiana Department of Social Services is responsible for publishing licensing standards for child-care programs," said LSU AgCenter associate Cheri Gioe, explaining that the state department regulates and supervises any program providing care for young children.

(Distributed February 2004) Directing a child-care program is exhausting, not to mention complicated, so it is paramount that a dedicated, knowledgeable person oversees these operations, according to LSU AgCenter associate Cheri Gioe.

(Distributed February 2004) One of the most frequently asked questions parents have when interviewing a child-care program operator is "What type of discipline do you use?"

(Distributed February 2004) Ever dream of winning the lottery? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of people believe this is the only way they will ever achieve financial security, says LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed 03/25/04) They're planting by land and by air. Rice planting in South Louisiana is in full swing, and farmers say they are excited about the better price prospects they're seeing this growing season. Experts say the number of acres planted to rice in the state could be up 10 percent to 15 percent from last year.

(Distributed 03/04/04) Two LSU AgCenter faculty members have been elected to key leadership positions in the World Aquaculture Society.

(Distributed 03/04/04) Two faculty members LSU AgCenter’s Department of Entomology and three students from the LSU department were among the top winners at a recent southern regional conference of the Entomological Society of America held in Charleston, S.C.

(Distributed 03/04/04) Greenhouse tomato growers looking for alternative crops to grow when they don’t have tomatoes in their greenhouses could consider poinsettias, according to LSU AgCenter experts and growers.

(Distributed 03/04/04) A former Louisiana 4-H’er with an extensive background in communications has been appointed executive director of the Louisiana 4-H Foundation.

(Distributed 03/04/04) Representatives of a U.S. Agency for International Development-funded project in Ukraine are meeting in Baton Rouge this week (March 2-4) for review and planning sessions.