(Distributed 10/06/08) Ray Schexnayder farms 1,800 acres of soybeans in Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike left his fields scattered with tree limbs, and some covered with water. “We had 200 acres that flooded. There’s nothing to them, just a little dry stem now.”

(Distributed 10/03/08) The aftereffects of two hurricanes last month are still being felt in north and south Louisiana rice fields.

(Distributed 09/30/08) Ten LSU AgCenter faculty members were part of a multi-state team that received the 1st Place National and Southern Region Program Excellence through Research Award at the Galaxy III National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) conference held Sept. 15-19 in Indianapolis, Ind.

(Distributed 9/29/08) ABBEVILLE – The LSU AgCenter is working closely with the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association, state Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Louisiana Farm Bureau to get affected cattle producers back on their feet along coastal Louisiana following hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

(Distributed 09/29/08) Louisiana 4-H’ers will join others across the country in the celebration of National 4-H Week Oct. 5-11. The main focus of the week is to celebrate the accomplishments of the young people, volunteer leaders and parents involved in 4-H Clubs – as well as to encourage others to become involved in the unique youth development program.

(Distributed 09/26/08) The totals related to hurricanes Gustav and Ike include up to $763 million in lost revenue to Louisiana farmers, ranchers, foresters and fishers and as much as $175 million to $200 million in additional damage to the equipment and facilities that form the industries’ infrastructure.

(Distributed 09/25/08) Louisiana waterfowl hunters should make sure they are following the law when hunting in crop-damaged areas of the state this year, according to a wildlife specialist with the LSU AgCenter.

Following are pages of photos shot by AgCenter Communications photographers of the effects of hurricanes Gustav and Ike on agriculture and communities in Louisiana. They include photos from three of the AgCenter research stations in the Baton Rouge area – Sugar Station, Central Station and Burden Center. The photos include the photographer’s name and the date the photo was taken.

(Distributed 09/23/08) The 2008 Fall Garden Show in New Orleans will be held at the City Park Botanical Garden from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Oct. 18-19.

(Distributed 09/19/08) Healthy trees can make for safer neighborhoods and healthier relationships between neighbors, according to an urban forester with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 09/11/08) Earl Fontenot may have to wait a month before any losses are apparent in his sweet potato crop after Hurricane Gustav. “It’s too early to tell if we’re going to have some loss,” he said. “But it’s not looking good. They are under stressful conditions now.”

(Distributed 09/19/08) LSU AgCenter Chancellor Bill Richardson was part of a group of agricultural representatives that met with Louisiana’s Congressional delegation earlier this week to provide an accurate picture of the severe damage caused to Louisiana agriculture as a result of hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

(Distributed 09/18/08) Residents of Cameron and Calcasieu parishes are still coping with the ordeal of putting their lives back together after Hurricane Ike. People began trickling back to their homes in Cameron and Grand Chenier to see if anything remains to be cleaned up, although they are not being allowed to stay. Cattle owners were struggling to deal with herds still in the marsh.

(Distributed 09/19/08) Hurricane Gustav dumped 18 inches of rain on Ken Thornhill’s sweet potato fields in Franklin Parish. Hurricane Ike didn’t hit his fields as hard, but sweet potato growers across the state are reeling from the two storms. “It’s really a sad period of time for Louisiana’s sweet potato industry,” Thornhill said.

(Distributed 09/11/08) For the first time in the history of the LSU AgCenter, a powerful storm did not completely shut down communications in the hardest-hit areas.

(Distributed 09/17/08) The deadline has been extended to Sept. 30 for farmers who need waivers from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to qualify for federal disaster insurance to help cover their losses from hurricanes Gustav and Ike. “The deadline had been Sept. 16, but because some of the FSA offices were without power because of the hurricanes, the deadline was extended a couple of weeks,” said Dr. Kurt Guidry, LSU AgCenter agricultural economist.

(Distributed 09/16/08) Coastal residents assessing their damage from Hurricane Ike compared this storm with the Hurricane Rita in 2005. In Vermilion Parish, residents said the water rose much slower and was not as high. That wasn’t the case in Cameron Parish, where LSU AgCenter county agent Gary Wicke said the surge even reached the Lake Charles airport.

(Distributed 09/16/08) Classes on how to do business online will be offered in four locations across the state, beginning in Oak Grove on Sept. 23. The two-day classes are offered jointly by the LSU AgCenter, the Southern University Agricultural Center and the Louisiana Economic Development Department (LED).

(Distributed 09/15/08) If you don’t include mulches in your gardening efforts, you really should give them a try. You will be amazed by how much they spare you from weeding and how nice they can make your yard and garden look.

(Distributed 09/15/08) Dr. Ron Levy has been named the state soybean specialist for the LSU AgCenter effective Sept. 15 according to Dr. Paul Coreil, LSU AgCenter vice chancellor for extension.

(Distributed 09/12/08) LSU AgCenter economists estimate Louisiana’s agricultural damage from Hurricane Gustav will total hundreds of millions of dollars while stressing the economic losses stretch well beyond the losses to farmers and associated businesses.

(Distributed 09/11/08) Red Cross officials were so impressed by the inaugural operation of the Louisiana Emergency Shelter near Alexandria during Hurricane Gustav they have invited the manager to address chapter and city officials in New York City later this year.

(Distributed 09/10/08) Louisiana’s farmers are facing lost income from reduced yields and product quality in the neighborhood of $370 to $450 million as a result of the effects of Hurricane Gustav, according to economists with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 09/10/08) One sure vestige of a hurricane or bad blow is a large, dead area of the lawn. It usually is located near curbside where yard debris is piled up for many days.

(Distributed 09/10/08) Rains from Hurricane Gustav significantly affected a diversity of crops in Northeast Louisiana – particularly with parts of Tensas and Franklin parishes getting 19 inches of rain.

(Distributed 09/10/08) Hurricane Gustav caused many problems for people throughout Louisiana, and wildlife also are feeling the effects of the storm.

(Distributed 09/09/08) WHITEVILLE – Farmer Jeffrey Sylvester gazed over a field that looked more suited for water-skiing than growing rice. “There’s a rice crop under that water,” he said. “That’s all standing rice.”

(Distributed 09/08/08) Children's reactions to disaster depend on their age and maturity. Their responses also are affected by how close they are to the event, their level of exposure to it through TV and how they see their parents react.

(Distributed 09/08/08) Those who survive hurricanes and other natural disasters are at risk for behavioral and emotional readjustment problems. Most child and adult survivors experience one or more normal stress reactions for several days after a natural disaster.

(Distributed 09/08/08) Louisiana’s commercial ornamental horticulture industry received significant but not major damage from the effects of Hurricane Gustav, according to experts at the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 09/07/08) You probably can’t avoid the stress coming in the wake of Hurricane Gustav, but you can manage it, says LSU AgCenter family and consumer sciences specialist Becky White.

(Distributed 09/07/08) When disasters happen, dedicated volunteers and professionals swing into action to help those affected by the tragedy. But these helpers also have needs, says LSU AgCenter family and consumer sciences specialist Becky White.

(Distributed 09/07/08) A child may continue to be fearful following a hurricane because of the uncertainty of the future. “A child can mix up real fear and make-believe fear. This is OK, and a parent or other care-giver can help in many ways,” says LSU AgCenter family and consumer sciences specialist Becky White.

(Distributed 09/05/08) Rain resulting from Hurricane Gustav across the crawfish-producing parishes of Louisiana may cause problems for crawfish producers, according to LSU AgCenter aquaculture specialists Greg Lutz and Mark Shirley.

(Distributed 09/05/08) Louisiana agricultural producers who suffered crop damage from Hurricane Gustav need crop insurance or non-insured crop disaster assistance coverage to be eligible to participate in federal disaster assistance programs, according to LSU AgCenter agricultural economist Kurt Guidry.

(Distributed 09/05/08) Most of the mosquitoes being bred in the standing water left in Louisiana from Hurricane Gustav are not the kind that carry West Nile virus, according to LSU AgCenter entomologist and mosquito expert Wayne Kramer.

(Distributed 09/05/08) Rice is among the many Louisiana agricultural commodities hurt by Hurricane Gustav, although the majority of the crop had been harvested in the southwest Louisiana rice belt before the storm came through.

(For Release On Or After 09/26/08) Birds can contribute wonderful things to the enjoyment of a landscape, such as movement, color, sounds and even pest control. The presence of birds is almost universally welcome among gardeners. Gardeners can even go so far as to design and plant landscapes that are particularly attractive to birds.

(For Release On Or After 09/19/08) When it comes to home landscaping, many gardeners remain confused about how to create what they want. The important thing to remember is that developing an attractive, properly functioning landscape is best done using a process.

(For Release On Or After 09/12/08) Roadsides and meadows come alive with colors of native wildflowers in September, October and November. Gardeners – who sometimes struggle to create beautiful displays of flowers in their landscapes – often marvel at the way nature seems to achieve such beauty without effort.

(For Release On Or After 09/05/08) September is one of our most active months for tropical storms and hurricanes. Trees are particularly vulnerable to the effects of high winds and sustain various types of damage as a result.