| | Jim Hayes, LSU AgCenter research associate, presents his variety trial at Red River Field Day. |
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| | Dr. Charlie Graham, LSU AgCenter horticulturist, gives a demonstration of root stock at Pecan Field Day. |
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| | Grace Peterson, Family Nutrition Program garden coordinator, shows children tomato seeds at a tour of the greenhouse at the Red River Station. |
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Events
Field Days draw visitors
The Louisiana Pecan Growers’ Association meeting coincided with the Pecan Station field day June 13. Pecan growers from as far as Georgia gathered to hear about the latest information on insects and diseases. Growers heard a program on pesticide safety and toured the field.
Red River’s annual field day was June 18. Everything from greenhouse tomatoes to a constructed wetland were on the tour. The event highlighted research projects being conducted at the station, including agronomic crops and pest management.
Caddo/Bossier EFNEP summer activity day camps completed
The 36th annual Summer Activity Day of the Caddo/Bossier Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) was held during June.
Each camp was unique to its location. All were scheduled from 9 a.m. until noon with the exception of one camp held in the afternoon.
The objective was to involve limited-resource youth in their personal health, understanding that they have a role in taking care of their own bodies by eating healthy and exercising and introducing EFNEP and its goals to area youth through special activities.
Camps were at Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation centers, Community Renewal locations and the Highland Center. Twenty-one camps were scheduled.
Fascinating Facts about Milk was the focus of this year’s nutrition lesson. Key concepts of this lesson focused on the importance of getting the recommended amount of calcium in the diet, understanding bone structure and reading Nutrition Facts Labels.
Other information included calcium as the most abundant mineral in the body, foods from the dairy group and the protein and carbohydrates they contain.
The program also presented the body’s need for vitamin D in order to absorb calcium, the amounts of calcium recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans depending on age and gender, and where calcium is found in the body and in what percent.
Each youth received the handout “Dairy and Calcium” with bone facts and a snack of string cheese and orange juice fortified with calcium.
Partners were Capt. Derrick Harris, fire inspector and community educator with the Shreveport Fire Department; Capt. Brad Zagone, Fire Prevention Bureau with the Bossier City Fire Department; Sheron Raymond, community educator with Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA); Feamula Bradley, regional coordinator with the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco Free Living; Jessica Williams, dental hygienist with the office of Dr. C.M. Lester, and Corp. Lifford Jackson with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Dairy Day updates milk situation
Milk prices have moderated from unprecedented highs of 2007, an LSU AgCenter dairy specialist told farmers at Dairy Day in Grand Cane June 12.
Dr. Charles Hutchison said feed prices continue to escalate, but replacement heifer costs have decreased somewhat. “The milk-to-feed ratio is at an all-time low,” he said.
Feed prices, which represent the highest expense in milk production, will depend on how much of the corn crop will go to ethanol production, how much of U.S. crops will be exported, weather conditions and trade issues, Hutchison said.
Grace’s gardens everywhere
Grace Peterson, Family Nutrition Program garden coordinator, and volunteers from a local casino participated in a workday to build raised garden beds at the Bossier Council on Aging on May 9 as part of the United Way Day of Caring.
She was assisted by LSU AgCenter Master Gardener Martin Bourgeois, and their photo was featured in The Forum News. The beds were planted on May 12 with tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes and peas.
Peterson began Advanced Master Gardener training with Denyse Cummins, the first in the state. Peterson also is working on a community gardening pilot program and summer classes with teens in the Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation program, bringing them in to tour the tomato greenhouses at the Red River Station.
POPP numbers exploding
The POPP’s (Parenting of Probationers and Parolees) program conducted by Terry Foster continues to be a success in Bossier and Caddo parishes at the State Probation and Parole Office.
Nine parents attended a five-hour training class for parents of 5- to 12-year-olds. Also, a new 15-week series of parenting classes (Turning Points) began this month at the Bossier Parish Maximum Security Prison with 25 moms enrolled. These parents will be taught parenting skills to be reunited with their children upon release from the facility.
Aclin, Glasgow cooking up class for kids
Connie Aclin and Dianne Glasgow, extension educators, are presenting Kids in the Kitchen, a program for 9- to 13-year-olds, July 14-18 from 9 a.m. to noon.
The class will be at the Caddo Extension Office. Registration is limited and costs $30. Checks should be made payable to the LSU AgCenter. Please call 226-6805 by July 1 to reserve a spot.
Agents will provide each participant with a notebook and apron.
Children will learn about MyPyramid, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommendations for healthy eating and activity for kids, as well as portion sizes, measuring, garnishing, manners, folding napkins, food safety, washing hands and preparing healthy snacks.
The participants will prepare a meal for their parents on Friday.
Some of the items they will learn to make include raspberry oatmeal bars, fruit smoothies, vegetable sauté, omelets, homemade rolls, muffins, peanut butter and chocolate eclair dessert, lemonade, fruit pizza, chicken Kiev, rice, green bean bundles and a fruit cup in a scooped-out orange.
Seminars, Conferences, Exhibits
Green River Market a hit
Natchitoches Parish has teamed up with the City of Natchitoches Cane River Green Market. Gwen Fontenot, FCS extension agent, and Juanice Moses, FNP educator, assist monthly by displaying and distributing AgCenter materials.
A Fruit and Vegetable Day at the Green Market on June 21 highlighted gardening and nutrition and offered hands-on activities for youth and adults. The LSU AgCenter reached out to more than 60 youth and several adults, educating them on the importance of fruits and vegetables. Activities included a “Fruits and Vegetables Passport,” “The Great Plant Escape” and “Dried Fruit Snacks.”
4-H youth volunteers Missy Hennigan and Taylor Roberts assisted in the 100-degree weather. Fontenot says it was a great first-year celebration, and she is looking forward to expanding the program next year.
PLT continues successes
Ricky Kilpatrick attended the International PLT (Project Learning Tree) Coordinators’ Conference in Jackson, Miss., May 13-17, along with about 125 other delegates.
Representatives from most of the 50 states, Mexico and Japan attended the annual event. He co-presented a session on environmental schools along with peers from New Hampshire and Oregon. He shared the success story of Oil City Elementary’s program, which is largely attributed to PLT.
Kilpatrick is a member of a local band called ‘N Kahootz, and they provided the entertainment for the conference’s closing banquet Friday night.
Kilpatrick serves as co-coordinator and steering committee chair for Louisiana PLT. He has trained almost 200 educators in the last year in the eight PLT workshops. Statewide, PLT volunteer facilitators trained 1,080 educators in 44 workshops.
Crowds continue at Lunch and Ag Discovery
The LSU AgCenter Lunch and Ag Discovery had a full house once again. The June program featured Ricky Kilpatrick with his Top Ten Tree Troubles list. July’s luncheon will be on the 21st with David Caldwell, Chris Hardy and guest Katherin Aulds discussing Cotton: From Seed to Thread.