AgCenter Receives Funding to Continue High Obesity Program

Youth participants enjoyed hopping along The Silly Walking Track at the Walk-a-Mile Day event in East Carroll Parish. The Silly Walking Track includes different workouts with fun facts at each sign. Photo by D. Jones Visuals

The LSU AgCenter is receiving $4.02 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the five-year High Obesity Program (HOP). The program funds universities working with local cooperative extension in mostly rural counties where 40% or more of adults have obesity.

The funding will allow the LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities team to address health disparities related to nutrition, physical activity and obesity in 12 rural parishes. The team will be building on successes from the 2018-2023 funding cycle in six parishes (Assumption, East Carroll, Madison, Morehouse, St. Helena and Tensas) as well as expanding efforts into six additional parishes (Catahoula, Claiborne, St. Martin, Terrebonne, Washington and Winn).

“You can’t address obesity prevention until you address food access and health disparities around food access,” said Denise Holston, AgCenter nutrition specialist and Healthy Communities principal investigator. Tobie Blanchard

LSU AgCenter LaHouse Celebrates 15 Years, Unveils New Research, Educational Offerings

For 15 years, the LSU AgCenter LaHouse Research and Education Center has been helping Louisiana build smarter, stronger and more resilient homes, and recover from storms. On July 20, the center celebrated its 15th anniversary of service to Louisiana on the grounds of its demonstration home on the LSU campus.

“Many people think LaHouse is this building,” said LaHouse director Carol Friedland, gesturing to the demonstration home. “LaHouse is not a building. LaHouse is a comprehensive re- search extension and training program working to bring resilient, sustainable and healthy homes to Louisiana.” Shelly Kleinpeter

Carol Friedland, director of LaHouse Research and Education Center, welcomes guests to the center’s 15th anniversary celebration on July 20, 2023. Photo by Tobie Blanchard

Internship Provides Hands-On Cooperative Extension Work Experience

Preparing young people for careers in agriculture is the goal of the new LSU AgCenter internship program.

Tara Smith, executive associate vice president and director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, said the idea is to allow college students to experience what the job of an extension employee entails.

“The program is still in its infancy, but positive results are already being seen,” she said. “The overarching goal of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Internship program is to share career opportunities that are available in Cooperative Extension with college students across the state.” Johnny Morgan

Emmerson Lyons, LSU AgCenter 4-H intern in St. Landry Parish, is supervising Kid Chef Camp participants Natalie Arceneaux (left) and Sophia Benoit (right) as they practice their knife skills by cutting vegetables. Photo by Lisa Benoit