LSU AgCenter Part of $22M Cereal Crops Project

The LSU AgCenter is partnering with several universities and countries on a $22 million award from the U.S. Agency for International Development aimed at improving lives around the world by making cereal crops more readily available to those most at risk for hunger and malnutrition.

Kansas State University will lead the Feed the Future Climate Resilient Cereals Innovational Lab, or CRCIL, which includes U.S. and international partners aiming to advance breeding of four major world crops — sorghum, millet, wheat and rice.

The AgCenter is on the forefront of breeding climate resilient rice, and AgCenter rice breeder Adam Famoso will lead the project locally. His work will focus on enhancing breeding programs in partner countries.

“We will work with our project partners to help identify and incorporate climate resilient traits and genetics into their target breeding material for their local environments, with our primary focus being on rice,” Famoso said.

Tobie Blanchard

Farm to School Conference Brings Partners Together to Promote Healthy Habits

Growing New Connections, the seventh annual Louisiana Farm to School Conference, gathered hundreds of partners to the Pennington Biomedical Conference Center to share ideas and best practices for bringing healthier, local food options to students throughout the state.

The conference, put on by the LSU AgCenter, took place on Oct. 11, and presented topics such as starting and maintaining school gardens, procurement strategies, crop rotations and the popular Great Louisiana Satsuma Peel.

The keynote speaker was Christina Melton, executive director of the Knock Knock Children’s Museum in Baton Rouge. She spoke about the importance of teaching families the significance of consuming healthy foods and safeguarding our crops for future generations.

Todd Miller

Partnerships Critical to Success of AgCenter, College of Agriculture

Developing more strategic partnerships will be critical to the success of the LSU AgCenter and College of Agriculture, said Matt Lee, LSU vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture.

Speaking on Oct. 9, Matt Lee urged faculty and staff to adopt a new mindset when it comes to finding partners who can help them work more efficiently and have a greater impact on the agriculture industry.

LSU President William F. Tate IV has named agriculture as one of five top priorities for the LSU System, Lee said, which has afforded a new level of prominence to the AgCenter and College of Agriculture. The AgCenter also has recently completed a reorganization of its administrative structure and set new goals for fundraising and securing grants.

Lee said these changes are important as rural, agricultural areas throughout the United States cope with declining populations while the global population continues to grow.

Olivia McClure

LSU AgCenter rice breeder Adam Famoso conducts rice research. Famoso will lead efforts locally on a $22 million award from the U.S. Agency for International Development aimed at making cereal crops more readily available to those most at risk for hunger and malnutrition. LSU AgCenter file photo

United States Department of Agriculture southwest regional administrator William “Bill” Ludwig spoke at the LSU AgCenter Louisiana Farm to School Conference. Ludwig told attendees his team’s No. 1 objective was that no child in America goes hungry. Photo by V. Todd Miller

Matt Lee, LSU vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture, gives an address at the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station in Crowley. Photo by Annabelle Lang