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Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Summer 2024
When the first agricultural experiment stations were founded in Louisiana more than 130 years ago, researchers focused on ways to improve the lives of farmers across the state. They found the best methods for raising cash crops and livestock along with the fruits and vegetables grown to feed the average rural family. Today the LSU AgCenter maintains that long legacy of research and expands its scope.
This issue of Louisiana Agriculture acknowledges those who helped establish the system of research and extension that would grow into the AgCenter. In addition to these articles, the scientists and staff at the AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station celebrate the station’s 75th anniversary of helping farmers grow sweet potatoes, a quintessential Louisiana crop. Also in this issue, fashion design experts look for ways to cut waste in the process of clothing production, and Nutrition and Community Health agents explain how they help make Louisiana towns healthier places.
See below for links to the articles. If you would like to subscribe, or if you have any other questions, please contact the editor, Kyle Peveto.
Olivia McClure
Watermelon and pea varieties developed at an AgCenter facility in north Louisiana earned a devoted following over the years. Two AgCenter agents in north Louisiana work to save the seeds of these varieties to keep them alive.
Cultivating Excellence: 75 Years of Innovation at the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station
Tara P. Smith, Don R. La Bonte, Arthur Q. Villordon, Christopher A. Clark, Jeffrey C. Gregorie and Imana C. Power
The LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station in Chase, Louisiana, stands as a testament to over seven decades of dedicated research, innovation and service to the sweet potato industry. Spanning 308 acres, this facility has been at the forefront of advancing the sweet potato industry in the United States.
Julian C. Miller: The Father of Louisiana Horticulture
Olivia McClure
Julian C. Miller was a pioneer in horticulture. His research helped build agricultural industries and livelihoods in Louisiana.
Gradable Zero-Waste Patternmaking: A Potential Solution to Preconsumer Fabric Waste
Casey R. Stannard, Melanie Carrico, Sheri Dragoo, Ellen McKinney, Ashley Rougeaux-Burnes and Colleen Moretz
Some apparel designers have worked to popularize a technique called zero-waste design, which eliminates fabric waste by creating patterns with slightly modified shapes so that the pieces can be perfectly packed and no waste is produced. A teach of designers are working to perfect this way of producing patterns.
Healthy Communities Improves Health in Rural Louisiana Through Community-Driven Initiatives
Katherine Seals, Jamila Freightman, Ruthie Losavio and Denise Holston
The LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities initiative is dedicated to making Louisiana towns healthier places to live, work, learn and play. The initiative helps communities identify local food access and physical activity needs and works through cooperative extension to make improvements.
Understanding the Importance of Farmers’ Participation in USDA Surveys
Raghav Goyal and Naveen Adusumilli
Policy decisions that affect producers depend on good data and information. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) releases several monthly reports to provide an outlook of demand and supply fundamentals, and these reports rely on data from agricultural producers.
Reduce Feed Costs and Waste With Forage Testing
Abigail Sartin
A forage test is a cost-effective tool that provides key information about how much energy and protein cattle will receive from consuming the tested forage. The AgCenter encourages producers to test their forage through a laboratory that can supply several useful results.
Setting the Table for Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Institute
Cecilia Stevens
The Louisiana Farm to School Institute was launched this year to help school districts develop sustainable farm to school programs and to increase the effect of the program statewide.
Ask the Farmer: Shining a Spotlight on Louisiana Producers
Tyne Bankester
Louisiana MarketMaker, which is housed within the Louisiana Farm to School Program under the LSU AgCenter, launched the Ask the Farmer promotional campaign through its Facebook page. Each month, a producer serves as the Louisiana MarketMaker Business Spotlight and the Ask the Farmer featured producer.
Mahala "Haley" Gambill and Mark Shirley
In fields where a crawfish crop follows a rice crop, it is the stubble and harvest debris (straw) and ratoon rice growth (the production of a second rice crop in one cropping season) that create the food web for the duration of the crawfish season. Two researchers studied whether different treatments for the rice stubble would affect the crawfish harvest.
Faculty Profile: Matt Lee Leads the AgCenter and College of Agriculture
Kyle Peveto
Two years ago, Matt Lee was chosen as the interim vice president for agriculture, a position that became permanent in 2023. It’s not a 40-hour-per-week job, he says. It’s a lifestyle.
In the Early 1900s, Another Dean Lee Served the LSU College of Agriculture. Who Was Dean Lee?
Olivia McClure
Introduction: Foundations of AgCenter Research Program Laid by Three Original Experiment Stations
Kyle Peveto
One of the first agricultural experiment stations in Louisiana was built on overused pastureland outside the capital city. The humble spot laid a foundation that researchers continue to build upon.
