This article originally ran in the Ruston Daily Leader on Jan. 25, 2011, and you may also view this article at the Fount's web site.

The LSU AgCenter is recruiting youth for the Louisiana Young Ag Producers Program and it would be great to have a participant from Lincoln Parish.

The mentor-based experience introduces high school junior and senior students to the options available to them in the areas of food and fiber production and encourages them to become involved in production agriculture, said Brad Leger, program coordinator.

“This program provides knowledge and resources which will ultimately lead them to entering their choice of an agricultural production enterprise,” Leger said. Candidates must demonstrate a sincere interest in entering the profession, agree to attend the summer institutes held in 2011 and 2012 and complete a project along with participating in 50 internship hours with a qualified mentor.

With the number of farmers declining and their average age going up, it is important that students consider agricultural careers to sustain a growing world population.

The 2011 Summer Institute will be held July 18-22 on the LSU-Baton Rouge campus. In addition to the AgCenter, major sponsors of the program include the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

Specialists from the LSU AgCenter conduct the classroom instruction and students visit agricultural facilities.

This program is entering its second year of existence, with the 14 members of the 2010-2011 group presently engaged in internships with their mentors. The participants have a wide range of production interests that include beef, rice, forestry, sugar cane, cotton, horses and specialty crops.

In an evaluation of the program, the first group of students mentioned that they learned about loan opportunities for beginning producers, more knowledge about producing and economic opportunities available for value-added crops.

All participants are hopeful that their mentor will share with them their knowledge and expertise about producing and thus from this experiential learning experience they can begin to develop their plans to move forward in their agricultural careers.

They will also establish networks with peers to grow personally as well as professionally.

The LSU AgCenter looks forward to selecting the next class. A steering committee has worked very hard to develop the program. The deadline is Feb. 1, 2011.

Notices have been sent to Louisiana public and private schools, homeschoolers, science and agriculture teachers, charter school administrators and the Environmental Education Association.

A booth was also set up at the livestock show at the State Fair of Louisiana to inform students about the program. 4-H agents can also provide details.

Information on the application process can be obtained at www.lsuagcenter.com/layapp. An interview process will follow.

There is a $200 fee for class members to defray costs.

Mary Ann Van Osdell is assistant communications specialist for the LSU AgCenter. She writes news releases about AgCenter activities in the 22 parishes of North Louisiana, including Lincoln. She has a B.A. in Journalism from LSU in Baton Rouge.