St. Mary Parish Profile

About the LSU AgCenter

The LSU AgCenter is dedicated to providing innovative research, information and education to improve people’s lives. Working in a statewide network of parish extension offices, research stations and academic departments, the LSU AgCenter helps Louisiana citizens make the best use of natural resources, protect the environment, enhance agricultural enterprises, and develop human and community resources.

Program Highlights

Nutrition and Community Health

Our goal is to improve health in St. Mary Parish by creating community-led and sustainable initiatives to reduce food insecurity and increase access to safe physical activity. This is addressed through comprehensive healthy living education and healthy communities projects. The objectives are to have adults and youth increase their knowledge of nutrition and physical activity, understand the importance of time spent in physical activity and increase fruit and vegetable intake. The program strives to engage every sense in the learning process with hand-on activities and food tastings included in each series of lessons.

4-H Youth Development

Through non-formal, research-based, experiential education activities, 4-H participants gain knowledge and life skills enabling them to become positive, productive, capable and compassionate members of their communities. Youth from most schools in St. Mary Parish participate in different activities during the school year. In the summer, many have the opportunity to attend state-wide events. 4-H is more than raising animals. 4-H provides different opportunities for everyone.

Agriculture & Natural Resources

Economic sustainability is critical to both row crop agriculture and the seafood industry, generating a combined value of $89.9 million for St. Mary Parish. Sugarcane is the primary crop, grown on 47,000 acres. Two of Louisiana’s eleven sugar mills are in St. Mary Parish, contributing to the two million tons of sugar produced by our state. The LSU AgCenter supports the sustainable production of sugarcane through conducting production meetings, fields days, farm visits, and facilitating private pesticide applicator and prescribed burn manager certifications. Producers and LSU AgCenter researchers explore value-added alternatives that will help maintain the viability and productivity of the seafood industry in the parish. Environmental challenges, such as clean air and water, as well as the continued erosion of coastal habitats, persist as areas of concern. The fisheries program is emphasizing the natural resources of the Atchafalaya River Basin and coastal and marine fisheries, particularly crab and shrimp, with a particular focus on the education of Anglo and Asian-American clientele for the purpose of leadership development to help sustain the natural resource base.

Whom We Reach:

• 11,257 youth (includes 796 4-H members and 32 school 4-H Clubs)
• 8,907 adults (7,560 through agriculture and natural resources and 1,347 through 4-H and nutrition and community health)

How we reach them:

4-H Clubs, school enrichment, field days, publications, newsletters, class series, websites, social media and workshops.

Expanding our efforts:

172 Volunteers from 4-H, nutrition, agriculture and natural resources, and community

Parish Facts

LSU AgCenter county agents provide research-based information on plant, aquaculture, wildlife and animal enterprises to St. Mary Parish residents. The 2024 total dollar amount from these commodities were:

Animal enterprises, $1,800,943; aquaculture and wildlife, $5,619,239; plant enterprises, $82,492,524.

Land area — 558.5 square miles; Population — 48,455; Population under 18 years old — 24%; Population 65 years old and over — 18%; Median household income — $51,768; Persons below poverty — 22.1%

Local Issues & Plans for This Year:

Increase productivity and profitability of Louisiana agriculture

• Conduct sugarcane field day
• Conduct sugarcane production meeting
• Facilitate private pesticide applicator and prescribed burn manager certification
• Write articles, webpage content, and social media content
• Conduct farm and home educational visits
• Support garden club activities

Promote the wide use of natural resources and protection of the environment

• Conduct educational meetings on important issues facing the fishing industry
• Continue dockside workshops and meetings on fisheries related areas
• Support marketing strategies for local fisheries industry
• Conduct programs on improving the quality and marketing of Wild Louisiana
• Seafood through better processes for protecting the catches

Build leaders and good citizens through 4-H youth development

• Hands on programs related to wildlife and wetlands taught to 4-H members at the monthly club meetings throughout the parish.
• The parish hosts Achievement Day as a field trip opportunity for members to give them a chance to participate in the Homemaking Fair.
• Jr. Leaders develop and implement service-learning projects throughout the parish within organizations in the parish.

Strengthen families and communities

• Education on improving overall nutrition, increasing physical activity to produce long lasting behavior changes and improve their overall health.
• Provide information on disaster preparedness, storm cleanup and house cleaning after a storm/natural disaster.

How Is Extension Funded?

• Federal funding from the USDA/ NIFA
• State general funds from the Louisiana Legislature
• Local support from parish government, including police juries and school boards
• Self-generated funds

What Role Do You Play?

Our stakeholders at the parish level are the local supporters and beneficiaries of the LSU AgCenter cooperative extension programs. Their support keeps these critical programs in their communities.

Each Parish Offers Programming In:

• Nutrition and Community Health
• 4-H and Youth Development
• Agriculture and Natural Resources

For the latest research-based information on just about anything, visit our website: LSUAgCenter.com