October 9, 2008
Recovery From Gustav and Ike Continues
“After the Storm” Team recognized by CSREES
Reames leads food safety team that wins national award
LeBlanc named water resources professor
Election/Constitutional Amendments
Faculty and Staff Appointments
Cornerstone Report from Washington -- F.Y. 2009 Appropriations Update
4-H Statistics for 2007-08
USDA Secretarial Designation: 52 parishes designated as primary disaster areas; 12 parishes designated contiguous parishes
Recovery From Gustav and Ike Continues
LSU AgCenter faculty and staff continue to provide valuable hurricane recovery related educational programming statewide in response to post-storm recovery challenges. Demand for information related to cleaning flooded homes, farm disaster programs, housing disaster assistance programs, family financial management, nutrition education and stress management are just a few examples of the important topics being addressed. Additionally, our livestock county agents and specialists continue to provide valuable emergency assistance dealing with stranded cattle and water/feeding operations.
Demand for sustainable housing educational information has also significantly increased now that we have documented many elevated/code-compliant homes experiencing significantly less damage due to the two storms. People are much more interested in elevating and building right based on clear evidence of less damage.
The LSU AgCenter has also let the effort in estimating crop, livestock, forestry and fisheries loss estimates attributed to Gustav and Ike. I would like to thank Drs. Kurt Guidry and Mike Salassi in the Department of Ag Economics and Agribusiness, our commodity specialists and our ANR county agents for their hard work putting these estimates together. These estimates can be fully viewed here These estimates are being used by Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, Mike Strain and the Congressional Delegation as disaster assistance continues to be pursued. Chancellor Richardson also made the trip to Washington D.C. with Commissioner Strain and Farm Bureau President, Ronnie Anderson seeking disaster assistance for Louisiana farmers. These efforts will be continuing and possibly addressed by Congress in a November session after the Presidential elections.
We have also reactivated the Rita and Katrina Recovery Task Forces led by Cindy Richard and Mark Schexnayder, respectively. This new LSU AgCenter Joint Hurricane Recovery Task Force will be leading our ongoing efforts statewide in the months ahead. If anyone has any critical educational information needs related to the recovery, please contact Mark (mschexnayder@agctr.lsu.edu) or Cindy (crichard@agctr.lsu.edu).
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“After the Storm” Team recognized by CSREES
The “After the Storm” Team has been selected to receive the CSREES Partnership Award for Innovative Program Models. This award will be presented on October 21, 2008 in Washington DC.
Program Summary: The 2005 hurricane season brought unprecedented devastation to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita became the most destructive storms in our U.S. history, taking more than a thousand lives in Louisiana, devastating infrastructure and livestock and forcing the largest relocation in American history. It is estimated that the 2005 hurricanes had an impact between $75 billion to $100 billion on property and infrastructure. The LSU AgCenter was positioned to be the vehicle to respond to the hurricane recovery and rebuilding through its network of offices and faculty across the state of Louisiana.
No one had the expertise to undo the damage, but the people of the LSU AgCenter put their know-how on the front lines almost immediately to help the recovery and rebuilding process begin. Our people took to the streets and fields with information about safe food and shelter, salvaging crops, saving livestock, cleaning up homes, coping with stress, rebuilding lives and much more.
Two hurricane task forces were established to combine resources, disciplines and expertise while strategically addressing the needs of our clientele. There was the Hurricane Katrina task force to address the southeast part of the state and the Rita task force to address southwest Louisiana. Since 2005, these task forces had developed immediate, short term and ongoing innovative programs to respond to the hurricane recovery and address disaster preparedness for the future. In the Summer of 2007, the task forces combined and developed a two year strategic plan to sustain and address emerging issues related to the rebuilding process.
Mark Schexnayder, Area Agent (Fisheries) and Hurricane Katrina Recovery Task Force Coordinator (Southeast Louisiana)
Cynthia Richard, Hurricane Rita Recovery Task Force Coordinator (Southwest Louisiana)
The entire AgCenter should take pride in this prestigious national recognition. Thanks to everyone for their commitment to Louisiana’s recovery
Source: Frankie Gould, fgould@agcenter.lsu.edu
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Reames leads food safety team that wins national award
Ten LSU AgCenter faculty members were part of a multistate team that received the 1st Place National and Southeast Region Program Excellence through Research Award at the Galaxy III National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) conference held September 15-19 in Indianapolis, Ind. Beth Reames was the leader of the team recognized for its tri-state research study that tested the effectiveness of the Serving Food Safely food safety curriculum, developed and presented inworkshops by extension and research faculty, to increase knowledge and promote safe food handling practices of staff and volunteers of food recovery agencies. Team members included Alexis Navarro, Bertina McGhee, Sally Soileau, Terri Crawford, Sheila Haynes, Berteal Rogers, David Bankston, Mike Keenan and Georgianna Tuuri. Other team members were De'Shoin Y. Friendship at Southern University, Melissa Mixon at Mississippi State University and Easter Tucker at the University of Arkansas.
Source: Linda Benedict, lbenedict@agcenter.lsu.edu
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LeBlanc named water resources professor
Brian LeBlanc has been appointed the Roy and Karen Pickren Professor in Extension Water Resources. He replaces Bill Branch, who retired. LeBlanc's appointment will be in the W.A. Callegari Environmental Center and will be a shared appointment with LSU Sea Grant. LeBlanc is responsible for water quality education outreach programs.
Source: Linda Benedict, lbenedict@agcenter.lsu.edu
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Election/constitutional amendments
November 4th is the runoff election along with the presidential election and local ballot items. In addition, there will be 7 proposed constitutional amendments on the Louisiana state ballot. If you don't remember how you are registered check out the www.geauxvote.com site and enter your name instead of address. The site will provide your party affiliation.
To find specific information on your polling place including the ballot items, precinct numbers and polling place check out www.geauxvote.com by the Secretary of State's office. The site also provides a brief summary of the constitutional amendments. To review the more detailed PAR analysis of the proposed amendments click on
http://www.la-par.org/Publications/PDF/ConstAmends2008.pdf
Source: Karen B. Overstreet, koverstreet@agctr.lsu.edu
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Faculty and staff appointments
Ms. Jodie Whiddon has been appointed as administrative assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Extension. Please join me in congratulating Ms. Whiddon as she assumes important responsibility.
Renee Castro has been appointed 4-H Regional Coordinator for the Southeast Region. In this position, Ms. Castro will be providing leadership for regional 4-H youth development programs in the following parishes: Iberville, West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Washington, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, St. Tammany and Livingston. Her office will be centrally located in the region on campus in East Baton Rouge Parish. The position is split 75% regional and 25% 4-H Department.
Ms. Castro received her B.S. degree in Agribusiness from Nicholls State University in 1996. In 1999 she received her M.S. Degree in Vocational Education from Louisiana State University. In the fall of 2007, Renee completed the requirements for specialization in 4-H Youth Development. She has been employed by the LSU AgCenter for 10 years as a 4-H agent in Assumption Parish. In September of 2007 she accepted an administrative internship working in the Director’s office promoting the 100th year celebration of the Louisiana 4-H Centennial.
With Renee’s vast experience and commitment to the future of youth in Louisiana, I am confident that she will bring outstanding programming efforts to our 4-H youth development initiative.
Please join me in congratulating and fully supporting Renee as she assumes this important leadership role within the AgCenter and LCES.
Dr. Tara Smith has assumed the position of research coordinator at the Sweet Potato Research Station. Her new appointment will be 40% LAES as research coordinator and 60% LCES as statewide sweet potato specialist. Tara has done an outstanding job as sweet potato specialist and coordinator of our foundation seed program. Her new assignment will give her greater opportunities to enhance the mission of the LSU AgCenter and serve the sweet potato industry of our state in the years ahead.
Ms. Karen Williams (administrative coordinator 3) transferred from the Northeast Research Station to the Sweet Potato Research Station. Karen will continue to be a tremendous asset to the LSU AgCenter as she assumes new duties at the Sweet Potato Station.
Effective, September 1, 2008, Dr. Ernest Girouard, was selected as the statewide coordinator for the LSU AgCenter Master Farmer Program. Dr. Girouard has served as our Southwest Region area agent for the Master Farmer Program working out of the Rice Research Station. He has done an exemplary job in that position.
We are very pleased he has accepted these new responsibilities.
Please join me in congratulating and extending to Dr. Girouard our full cooperation as he leads this priority AgCenter initiative.
Dr. Ron Levy has been named the state soybean specialist for the LSU AgCenter effective Sept. 15. Levy has been the LSU AgCenter county agent in Acadia Parish for more than 20 years, working with rice, soybeans, wheat, turfgrass, grain sorghum and corn.
Dr. Levy is very excited about this opportunity to take on the challenges and responsibilities of his new position with the LSU AgCenter and to provide leadership for extension educational programs serving soybean and grain producers in Louisiana. He is looking forward to working with county agents, research scientists, consultants, agribusiness personnel and producers to carry out the mission of the LSU AgCenter.
Levy’s extension educational program will include soybean verification, on-farm demonstrations and problem solving using research-based recommendations and information. Working with our county agents statewide, Ron also will provide leadership for the coordination, development and promotion of statewide extension education programs for soybeans and grain crops using Best Management Practices. Levy will be based at the LSU AgCenter’s Dean Lee Research and Extension Center near Alexandria.
“Dr. Levy brings a lengthy career and a wealth of expertise,” said Dr. John Barnett, regional director for the LSU AgCenter’s central region. “We’re very excited to bring him to the statewide program. It’s a very important position to have that statewide leadership.” The position also includes working with corn and grain sorghum producers, Barnett said. Research associates Rob Ferguson and Jim Shipp will assist Levy.
On October 1, Dr. Ben Legendre became the Department Head of the Audubon Sugar Institute. He has been serving as Interim Head since March 2007 along with his duties as sugarcane specialist. His performance in both jobs has been outstanding because his experience and knowledge of both sugarcane production and sugarcane milling.
Ben will continue to serve as interim sugarcane specialist during the search to fill this position. A search committee chaired by Dr. Kenneth Gravois, Resident Coordinator, Sugar Research Station, is finalizing the job description and the search will begin immediately. Dr. Legendre has assured us he will help in the training and transition as the new specialist comes on board. He will retain a 25% appointment in extension in his new position.
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Cornerstone Report from Washington -- F.Y. 2009 Appropriations Update
Neither the House nor Senate will pass a stand-alone Agriculture Appropriations bill. Instead, Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee members and staff are expected to negotiate a final measure in the coming months that both chambers can agree upon (most likely as part of another omnibus package). Until the results of such negotiations are made public, we will not know the final funding levels for CSREES programs and projects. It should be noted that although the CR expires on March 6, another omnibus package could be completed during a "lame duck" congressional session in November or December or by the next Congress prior to March 6. A full update can be found at http://www.nasulgc-bac.com/advocacy_reports/2008/09-24.htm.
Source: NASULGC, Budget and Advocacy Committee, http://www.nasulgc-bac.com/
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4-H Statistics for 2007-08
Below is some information that may be of interest and you may be able to utilize in promoting your 4-H program during National 4-H Week and other events.
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4-H youth reached through 4-H clubs and enrichment programs (with duplications eliminated) 239,047
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Number volunteers both adult and youth 7,941
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Number of 4-Hers participating in community service activities 38,082.
Source: Mark Tassin, mgtassin@agctr.lsu.edu
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USDA secretarial designation: 52 parishes designated as primary disaster areas; 12 parishes designated contiguous parishes
On October 6, Governor Bobby Jindal announced that Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Edward Schafer has approved 52 out of the 64 parishes the Governor requested as agricultural disaster areas. In a letter Secretary Schafer sent the Governor today, he said that the department had reviewed the loss assessment reports the state submitted and that the “USDA has determined that there were sufficient production losses in 52 parishes to warrant a secretarial disaster designation.”
Complete detail can be found here.
Source: http://www.gov.state.la.us/
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