Registration Available On-Site for Paddling and Canoeing Workshop in Monroe

Tomorrow is the first day of the Paddling and Canoeing Workshop in Monroe on Sept. 28-29th. I've attached the agenda below. If you have not registered, no problem, you can do that between 8-9 a.m. each day of the workshop.

Hope to see you there.

Agenda

Tuesday
September 28
Day 1

8:00 a.m. Registration
Continental Breakfast
Friends of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge Main bldg.

9:00 a.m.
Welcome
Dwight Landreneau
LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Director

9:15 a.m.
Revenue Potential from Outdoor Recreational Enterprises
Dr. Daryl Jones

9:35 a.m.
Landowner Testimonial, Dr. Charles Allen

10:00 a.m.
BREAK

10:15 a.m.
Managing Private Lands for Fee/lease Hunting in Louisiana, Dr. Don Reed

10:50 a.m.
Legal and Liability Concerns of Private Landowners
Mr. Mike Massey, PA Massey. Higginbotham, Vise, & Phillips PA’s

11:35 a.m.
Agritourism Limited Liability Legislation in Louisiana
Dr. Carrie Castille

11:50 a.m.
Marketing your Enterprise and Use of Market Maker
Dora Ann Hatch, LSU AgCenter Agritourism Coordinator

12:15 p.m. LUNCH

1:00 p.m. Educational Tour Begins

Stop 1:
Crawfish Production
Mrs. Amy Alford
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Mississippi State University

Stop 2:
Moist-soil Management
Brett Hortman, Refuge Manager
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Stop 3:
Wetland Management for Waterfowl species
John Hanks Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist

Stop 4:
Trail Design and Opportunities for Bird-watching Enterprises
Mr. Adam Rohnke
Wildlife Extension Specialist
Mississippi State University

3:00 p.m.
Ozark Society
Harvey Kennedy





3:15 p.m. Adjourn for the day
4:00 p.m.
After-hours events (optional)
Photography in the Wild
Speaker: Jenny Ellerbe, Photographer

Bird Watching at Black Bayou Lake Wildlife Refuge
Speaker: Mr. Adam Rohnke

Canoe Trip
John Ruskey, river guide from Clarksdale, MS
Registration and payment of $25 necessary


September 29
Day 2
8:00 a.m.
Registration for Day 2
Continental Breakfast
Friends of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge


9:00 a.m.
Welcome
Dora Ann Hatch

9:15 a.m.
Economic and Social Impacts of Paddling
Tom Potter
Executive Director, N.C. Paddle Trails Association

9:45 a.m.

Paddling Opportunities in Louisiana
Dr. Stuart Johnson
Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, State Parks

Keith Casio
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Scenic Rivers

Bob Strader
St. Catherine’s Creek National Wildlife Refuge

Gay Brantley Black Bayou National Wildlife Refuge, Monroe, LA

Jean Mikeal
Tensas National Wildlife Refuge Tallulah, LA

10:45 a.m.
BREAK

11:15 a.m.
Liability and Legal Considerations for Paddlers and Landowners
Rusty W. Rumley
National Agricultural Law Center, Fayetteville, AR

12:00 p.m.
LUNCH

12:30 p.m.
Starting a Paddling Business
Panelist will discuss why people want to paddle and how they got started in the business of paddling
Donovan Garcia Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer

John Ruskey Quapaw Canoe Company and river guide


Byron Almquist Canoe and Paddling Adventures in New Orleans area

1:30 p.m.
Development of Paddling Trails in Northeast LA- a story of exploration told by paddlers
Speakers: Members of the Northeast Ecotourism Advisory

1:45 p.m.
Paddling Success Stories From Across North Louisiana
Panelists:
Lynne Warnock-Dorsey Bayou Dorcheat


Stephanie Herrman Lake D’Arbonne

2:15 p.m.
BREAK

2:30 p.m.
Paddling Success Stories from Across South Louisiana
Panelists:
Jennifer Ritter Bayou Teche




2:45 p.m.
Steven L. Windham, CEcD, CPA Inactive
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Atchafalaya National Heritage Area

3:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks

Program organizers:
Mississippi State University’s Natural Resource Enterprises’ Program

LSU AgCenter

Special thanks to Black Bayou National Wildlife Refuge for hosting the event!

Managing Private Lands for Fee/Lease Hunting

Dr. Don Reed with the LSU AgCenter will be one of the featured speakers at the Paddling and Canoeing Business Opportunities and Leasing for Profit on Your Farm Workshop to be held in Monroe on Sept. 28-29 at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Reed will discuss management of lands to yield an income as part of the overall plan to increase outdoor recreation and agritourism on the family farm.

Revenue Potential for Outoor Recreation-One of the Topcis at the Paddling and Canoeing Workshop, Sept. 28-29 in Monroe

Dr. Daryl Jones will talk about the revenue potential to landowners who participate in outdoor recreation on Wednesday, Sept. 28th at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe during the Paddling and Canoeing Workshop.

Jones is the Coordinator of the Natural Resource Enterprises (NRE) Program and Associate Wildlife Extension Professor at the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture at Mississippi State University. He provides information to landowners on sustainable natural resource enterprises (fee hunting and angling, wildlife watching, agritourism, nature-based tourism) and habitat management on working lands through workshops, field days, and web-based training.

Paddling and Canoeing Workshop Speakers

Hope you are planning to join us for the “Paddling and Canoeing Business Opportunities and Leasing for Profit on Your Farm,” at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe on Sept. 28-29.

The workshop will focus on agritourism enterprise development of wildlife and water systems on farmlands.

The first guest speaker, Dr. Charles Allen, will share his knowledge of native plants and talk about how he organized tours into forested areas.

Feather Down Farm Days

Recently, browsing online I ran across Feather Down Farm Days. According to their Facebook page, their mission is "Reconnecting friends and families with each other and with America's farmland by providing our guests the most unique vacation experience they can find in the U.S." This Dutch based business is located on the following farms in the U.S.:

- Kinnikinnick Farm Caledonia, Illinois (near Chicago)
- Ambrosia Farm Bridgewater, New York
- Stony Creek Farm, Walton, New York

Their host sites provide tents for up to six people; each tent has a wood-burning stove that provides a place to cook and provides heat during the cool days. The living space measures 484 square feet and includes a flushing toilet and spacious, comfortable beds. While there is no electricity, candles and lanterns provide light. Hot showers are available nearby.

According to their Facebook page they are constantly searching for new farm locations. E-mail there at info@featherdown.com or call them at (716) 226-6323. This maybe an opportunity for you to create supplemental income on your farm.

Register Now for Paddling Workshop in Monroe, Sept. 28-29

Outdoor recreation numbers indicate that 1.2 million Louisiana residents and nonresidents over the age of 16 enjoy hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing.

The LSU AgCenter and Mississippi State University’s Natural Resource Enterprises Program will offer a two-day workshop in Monroe on Sept. 28-29 entitled, “Paddling and Canoeing Business Opportunities and Leasing for Profit on Your Farm,” at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe.

The workshop will focus on agritourism enterprise development of wildlife and water systems on farmlands. Guest speakers on the first day will talk about revenue potential, outdoor recreational opportunities on farmlands, legal concerns, wetland management for water fowl, moist soil management, crawfish, fishing and bird-watching.

The two day event is $75 for two days; $50 for one day; and $25 (optional) for a canoe trip with nationally known John Ruskey in a 10 man canoe. Seating limited to 20; so register early.

For more details click here. To register click here.

Agriculture in the Burbs?

Keith Hawkins with the LSU AgCenter just sent me the most interesting article on how the suburban planners are involving agriculture in their homesites.

Homeowners are being encouraged to use their backyard for farming. The developers are encouraging a back to agriculture theme to allow residents an opportunity to use community supported agriculture as a theme in their neighborhoods.

Read more by clicking here.

Dr. Charles Allen to Speak at Paddling and Canoeing Workshop in Monroe on Sept. 28-29

Dr. Charles Allen and wife are the owners of Allen Acres Bed and Breakfast in Pitkin. The bed and breakfast is surrounded by grounds with gardens featuring butterflies and hummingbirds. Dr. Charles Allen is a recognized authority on the native plants of Louisiana and will be speaking at the upcoming Paddling and Canoeing Workshop in Monroe on Sept. 28-29.


For more information on Dr. Allen and his bed and breakfast click here.

New FREE Online Publication: 101+ Ways To Grow Your Farm With Agritourism

Greg Clement,owner of Mapleside Farms, has just released a FREE online publication entitled, "101 + Ways To Grow Your Farm With Agritourism." It is excellent! I suggest you click here and download your own copy.