Registration Open for Annie's Project in Natchitoches

Annie’s Project is designed by agricultural women for women who are or hope to have a business in agriculture.

The five week class will be held each Thursday night beginning April 16 running  through May 14th from 5-8:30 p.m. in room 213 in Russell Hall on Northwestern State University Campus.

Each Thursday evening you will hear from three speakers about the following topics: risk assessments, human factors in farming, grain marketing, insurance for family and farm business, crop insurance, farm programs, farm transition planning, financial statement, farm tax issues and accounting, legal issues, retirement planning and business planning.

Registration deadline is April 13th.  Cost for the class is $75 payable at registration.

For more information contact:

 Deborah Cross-Young- State Coordinator dcross@agcenter.lsu.edu 225-281-9470                

Angie Fogleman President Acadiana RC&D angie@acadianarcd.com 337-262-1776               

Twin Valley RC&D  tvrcd@bellsouth.net  (318) 352-4946

Need New Ideas for Your Agritourism Operation?

Each season you open, you need to have something new and exciting. Give your customers a new reason to plan a visit.  When you research new activities check and see if they are covered by the Louisiana Agritourism Limited Liability Law. If you have not become certified, we would be happy to guide you through the process.  Just give us a call at (318) 927-9654 x 229 or e-mail us at dhatch@agcenter.lsu.edu

I have a couple of new resource pages for you to search for new ideas:

-University of California Small Farm Program ideas, click here.

-Southern Maryland Resource Conservation Office ideas, click here.

Annual Briarwood Spring Picnic

The Annual Spring Picnic is scheduled for April 11; more information will be posted on Facebook and the website - www.briarwoodnp.org

Event date: 

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Location: 

Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve

- See more at: http://www.natchitoches.com/event/annual-briarwood-spring-picnic#sthash.dhnxpe6R.dpuf

Agritourism Educates Everyone About Agriculture

My office is at a research station and last week one of our farm neighbor's pot bellied pig got out and was rooting along our research station fence row.  We are located on a major highway and many motorists stopped to tell us that our cow was out. We are in a rural area, but so few people own or live on a farm, therefore they did not know a pig from a cow.

We laughed about that last week and today I open an e-mail from Jane Eckert of Eckert AgriMarketing and she has some funny stories that have been shared with her. Below are just a few:

The pumpkin field was running low in late October and a customer asked the farmer - "will you be planting more for next weekend?"

We love your maze and would like to come back in February on my birthday. Will the corn still be green?

A family complained that there was no water fountain inside the corn maze.

Home Preparers Can Sell up to $20,000 of Low Risk Foods

In 2014, the Louisiana legislature amended LA R.S. 40:4.9 to allow home preparers to sale up to $20,000 in low-risk foods.  "Low risk food" are identified in the law as the following:   

(1)   Baked goods, including breads, cakes, cookies, and pies.

(2)  Candies.

(3)  Cane Syrup

(4)  Dried mixes.

(5)  Honey and honeycomb products.

(6)  Jams, jellies, and preserves.

(7)  Pickles and acidified foods.

(8)  Sauces and syrups.

(9)  Spices.

All low-risk foods prepared in the home for sale,  shall affix  a label which clearly indicates that the food was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility.

The home preparer must apply for (a) Louisiana General Sales Tax Certificate from the Louisiana Department of Revenue and (b) a local sales tax certificate from the local taxing authority of any jurisdiction in which he intends to sell foods.

Read more about the law by clicking here.