Soil Quality Workshop May 25th

Register for March Agritourism Safety Management Workshops

Workshop registration is still open.

Just one change:

The March 7th workshop will be held at the LSU AgCenter's Hill Farm Research Station 

located in Homer at 11959 Hwy. 9

For March 7th, register at this link: www.lsuagriarcadia.eventbrite.com

March 9th, in Albany, register at this link: www.lsuagrialbany.eventbrite.com

Workshop is FREE; please register by February 28, 2017

For more details click here.

Register Now for Annie's Project in Jennings

Deborah Cross-Young, Annie's Project Lousiana State Coordinator, has announced the next round of Annie's Workshop scheduled for Saturday, March 4th and Saturday March 18th at the Jeff Davis Parish LSU AgCenter Office at 1006 South Lake Arthur Ave., Jennings, LA For more information contact Mrs. Cross-Young at 225-281-9470 or e-mail her at dcross1@outlook.com

Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program Webinar

Register today for the webinar to learn more about grant funds available.

LA Women in Agriculture Conference, Feb. 9-10

Special Guest Speaker, Kim Bremmer from Wisconsin is a true “ag-vocate”! You can find more information about her on her website, Ag Inspirations.

Meeting Location: Holiday Inn Downtown 701 4th Street, Alexandria, LA 71301 (Special room rates available if reserved up to 30 days before event) 

Registration: Registration - $50 - www.LAWomeninAG.com

Contact: Please email info@LouisianaWomeninAG.com with any questions.

Facebook Helps Swedish Group Find McKowen Farm

In a recent post, I shared that Amelia Kent and a group of Swedish youth were touring America. Quite by accident Keller McKowen, husband of Roberta McKowen, met them while they were at the Richland Tractor Equipment store. Keller invited them to the farm and later learned that they had been following their farm's Herding Facebook page and Louisiana Ranchers and Growers Association's page.

The McKowen farm is in lambing season so that came to see.

These young  Swedish women are touring the world examining Ag practices because they will take over their family businesses one day. 

Roberta showed them fiber arts, cheese making  and  no till agriculture . 

Swedish Youth Farm Tour

The Swedish Youth Farm Tour made a stop at Roberta McKowen, DVM's Grass Fed Lamb and Beef  Agritourism Operation. They  showcased , Louisiana Ranchers and Growers Association, farm management strategies promoting  wildlife and sustainable soil; and diversified income streams  through agritourism.

Attorney will Speak at Upcoming Workshops on Liability Issues

Attorney Rusty Rumley with the National Agricultural Law Center will be the featured speaker at two upcoming workshops on agritourism.  Call today to reserve your spot; see details below:

November 8, 2016

9:00 a.m – 3:00 p.m.

LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station

1373 Caffey Road, Rayne, Louisiana

November 10, 2016

9:00 a.m – 3:00 p.m.

LSU AgCenter Red River Research Station

262 Research Station Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana

Plan to arrive about 8:45 a.m. local time. Presentations will begin at 9:15 a.m. and end by 3:00 p.m. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.

REGISTRATION

Registration is required. Pre-registration ends November 3, 2016 and is needed for meal accommodations. The registration fee is $15 per person. When you register, please indicate the workshop you are interested in and make checks payable to “LSU AgCenter” with your name, address, email address, and phone number to Dr. Maria Bampasidou, LSU Campus, 234 Martin Woodin Hall, Baton Rouge, La. 70803.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dora Ann Hatch

318-927-9654 x229

dhatch@agcenter.lsu.edu

Dr. Maria Bampasidou

225-578-2367

mbampasidou@agcenter.lsu.edu

An agenda, general information on agritourism,

and associated material are available at

www.lsuagcenter.com/agritourism

Growers learn ways to profit from pumpkin patches

Vegetable growers looking to grow pumpkins for fun or profit learned strategies to select varieties and increase yields at a recent workshop at the LSU AgCenter Northeast Research Station.

Taking an agritourism approach is one way to enhance profits on the farm, Kiki Fontenot, LSU AgCenter specialist, said at the Oct. 18 event. Farmers can earn more per pumpkin by operating a corn-type maze and pumpkin patch to attract families and school groups, she said.

Louisiana’s harsh climate with heat, humidity and insects produces challenges for pumpkin growers, Fontenot said. She recommended three varieties from the first-year trials for pumpkin growers in the northern part of the state.  For complete article, click here.

Marketing Strategies for Agritourism

HOLLY GEORGE, UC Cooperative Extension, has written an excellent paper on marketing agritourism, click here to read more. 

Agritourism Financial and Legal Liabilities Workshop

The workshops will be offered in two locations:

November 8, 2016

9:00 a.m – 3:00 p.m.

LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station

1373 Caffey Road, Rayne, Louisiana

November 10, 2016

9:00 a.m – 3:00 p.m.

LSU AgCenter Red River Research Station

262 Research Station Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana

Plan to arrive about 8:45 a.m. local time. Presentations will begin at 9:15 a.m. and end by 3:00 p.m. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.

REGISTRATION

Registration is required. Pre-registration ends November 3, 2016 and is needed for meal accommodations. The registration fee is $15 per person. When you register, please indicate the workshop you are interested in and make checks payable to “LSU AgCenter” with your name, address, email address, and phone number to Dr. Maria Bampasidou, LSU Campus, 234 Martin Woodin Hall, Baton Rouge, La. 70803.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dora Ann Hatch

318-927-9654 x229

dhatch@agcenter.lsu.edu

Dr. Maria Bampasidou

225-578-2367

mbampasidou@agcenter.lsu.edu

An agenda, general information on agritourism,

and associated material are available at

www.lsuagcenter.com/agritourism

Agritourism Financial and Legal Liabilities Workshops

The workshops will be offered in two locations:

November 8, 2016

9:00 a.m – 3:00 p.m.

LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station

1373 Caffey Road, Rayne, Louisiana

November 10, 2016

9:00 a.m – 3:00 p.m.

LSU AgCenter Red River Research Station

262 Research Station Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana

Plan to arrive about 8:45 a.m. local time. Presentations will begin at 9:15 a.m. and end by 3:00 p.m. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.

REGISTRATION

Registration is required. Pre-registration ends November 3, 2016 and is needed for meal accommodations. The registration fee is $15 per person. When you register, please indicate the workshop you are interested in and make checks payable to “LSU AgCenter” with your name, address, email address, and phone number to Dr. Maria Bampasidou, LSU Campus, 234 Martin Woodin Hall, Baton Rouge, La. 70803.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dora Ann Hatch

318-927-9654 x229

dhatch@agcenter.lsu.edu

Dr. Maria Bampasidou

225-578-2367

mbampasidou@agcenter.lsu.edu

An agenda, general information on agritourism,

and associated material are available at

www.lsuagcenter.com/agritourism

Master Horseman clinic to feature renowned trainer

 Renowned horse trainer Jack Brainard to appear at the LSU AgCenter Master Horseman Clinic,  Oct. 10-11 at the Sugarena in New Iberia.

The clinic is full for participants with horses but equine enthusiasts can audit the class for $10 per day. The event will be held 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days, and a lunch will be available.

For more information, contact Howard J. Cormier at 337-296-6819.  

WesMar Farms Changing Focus

WesMar Farms, a leader in the  Louisiana agritourism industry, with their goat farm, pasteurized milk and many products will soon change their focus. Flooding has caused the Constantine's to create a new business plan. We wish them welll and appreciate what they have done for the agritourism industry in our state. Read more about their new future. 

Mark Your Calendars for the Teddy BearFest in Tallulah, October 8, 2016

High Tunnel Pesr Exclusion Workshop

Community Supported Agriculture

If you llike to grow vegetables consider "community supported agriculture." CSA's help the farmer share the cost of planting and harvest with members or shareholders and those members or shareholders receive fresh, homegrown fruits and vegetables in return for their money.

Local Harvest has 22 Louisiana listings for community supported agriculture. Click here to learn more.

CSA's are eligible for coverage under the Louisiana Agritourism Limited Liability Law. Click here to learn more or contact Dora Ann Hatch with the LSU AgCenter at dhatch@agcenter.lsu.edu

Farmers told to expect flood disaster aid

Louisiana agriculture has been hard hit with the recent flooding. My hearts go out to each of you as you battle restoring your life to normalcy.

If you have been affected by the recent floods, please read the attached article so that you can seek economic compensation. Click here to learn more.

Food Safety Modernization Act Class in Baton Rouge; Register by August 25, 2016

The LSU AgCenter will host a three-day course on food safety regulations and best practices for preventing contamination on Aug. 29-31.

All class meetings will be held in 212 Efferson Hall on the LSU campus. The first two days will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with breaks for coffee and lunch. The third day will finish by noon.

Those planning to attend must register by Aug. 25. Individuals can register online by going to store.lsuagcenter.com/events and selecting the “FSPCA Preventative Controls for Human Food” course option. The fee is $595 and includes all course materials and a certificate.Attendees will hear from AgCenter and Food and Drug Administration experts about Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations that require certain activities to be performed by people trained in foodborne illness prevention. The course will cover developing food safety and recall plans, keeping good records and analyzing hazards.

The curriculum was developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance and is recognized by the FDA, said AgCenter food safety specialist Achyut Adhikari. Participants who complete the course will receive a certificate that meets the FDA requirement for preventive controls qualified individuals.

For questions about registration, contact Celika Murphy at CMurhpy@agcenter.lsu.edu or 225-578-4475. Questions about course content should be directed to Adhikari at ACAdhikari@agcenter.lsu.edu or 225-578-2529.

Look for Agritourism Opportunities When You Travel

My husband and I spent our summer vacation in the Carolinas this year. We stopped in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina at tourism centers to ask about agritourism venues. Many of the states had agritourism listings in their tourism promotional materials.

One of our most memorable stops was in Waynesville, North Carolina where we visited Barber's Orchard Fruit Stand. The Barbers have been in business since 1932 and their stand was directly across from their apple orchard.  We bought some apples and enjoyed them on our return home.