Learn to Bird with an App

Roselie Overby, above, shared with participants at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife  Refuge during Earth Day how to bird using apps to identify bird songs.

What a great idea, for agritourism operators to take advantage of birding.

Earth Day Celebration at Black Bayou Lake NWR in Monroe

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program

WASHINGTON, April 6, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Farm Service Agency today announced that nearly 2,700 applicants will begin receiving disaster assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) for losses experienced from Oct. 1, 2013, through Sept. 30, 2014.

The program, re-authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, provides disaster relief to livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish producers not covered by other agricultural disaster assistance programs. Eligible losses may include excessive heat or winds, flooding, blizzards, hail, wildfires, lightning strikes, volcanic eruptions and diseases, or in the case of honeybees, losses due to colony collapse disorder. Beekeepers, most of whom suffered honeybee colony losses, represent more than half of ELAP recipients.  To read more, click here.

The Louisiana Agritourism Connection, April 2015 Edition Available Online

Visit our website and read the April edition of the  "The Louisiana Agritourism Connection," a 

quarterly e-newsletter providing information on how to start, grow or sustain your agritourism venture. Topics covered in this newsletter include WesMar Farms inclusion in National Geogrpahic’s Gulf Coast map guide, information on home food sales, beekeeper’s inclusion in the Agritourism Limited Liability Law, workshop dates for Annie’s Project, American with Disabilities Act compliance, home gardening tips from LSU AgCenter, horticultural tips from LSU AgCenter and links to marketing sites. Click here to read the entire newsletter.

Links to Online Vegetable, Pest, Chemical, Ants and Citrus Guides from the LSU AgCenter

Check out the online guides below by clicking here on the LSU AgCenter’s home gardening page. Publications may also we ordered. The list of publications include:

Louisiana Home Vegetable Gardening

Louisiana Insect Pest Management Guide

Louisiana Suggested Chemical Weed Management Guide

The Pest Ants of Louisiana: A Guide to Their Identification,  Biology, and Control

Louisiana Home Citrus Production

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.