September 2009 Articles

Archives by Months

Family Farm verses Factory Farm

Just Rambling: Have you ever caught yourself complaining about the price of food or do you complain on a regular basis? I have done both in the past but I consciously try not to complain anymore. Our food production system is the best in the world and our cost of food is the lowest in the world. According to the USDA, Americans spend less than 10% of their income on food today which is down from 18% in 1966. How can this be? Through better research, improved genetics, advanced technology... read more

Union Parish Livestock Show

The Union Youth Classic Livestock Show will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2009, (small animals a.m.; cattle p.m.) in Farmerville. We will be sending out a flyer and entry forms the first of September. Please let your exhibitors know so they can add it to their calendar.

LSU AgCenter Hill Farm field day scheduled for Oct. 1

LSU AgCenter Hill Farm field day scheduled for Oct. 1 HOMER, La. – The LSU AgCenter's Hill Farm Research Station will host an educational field day Oct. 1. Tours of Hill Farm research sites and discussions of research projects will include external and internal parasites of beef cattle, clover management, advanced families of pine trees, tube versus radiant heat in poultry houses, validation of best management practices for beef and poultry and antimicrobial resistance of bacteria from... read more

FSA has list of eligible voters for FSA Committee Elections

FSA HAS LIST OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS FOR FSA COMMITTEE ELECTIONS
A list of names of all persons eligible to vote in the upcoming annual FSA committee member election is available for inspection in the Lincoln Parish FSA Office, reported Robert Moore, Chairman of the Farm Service Agency Committee in Lincoln Parish.
Elections will be by mail ballot between November 6 & December 7. Voters can request ballots at the Parish FSA Office. FSA an agency of the United States Department of... read more

Calhoun Research Station Field day for Oct 29

Calhoun Research Station field day set for Oct. 29
Innovative uses for forest & forage biomass will be featured at the LSU AgCenter's Calhoun Research Station field day Oct. 29. The program will include updates of agricultural and forestry issues in Louisiana and a discussion of how creating new value-added forest and forage products will benefit the Louisiana economy, said Dr. Michael Blazier, LSU AgCenter forester. Field tours conducted by LSU AgCenter researchers will include demonstrations... read more

Money

Money can't buy you happiness .. But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery. - Spike Milligan

Luck

My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying. - Rodney Dangerfield

Cardiologist's diet

The cardiologist's diet: - If it tastes good, spit it out.
Author Unknown

Livestock Indemity Program Announced by FSA

LIVESTOCK INDEMNITY PROGRAM ANNOUNCED BY FSA
Sign-up for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) is now in progress at local FSA Parish Offices. LIP compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat and extreme cold. Diseases must have qualified sources to substantiate such. Documentation must support how the disease was accelerated... read more

Time

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere - Billy Crystal

Shut up

Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP. Joe Namath

Tip

Did You Know? By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand.

Tip

Quick Tip: To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream; then beat them.

Cheese Biscuits

Cheese Biscuits
This recipe was given to me by Karen Trull. The biscuits taste a lot like the ones from Red Lobster. We make them often at our house. Enjoy!
2 cups baking mix
2/3 cup milk
1 1/4 cups cheese
Mix and drop on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 10 to 12 min.
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 tsp garlic salt
parsley
Melt and brush on cooked biscuits

Sun Protection for Horses

Sun Protection for Horses
Sunlight has beneficial effects for horses, including the manufacture of vitamin D by the skin, relief of muscle and tendon stiffness or soreness and possibly even improved immunity. But horses with pink-skinned areas may suffer sunburn if overexposed and could be at higher risk for equine skin cancer over the years. Zinc-oxide cream, the white goop lifeguards use on horse's noses, is one of the most effective sunscreens available. It’s safe for horses and helps heal... read more

Bull Price Analysis

Bull Price Analysis The 2008 Cattle-Fax cow-calf survey revealed that the average price for breeding bulls purchased in 2007 was $2,634. Approximately 25 percent of respondents reported they paid an average of more than $3,000 for bulls purchased in 2007. Producers in the Northwest paid the highest average price at $2,812, with Southeastern producers reporting the lowest average price at $2,311. Average prices for... read more

Eye White Percentage as a Predictor of Temperament

Eye White Percentage as a Predictor of Temperament in Beef Cattle (Core et al., University of Guelph, Guelph) Source: University of Arkansas Accurately evaluating and selecting for calm temperament in beef cattle is important for economic and animal welfare reasons. Previous studies have shown that eye white can be a predictor of a multitude of emotions across different situations, but there is little research on the relationship between eye white and... read more

Cow Numbers and Herds Decline

Cow Numbers and Herds Decline
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service has released the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Compared to the 2002 Census, the number of beef cattle operations declined 4% (dairy operations declined 24%) and the number of beef cows went down 2%. Average number of beef cows per operation was 42.9 in 2007 and 41.9 in 2002. There were 79% of the beef cow operations with less than 50 cows, containing 29% of the total cow numbers. Texas had over 16% of the beef cows in the U.S.... read more

LSU AgCenter can help with pond management

LSU AgCenter can help with pond management SHREVEPORT, La. – The LSU AgCenter can help people with managing their ponds, Dr. Greg Lutz, an AgCenter aquaculture specialists, said April 27 at the AgCenter’s Red River Research Station. “A well-designed and constructed pond is a major capital investment,” Lutz said. Design considerations include whether... read more

Preparation and Reforestation

Preparation and Reforestation: General Methods Rapid Regeneration of forest land following final harvest or natural disaster is both economically and environmentally important. Any increase in erosion, water yield and storm flow coming from a logged site diminishes rapidly as the site revegetates. Root systems remain in place many years after trees are cut and provide soil stability, which reduces the risk of erosion. Trees also intercept water and impede stormwater runoff. Many sites require some type of treatment... read more

Choose crape myrtles that 'fit' home landscape

Choose crape myrtles that ‘fit’ home landscape By LSU AgCenter Horticulturists Dan Gill, Allen Owings and John Young
Crape myrtles are one of the most widely used summer-flowering trees in Louisiana landscapes. Many of us are not familiar with the tremendous array of varieties and sizes available. One group of crape myrtles being used more because of its smaller size and excellent flowering performance is the semi-dwarf. Semi-dwarf varieties normally have slower initial growth rates than medium-... read more

Select landscape plants to fit environmental conditions

Select landscape plants to fit environmental conditions By LSU AgCenter Horticulturists Dan Gill, Allen Owings & John Young Environmental conditions matter when you select plants for your home landscape. Available space, sun or shade exposure, wet or dry locations and exposure to windy conditions are all important considerations. Choosing plants adaptable to the environment is a sustainable landscape practice. Plants should tolerate existing conditions and be hardy in the local climate zone. Louisiana’s 50-60... read more

La soybean acres expected to increase

Louisiana soybean acres expected to increase La will likely have a large soybean crop this year, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter. Soybean specialist Dr. Ronnie Levy is expecting as much as 1.2 million acres. While mid- to late April is the optimum time to plant soybeans, weather has delayed some farmers, he said. “We would have liked to have planted soybeans earlier,” Levy said. “There were a few planted earlier, but the weather conditions – the pattern of rain, then cold weather –... read more

The FYI on RFI

The FYI on RFI As corn prices continue to soar, feed efficiency is more important than ever – for every segment of the beef industry. With 70 to 80 percent of the total variable cost for beef production coming from feed costs, the slightest improvement in feed efficiency can have a significant impact on profitability. Feed efficiency, however, is one of the most difficult traits to measure in beef cattle. It involves measuring the exact amount of feed each animal consumes in a time period and how much weight was gained... read more

La wheat acreage down, but weed control, disease management can help producers

La. wheat acreage down, but weed control, disease management can help producers WINNSBORO, La. – Louisiana farmers planted less wheat than last year, but early herbicide applications and disease control can aid producers, LSU AgCenter experts said at the annual wheat and oat field day at the Macon Ridge Research Station April 15. The current wheat crop is estimated at 210,000 acres, less than last year’s 400,000 acres, according to LSU AgCenter wheat specialist Dr. Ed Twidwell. He said last year’s wheat acreage... read more

Bob Hope

I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.- Bob Hope

Court Decision could affect pesticide application rules

Court decision could affect pesticide application rules
Agricultural organizations across the United States are intently watching developments in a federal court case that could add more regulation to pesticide applications. The case was a result of a federal lawsuit filed by several environmental groups against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency across the nation, and all of the litigation was consolidated in the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel of the court determined in January that applying pesticides... read more

Changes in Quality Grading

Changes in Quality Grading Ross Pruitt and Jim Robb[1] Changes in production agriculture have been coming thick and fast the past few years with rising input costs, regulatory changes, and tighter margins to name a few things livestock producers are facing. Lack of demand has put a temporary ceiling on cattle prices as consumers adjust their spending habits during the current economic challenges... read more

You can't get Swine flu eating pork

You can’t get swine flu eating pork You can’t get swine flu from eating pork or pork products, says an LSU AgCenter extension nutritionist. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that a person can get swine flu from touching raw pork or from eating pork that has been properly prepared,... read more

Preliminary Tests Indicate Cattle TB Infection in Texas Dairy

Preliminary Tests Indicate Cattle TB Infection in Texas Dairy Source: Texas Animal Healt6h Commission Preliminary test results indicate that a dairy in west Texas is infected with cattle tuberculosis (TB). Cattle TB is caused by the Mycobacterium bovis bacteria and can cause internal lesions in animals. Milk from commercial dairies is pasteurized, killing bacteria with heat, so there is not public health concern from this herd detection. “Animals... read more

Animal Welfare Group Continues to Target the Poultry and Livestock Industries

Animal Welfare Group Continues to Target the Poultry and Livestock Industries
Theresia Lavergne, Ph.D., P.A.S. Associate Professor- LSU AgCenter Will Ohio be the next state with a ballot initiative concerning confinement of poultry and livestock? The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) representatives are discussing poultry and livestock confinement with animal industry leaders in Ohio. The HSUS says they are considering... read more

LA agriculture means billions to state's economy

Louisiana agriculture means billions to state’s economy
Unfavorable weather and increased costs didn’t stop Louisiana agriculture from contributing billions to the state’s economy in 2008.
Commodities in the animal, forestry, fisheries, plant and wildlife industries racked up more than $5.3 billion at the farm gate and “value added” in excess of $4.1 billion – for a total economic contribution of nearly $9.5 billion in 2008. Officials say those totals posted in the LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana Summary of Agriculture... read more

Military Kids have fun down on the farm

Military kids have fun down on the farm
BATON ROUGE – The LSU AgCenter’s dairy farm was the site of a special day camp for military kids and their families on April 17. Kathleen Schexnayder, coordinator of the Louisiana Operation: Military Kids program in the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Development Department, and Casey Alphonse, LSU student and the camp coordinator, planned the “down-on-the-farm” event as a way to help military personnel and their families meet and get to know others who are having similar experiences. “This is... read more

Second Important Lesson

Second Important Lesson -Pickup in the Rain One night, at 11:3 0 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s.. The man
took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went... read more

Easy Apple Dumplings

My friend Carol Farrar gave me this recipe awhile back and I have used it many times. This is a easy recipe to bring to potluck dinners. Easy Apple Dumplings
1 can fruit pie filling
1 package crescent rolls
1 cup sugar ( I normally
1 stick margarine use apple pie
1 tsp cinnamon filling)

Roll a spoon full of pie filling in each crescent roll. Place rolls in a shallow baking dish. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Mix sugar with the margarine until crumbly and sprinkle over top of rolls. Pour... read more

Did You Know?

Did You Know: Upper and lower case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower' because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, 'lower case' letters