March 2011 Articles

Archives by Months

Louisiana Cattle Market Update

Louisiana Cattle Market Update Friday, October 29th, 2010 Ross Pruitt, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Louisiana State University AgCenter
On the heels of an unusually cold and wet winter last year, meteorologists are predicting a warmer and drier winter than usual for Louisiana. This prediction is being driven by the developing La Niña weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that is expected to be moderate to strong this winter and... read more

Linclon Parish fifth-graders learn about water, aquifer

Lincoln Parish fifth-graders learn about water, aquifer
RUSTON, La. – About 500 fifth-graders from Lincoln Parish schools spent a day at Lincoln Parish Park where specialists from the LSU AgCenter and other state and federal agencies taught them about conservation and water quality at the 2010 Water Festival Oct. 14-15.
Water education is a major youth education initiative throughout the state, said Gary Stockton, LSU AgCenter agent.
“Reduce the use”... read more

Will the Internet kill magazines?

Will the Internet kill magazines?
Did instant coffee kill coffee?

New technologies change many things. But not everything. You may surf, search, shop and blog online, but you still read magazines. And you’re far from alone.
Readership has actually increased over the past five years. Even the 18-to-34 segment continues to grow. And typical young adults now read more issues per month than their parents. Rather than being displaced by “instant” media, it would... read more

AfBF: Passage of Tax Legislation Most Pressing Issue

AFBF: Passage of Tax Legislation Most Pressing Issue Source: www.fb.org
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 5, 2010 – The most pressing issue for America’s farmers and ranchers in Congress is the prompt passage of legislation to provide estate tax relief, keep capital gains tax rates and extend other important tax provisions that expired at the end of 2009 or are set to expire at the end of 2010, according to American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman. “Farm Bureau... read more

It's time to plant cool-season bedding plants

It’s time to plant cool-season bedding plants By Dan Gill, LSU AgCenter Horticulturist
November is a great time to remove summer bedding plants and add cool-season bedding plants to your flowerbeds. Cool-season bedding plants thrive in the mild days and chilly nights we have here during fall, winter and spring. Most will easily tolerate temperatures in the low 20s or even teens with little or no damage. They will bloom in fall and winter, produce a tremendous display in the spring then... read more

Try non-chemical, enviromentally friendlly weed control

Try non-chemical, environmentally friendly weed control
By LSU AgCenter Horticulturists Dan Gill, Kyle Huffstickler and Allen Owings
Weeds in your flowerbeds and vegetable gardens can be frustrating and sometimes overwhelming to control. Weeds are competitors that deprive your desired plants of water, nutrients and sunlight. That competition can cause desirable plants to become weak so they’re susceptible to insects and disease, resulting in poor performance.
Controlling weeds in... read more

NCBA: Vilsack Ignores Bipartisan Attempts to Help Cattle Industry

NCBA: Vilsack Ignores Bipartisan Attempt to Help Cattle Industry Source: www.beefusa.org WASHINGTON (October 20, 2010) – In responding to calls from 115 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and several U.S. Senators, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack ignored requests for a comprehensive economic analysis of the USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration’s... read more

A Plan for Feeding Cattle From Now Until Spring

A Plan for Feeding Cattle From Now Until Spring? Shane Gadberry, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UofA Examining the most recently published U.S. Drought Monitor (September 7, 2010), it appears most of Arkansas is classified either abnormally dry or in a moderate drought. Based on recent phone calls regarding hay feeding and stretching short hay supplies, there are areas of the state that the ranch owners would categorize as a more severe situation. Recent rain is providing some... read more

Giving Thanks by Giving

Giving Thanks by Giving Over the years, Americans have carved out November as a time for gratitude. We are fortunate to live in a country that’s rich with opportunity, sustained by democracy and blessed with a bounty of food. So, it makes sense to celebrate that abundance by giving thanks at Thanksgiving time. But, as we sit down at the dinner table this Thanksgiving to turkey and all the trimmings, there are many who are going without. Just because our nation is plentiful... read more

Farm Bureau Asks Sentate to Oppose Federal Water Control Bill

Farm Bureau Asks Senate to Oppose Federal Water Control Bill Source: www.fb.org WASHINGTON, D.C., October 27, 2010 – Farmers and ranchers would face burdensome federal regulatory control if provisions of a restrictive Senate water bill make it through the “lame duck” session of Congress, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. AFBF and a coalition of other groups are vowing to oppose any effort to attach the Chesapeake Clean... read more

E15 for 2007 and Newer Vehicles Benefits America

E15 for 2007 and Newer Vehicles Benefits America Source: www.fb.org WASHINGTON, D.C., October 13, 2010 – The Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of E15 (gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol) for model year 2007 and newer cars and light-duty trucks is a step toward strengthening America’s commitment to home-grown energy, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Ethanol is a... read more

LDAF crews continue to handle wildfires, dry conditions

LDAF crews continue to battle wildfires, dry conditions Source: http://ldaf.la.gov
Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) wildland firefighting crews battled 19 wildfires Oct. 28 across Louisiana. The fires scorched more than a thousand acres.
Sixty-six LDAF crewmembers worked to suppress the wildfires. LDAF forestry enforcement personnel are investigating the causes of the fires. Two wildfires, one at Esto and another... read more

Winter is best time to select and plants trees

Winter is best time to select and plant trees By Dan Gill, LSU AgCenter Horticulturist
November through early December is about the best time to plant trees in Louisiana. The soil is still warm, which encourages vigorous root growth, and trees will have several months to get established before next summer’s heat. At the same time, the weather is cool and the trees are going dormant, which reduces stress. Generally generous rainfall during winter makes constant attention to watering unnecessary, although... read more

LSU AgCenter produces first broilers in new houses

LSU AgCenter produces first broilers in new houses
HOMER, La. – The first flock of chickens in the new poultry demonstration houses at the LSU AgCenter Hill Farm Research Station has reached the target weight and has been processed by House of Raeford.
Raeford’s goal for this flock was a nine-pound bird in eight weeks, said Bill Owens, Hill Farm resident coordinator. The flock reached the goal three days early with an average bird weight of 8.93 pounds and a conversion rate of 2.04 pounds of feed for each one... read more

First Caddo Parish cotton bale auctioned

First Caddo Parish cotton bale auctioned SHREVEPORT, La. – The first bale of cotton ginned this year in Caddo Parish was sold to a group of bidders for $4,100 on Oct. 28 at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum during a producers luncheon at the State Fair of Louisiana. The cotton was produced by Dan and Steve Logan. Steve Logan is a third-generation farmer in Gilliam. The Logans grew 1,200 acres of cotton this year, and Steve Logan said December cotton has reached its highest price point since the Civil War on the New York Cotton... read more

What to do when Hayis Short

What to Do When Hay Is Short: Stretching Hay in Times of Drought Paul Beck, Ph.D., PAS, Associate Professor, UofA Recently, parts of Arkansas have undergone a severe summer drought. Summer droughts are not something that would normally be considered unusual, but with temperatures topping over 100 for weeks on end and very limited rainfall from June through August, this year's drought was especially severe. Hay for winter feeding is in short supply and, in some cases, is already being fed to livestock on short pastures. This is... read more

The Nirtogen value of Clover

The Nitrogen Value of Clover Source: Mike Turpin, USDA /NRCS Grazing Lands Specialist
Adding clover to your grazing system can pay huge dividends in the form of high quality grazing and reduced nitrogen fertilization costs. Due to rapidly increasing fertilizer prices, there has been a tremendous increase in interest in planting and grazing forage legumes, such as clover. Forage legumes have the ability to remove or “fix” atmospheric nitrogen in a form that plants can utilize. The legume plant itself... read more

Just Rambling March 2011

Just Rambling:
I would like to congratulate Jimmy Hoppe of Fenton, LA on the award he received from the Louisiana Rice Council for his work as their President and in promoting the rice industry. Donnette and I met Jimmy many years ago on a trip to Washington D.C. for 4-H volunteers. Jimmy is a fine individual and a good rice farmer. Each year at the North Louisiana Ag Expo we get to see Jimmy and purchase rice from him. Jimmy produces a Jasmine rice that is great—we love it. If you are interested in ordering rice from Hoppe Farms,... read more