About the LSU AgCenter

Program Highlights

Family, Nutrition and Health

If they grow it, they will eat it! That is true of 11 Lincoln Parish school garden classes. Through the leadership of the Area Nutrition Agent and help from volunteers, over 220 students had the garden to table experience of planting, watering, weeding and harvesting 7 different vegetables. Dishes and vegetables were prepared, tasted and evaluated. Students ate kale, broccoli, cabbage, Swiss chard, turnip greens, carrots, collards and sweet potatoes. The school garden projects encourage eating healthy.

4-H, Youth & Family Development

Research shows that Lincoln Parish 4-H meets needs identified by youth as essential to their positive development. Through offering 4-H Club programming to 17 parish 4-H clubs, a parish wide 4-H Junior Leadership Club and 5 project clubs in the areas of outdoor skills and livestock. Lincoln Parish 4-H provides a sense of belonging to youth. Research suggests that belonging may be the most important positive need in the lives of youth. 4-H provides youth the opportunity to have their physical and emotional needs met while belonging to a group. The Lincoln Parish 4-H program currently enrolls 678 youth and includes a diverse membership of various races, cultural backgrounds and population demographics. The LSU AgCenter provides them with life skills, educational presentations, service projects, leadership skills, camps and educational resources.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

The Lincoln Parish ANR program offers quarterly meetings for cattle producers. These meetings give producers the most up-to-date information for making economical decisions for the cattle operations. Lincoln Parish also has an active Master Gardener program that has approximately 95 graduates who give back the knowledge learned in these classes to the community through volunteering in horticulture-related activities. Throughout the year, demonstrations, displays and meetings relate to water conservation in an effort to keep the public aware of declining groundwater levels of the Sparta Aquifer.

Who we reach:

• 1525 youth (includes 800 4-H members and 18 school 4-H Clubs)
• 2650 adults (2100 agriculture and natural resources and 550 family consumer sciences)

How we reach them:

4-H Clubs, school enrichment, field days, publications, newsletters, class series, website and workshops.

Expanding our efforts:

675 volunteers from 4-H, Master Gardeners, family and community.

Parish Facts

LSU AgCenter county agents provide research-based information on plant, aquaculture, wildlife and animal enterprises to Terrebonne Parish residents. The total dollar amount from these commodities were: Animal enterprises, $223,492,185; aquaculture and wildlife, $3,102,605; plant enterprises, $21,989206.

Land area — 471.38 square miles; Population —47,536; Population under 18 years old — 21.3%; Population 65 years old and over — 12.01%; Median household income — $34,424; Persons below poverty — 31.2%

Local Issues and Plans for this year

Engage youth using purposeful action steps to create a sense of belonging

• Develop and implement service-learning projects.
• Conduct various contests and activities.
• Put youth in leadership positions.
• Work with schools to encourage membership.

Promote the wise use of natural resources and protection of the environment

• Conduct quarterly cattle producer meetings.
• Write news column, Web page content and conduct seminars on agriculture practices
• Conduct farm and home educational visits.
• Conduct Master Gardener classes.

Build leaders and good citizens through 4-H youth development

• Develop and implement service-learning projects throughout the parish.
• Involve community leaders in developing and implementing service projects.
• Evaluate benefits of youth involved in service learning projects.

Strengthen families and communities

• Provide child care provider workshops.
• Conduct parenting classes.
• Provide workshop in child development for youth.
• Conduct money management workshop.

How we are funded:

You are the local supporters and beneficiaries in the LSU AgCenter extension programs. Just 20% support keeps these programs in your community. Your parish extension office offers programs in:

• Sustaining Louisiana agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
• Building leaders and good citizens through 4-H Youth Development.
• Family, nutrition and health to enhance the quality of life for Louisiana’s citizens.

LSU AgCenter State Appropriated Funds for FY 2019-2020:

• State general direct: 74.9%
• Federal funds: 13.6%
• Self-generated: 7.1%
• Statutory deductions: 4.4%