Leadership

Ag Leader Program Grooms Best, Brightest For the LSU AgCenter’s Agricultural Leadership Development Program, the vision is to develop leaders who can tackle challenges. The reality is a program that has produced more than 275 graduates since 1988. New class begins LSU AgCenter leadership program (Distributed 01/17/08) Twenty-five men and women from across Louisiana began a two-year venture in the LSU AgCenter’s Agricultural Leadership Development Program when they attended their first class last week (Jan. 8-10) in Baton Rouge. Ag Leaders visit nation’s Capitol (Distributed 06/30/08) Participants in the LSU AgCenter’s Agricultural Leadership Development Program visited Washington, D.C., in mid-June as part of the two-year study program. Briefings on agricultural issues and visits with Louisiana’s legislative delegation were some of the highlights of the June 10-14 study tour to Washington, D.C., for this 11th class to participate in the program coordinated by the LSU AgCenter. Chalkley family The Chalkley family of Lake Charles established an endowed chair for Ag Leadership that attracted a $400,000 match from the state of Louisiana. more...

Disaster Resilient Communities

LSU AgCenter Lessons Help Students Learn About Storms, Coastal Erosion, More Students at South Cameron Elementary School recently learned about beach erosion control by using an LSU AgCenter lesson plan about hurricanes. The educational material, which is being made available to schools throughout the area, includes details on how storms are formed, Hurricane Rita’s effects on agriculture in the area, hurricane terms, hurricane preparation measures and more. Take ‘Hurricane Quiz’ To Determine If You’re Prepared Having the right answers before a storm comes your way can help you be prepared if a hurricane strikes. Protect Your Boat During Hurricane Season You need to take some precautions during hurricane season if you have a boat moored, docked or stored in a recreational harbor along the Gulf Coast, an LSU AgCenter expert says. more...

Pest Management

‘Termite hunters’ hard at work in New Orleans (Distributed 12/22/07) Armed with flashlights and long, sharp probes, LSU AgCenter inspectors search for termites in homes and businesses in the historic New Orleans French Quarter. They crawl through attics and prowl every room in a building, poking at walls suspected of harboring termites and knocking on baseboards listening for hollow sounds that would indicate termites have eaten away the wood. more...

Public Policy

Louisiana's Rural Poverty This fact sheet breaks down the poverty rates by parish and population density. It includes a map of the areas of persistent poverty in Louisiana. more...

Community Rural Development

Evaluating Board Leaders Evaluating the performance of leaders is critical to the development oforganizations and communities. From a review of the work by Collins (2001), we develop a list of ten questions that provide one way to measure the performance of leaders. The tool can be used to define performance expectations of leaders, which can prevent misunderstandings among board members and their respective leaders, and in turn, unresolvedconflicts. Virtual Malls Expanding into Global Markets - Virtual Mall is an Internet site that looks and functions like a shopping mall or department store. It is an online "one stop" destination to buy a variety of goods and services. 10 Frequently Asked Questions for Small Business Start-Ups Every person starting or wanting to start a business has questions.As soon as one question is answered another one arises. In fact, most people ask several questions at once. Of all the questions asked, below are the ten asked most frequently. Creating Your Own E-Business In 10 Easy Steps There are many advantages to opening an e-business. An e-business eliminates the need for a storefront and allows the owner to have flexible hours. It can also expand markets for existing brick-and-mortar businesses. In addition, owning an e-business is an advantage for some people who have physical challenges and cannot work in a normal work environment. Louisiana Community Economic Readiness Index Worksheet A tool for community groups to assess their readiness for economic development. Deliberative Forums on Saving Agricultural Lands with Citizens of Farming Communities of Tangipahoa Parish Deliberative Forums are national issue forums which bring people together to talk about important community issues. They focus on specific issues ranging from small study circles held in peoples’ homes to large community gatherings modeled on New England town meetings. Deborah C. Cross, CED area agent of South Central Region and the lead coordinating facilitator, compiled this summary from the Deliberative Forums. more...