The LSU AgCenter’s LaHouse is designed to hold up against strong winds and flooding and serve as a model for how to build homes with hurricane-resistant features. The model home and resource center is located on a 7-acre site near the LSU Golf Course off the Nicholson Drive on Gourrier Ave.

More than 4 million young people have been part of Louisiana 4-H since its beginnings in 1908. Now 4-H alumni have the opportunity to revisit those experiences – some of which were life-changing – by planning a trip to a new museum in Mansura dedicated to 4-H.

The LSU AgCenter offers home gardeners opportunities to develop their skills and share their knowledge with others through participation in the Louisiana Master Gardener program.

Mosquitoes buzz around Louisiana every day of the year. More than 60 species inhabit the state. While many are benign, some are carriers – or vectors – of several worrisome diseases. It's everyone's responsibility to keep their numbers down.

Louisiana is renowned as an outdoor sports paradise. It’s a reputation earned by the world-class outdoor opportunities found across the state. To take advantage of these opportunities and make them safer, Louisiana 4-H is involved with an outdoor skills program that has become the fastest growing program within 4-H.

From cotton and corn to soybeans and cattle, just about every major agricultural commodity in Louisiana grows in central Louisiana. The LSU AgCenter’s Dean Lee Research Station in Alexandria serves this region, the heart of Louisiana agriculture.

Teach the young about the value of Louisiana’s coastline and marshes, and they’ve learned a lesson for a lifetime. That’s the philosophy behind the LSU AgCenter’s annual series of Marsh Maneuvers camps. They’re unique opportunities to mix fun with education – and in the end, help save our coast.

Community gardens are blossoming in Shreveport neighborhoods and providing access to cheap, healthy food for the people who live there.

When the Jesuit priests first brought sugarcane to Louisiana in 1751, little did they know that they were laying the foundation for an industry that now contributes $2 billion to the state's economy. The industry could not be sustained, however, without the research of the LSU AgCenter.

The long-term effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on coastal wildlife are unknown. Of particular concern is the habitat for future generations and how the diversity of the ecosystem will be affected.

Northeast Louisiana's economy depends on the LSU AgCenter’s Northeast Research Station near St. Joseph in Tensas Parish. That's because agriculture is the backbone of the regional economy, contributing about $1 billion.

Since 1908, the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station has been conducting research and developing new rice varieties that benefit the rice industry in Louisiana and help put rice on the table for families around the world. Rice farmers in Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi and Missouri rely heavily on rice varieties developed at the station located in southwest Louisiana near Crowley.

The LSU AgCenter Red River Research Station in Bossier City serves the agricultural research needs of northwest Louisiana. The primary crops grown in that part of the state are cotton, soybeans and corn.

For the past 10 years, the LSU AgCenter has been heavily involved in shoring up Louisiana’s coastline with research on coastal plants and their proliferation. Now, we’re using that knowledge to help prevent permanent land loss as we join in the oil spill remediation efforts.

Though the number of dairies in Louisiana has been decreasing, the dairy industry remains strong, contributing more than $160 million to the state’s economy in 2006. Louisianans benefit from having local dairies supply fresh, wholesome milk. These local dairies exist because of the strong dairy research and extension program at the LSU AgCenter.

Louisiana is the largest supplier of domestic seafood in the continental United States. And the ability to continue to do this is threatened by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But Louisiana fisheries and aquaculture, in total, include far more than food from the sea. Here is a look at some facts about this industry as compiled in the LSU AgCenter Ag Summary for 2009.

The Burden Center is one of the LSU AgCenter’s 20 research facilities across the state, which are part of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station. Situated on a tract of 440 acres of open land in the heart of Baton Rouge, this station is home to a wide array of horticultural research projects – turfgrass, vegetable and fruit crops, trees and ornamentals.

Louisianians love pecans. And they also like to grow them. Pecan production contributes, on average, about $12 million to the Louisiana economy each year. Producers learn how to grow pecans and manage pecan orchards at the nation's No. 1 – and only – Pecan Research and Extension Station, which is located just outside of Shreveport.

Established as the Fruit and Truck Experiment Station in 1922, the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station in Hammond has served the needs of the strawberry and vegetable industries in southeast Louisiana for more than 80 years. While continuing to serve this industry, the station has focused on providing research and education for Louisiana's green service industry.

A well-groomed, lush, green lawn is not only pleasing to look at but adds value to housing property. The attractiveness of golf course turfgrass is one of the reasons this sport is so popular. But this beauty comes with a price – proper management. Here are some tips from LSU AgCenter experts.

As the end of another school year draws near, parents need to plan for what to do with the kids this summer. Summer camps are often the answer, but an LSU AgCenter family life expert says parents should ask many questions when deciding on a camp.

To give students a better understanding of Louisiana’s wetlands, the LSU AgCenter is hosting Youth Wetlands Week, April 19-23.

The LSU AgCenter’s interactive journey through Louisiana agriculture, AgMagic, returns to Parker Coliseum on LSU’s campus April 19-25. Children and families that visit will learn the many facets of farming and where their food and fiber comes from.

Two-thirds of the people who file their income tax returns do so electronically. But whether you do so by using the Internet or the mailbox, now is the time to get your papers in order. LSU AgCenter family economist Jeanette Tucker says you should know about several tax law changes that could affect your 2009 income tax return.

LSU AgCenter scientists continue to add weapons to their arsenal as they battle the spread of the Formosan subterranean termite. And they’re making headway. This pest voraciously consumes wooden structures and woody plants and causes hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Use LSU AgCenter resources to help you with the perfect plan for a beautiful lawn and garden. A beautifully landscaped yard doesn’t just happen. It’s carefully planned.

“Get in Touch with 4-H at Camp Grant Walker!” That’s the theme of the summer 2010 4-H camping experience at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center near Pollock, La.

Get ready for spring gardening by attending one of the LSU AgCenter-sponsored shows. Experts will be at all the shows giving advice, making presentations and answering your questions.

The LSU AgCenter has agreed to partner with the U.S. Census Office to help distribute information about the importance of the 2010 Census. “It’s a natural fit. The census needs to get information out to the citizens of the state, and that’s what we do every day,” said Paul Coreil, LSU AgCenter vice chancellor and director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.

Children need it desperately. Adults long for it. And during February, we celebrate it – love. It has been the inspiration for countless poems, songs and movies, and it is vital to healthy development and well-being.

The 75th LSU AgCenter Livestock Show begins Feb. 13, with the concluding awards ceremony on Feb. 20, at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. Working with livestock helps young people develop knowledge, a sense of responsibility and skills that last a lifetime. That philosophy is at the core of the LSU AgCenter’s livestock educational programs for youth.

February is a month dedicated to the heart – in more ways than one. This is the time to celebrate love and give your sweetheart a valentine. This is also the month to wear red and call attention to prevention of the No. 1 killer of women – heart disease.

Not only do Louisiana strawberries taste good. They’re good for the state’s economy. And this year Louisiana strawberry growers will once again have a delicious crop – although delayed a little.

Routines are an important part of a baby’s life. Every day parents feed their babies and bathe their babies. But do parents routinely read to their babies? The LSU AgCenter started the Little Bookshelf program to encourage parents to read to their children.

Louisiana has stepped out ahead of all other states in the nation in helping farmers learn to voluntarily comply with stricter environmental regulations governing water quality. This has happened because of the LSU AgCenter’s Master Farmer Program.

If one of your New Year's goals is to lose weight, choose a plan that helps you make healthy lifestyle changes instead of following the latest diet craze. That's advice from Beth Reames, LSU AgCenter nutritionist.

Holidays cause stress even under the best of circumstances. And many Louisiana families continue to have far from an ideal situation this Christmas season. Loss can trigger depression during the holidays. And many Louisiana families have experienced great loss because of the hurricanes, an illness or death in the family. Some have family members far away from home in Iraq or Afghanistan or have lost their jobs.

The aim of the LSU AgCenter’s Master Cattle Producers program is to put quality beef on the table, not just hundredweight on the hoof. The program, a spinoff to the LSU AgCenter’s Master Farmer Program, is designed to help producers improve the efficiency and management of their cattle operations – and make more money.

Louisiana has gained a reputation as producing the best sweet potatoes in the world. The LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station is the only research station in the United States devoted solely to sweet potato research and development. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the AgCenter with a $2.84 million grant to study the improvement of sweet potato production.

Pointy and pretty, no flower quite has the petal power of poinsettias at the holidays. And the selection would be far fewer in Louisiana were it not for the LSU AgCenter. Although AgCenter horticulturists do not develop new varieties of poinsettias, they do evaluate the varieties that come on the market and test them for their suitability to grow here.

The nation’s financial crisis continues to put constraints on the holiday season. Unemployment rates are high, and budgets are tight. To cope, LSU AgCenter family economist Jeanette Tucker recommends approaching spending this season the way one should every year – with a plan and a budget, even if that budget is shrinking.

Louisiana’s got milk because the LSU AgCenter supports a research program that helps keep the Louisiana dairy industry surviving and thriving. In 2008, Louisiana had 180 Grade A dairy herds and produced 316 million pounds of milk and contributed about $180 million to the state’s economy.

Improvement of wild and captive white-tailed deer herds is just one of the projects at the LSU AgCenter's Idlewild Research Station near Clinton. This station, established in 1957, has been the home base for research on Louisiana’s wildlife, particularly deer – plus research on fruit crops and forest sustainability.

Pick up Louisiana citrus at roadside stands and in local markets and groceries from now through the holidays. The 2009 crop is one of the best in recent years, says Alan Vaughn, LSU AgCenter agent in Plaquemines Parish, the leading citrus-producing parish in the state.

You can fry it, brine it, grill it or roast it. Just don’t let that turkey or other foods served at the holidays spoil, says LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames. Learn ways to keep food safe and how to avoid overindulging.

Enter the World of Wonder and follow a path through a forest as you listen to birds chirping and water trickling in the wetlands. Feel the soft fur of different types of animals, and count the years of growth on a large tree “cookie.” These are some of the experiences at AgMagic – an interactive, visually stimulating educational experience for children and their families – at the State Fair of Louisiana.

Researchers at the Calhoun Research Station are developing new uses for small-diameter trees and for recycled wood. They are producing new chemicals and products by recycling preservatives and wood fiber from decommissioned telephone poles. They also have projects involving partial harvesting of unmanaged forests to improve tree growth and production of wood chips for energy.

Smart Bodies is an educational program aimed at preventing childhood obesity. A joint initiative of the LSU AgCenter and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, Smart Bodies is taught in schools across the state and helps children learn how to build strong bodies and develop active minds.

We encounter choices that affect our health all day long. Take the steps or the elevator? What to have for lunch? Watch television or go for a walk? LSU AgCenter nutrition educators are empowering people to make smart choices for a healthier lifestyle. They’re doing this through a nutrition education program aimed at a variety of audiences called Smart Choices.

Getting students excited about science is a big focus of National 4-H Week, Oct. 4-10, 2009. Students across Louisiana and the country will be making ethanol, one of the most common biofuels in the United States.

Asian soybean rust, a globe-trotting disease that ravages soybeans, found its way to North America in 2004 and has changed farming in Louisiana ever since.

Nestled among rolling pastures framed by tall pines is the LSU AgCenter’s Hill Farm Research Station – so named for the geography of Claiborne Parish, where it is located. It is the northernmost of the AgCenter’s 20 research stations across the state.

Many people feel fortunate that they managed to hold onto their jobs this year, but few were fortunate enough to see a pay increase. Some who work hourly or on commission are actually seeing a decrease in their pay check, which leaves many families trying to figure out how to live on less.

Fall is a transitional time of year for Louisiana gardeners. And the LSU AgCenter has a wealth of information to help you keep your landscaping green and blooming year-round.

“Reduce the use.” That’s the mantra of a water conservation campaign spearheaded by LSU AgCenter educators in north Louisiana, where people are dependent on the gradually disappearing Sparta Aquifer.

Yards and gardens generally look a little frayed by this time of the year. The final really hot days that usually come at the end of a long, hot summer are especially hard on plants, says LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill.

From pre-K through college, LSU AgCenter experts offer advice about preparing for and making sure of a successful school year. Getting ready involves more than students. It’s important to the family, the community and, ultimately, our society.

Developments in molecular biology, immunology and genetic engineering have given new dimensions to research on farm animal production. The LSU AgCenter’s Reproductive Biology Center is recognized worldwide as a leader in assisted reproductive technologies for use in livestock improvement, biomedical applications, and propagation of exotic and endangered animal species.

Improving the lives of Louisiana families and children has long been a goal of the LSU AgCenter. The “Be Child Care Aware!” educational campaign is one example of that work.

The "Be Child Care Aware!" initiative involves many projects including the training of child-care providers. The following photos were taken over the past two years and include some of the sites where training was held.