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| Ag Institute graduates |
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| Ribbon-cutting ceremony |
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| Conference session |
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| Young poet, Christina Gary |
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| Graduation Speaker - Felicia Bell, Class II Ag Institute Graduate |
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| Honorees - Louisiana Ag Living Legends |
Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern
University Ag Center touts the success of the five events hosted March 19-21 for
the 5th Louisiana Small Farmers Conference. The Ribbon Cutting
Ceremony for the Sustainable Ag Urban Demonstration Farm was the perfect
beginning to a wonderful series of events. Two local schools attended the
ribbon cutting along with 20 farmers and all of the dignitaries to include Hon.
Mike Strain, Commissioner, LA Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry; the Hon.
Melvin “Kip” Holden, Mayor-President, EBR Parish; Representative Dalton Honore,
District 63; Dr. Monique Winfield, Vice President, SU System; Mr. Flandus
McClinton, Interim Chancellor, SUBR; Dr. Adell Brown, Jr., Executive Vice
Chancellor and VC for Research, and Dr. Gina E. Eubanks, Vice Chancellor for
Extension, SU Ag Center.
One of the students from Martin
Luther King Christian Academy told his teacher that he was planning on
attending college at LSU, but now he has to come to Southern for college to check
on the plant he planted in the raised bed in the farm. (That's cute and speaks
volumes to the innocence of children). We already have six requests for other
school groups to tour.
“The evening ended with a reception
that everyone enjoyed,” said Dr. Dawn Mellion-Patin, event coordinator.
On Friday, the conference moved into
full gear with moderators and presenters working as a team, followed by the
Louisiana Living Legends Banquet at night. The three legends honored were: Dr. Bobby
R. Phills, program director for the Science Center and professor in the College
of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture at Florida A&M
University in Tallahassee; Mr. George Moody accepting the award for Ms. Freddie
Johnson, his aunt, a retired Southern University food and nutrition professor;
and Mr. Elvadus Fields, former county agent and farm management specialist at
Southern University, now retired, of St. Joseph.
Terrence Marshall, Extension Agent,
East Baton Rouge Parish, was the speaker and shared the history of the 2nd
Morrill Act, the legislation that created the 1890 land grant institutions in
an outstanding fashion.
The conference concluded with Louisiana
Small Farmer Agricultural Leadership Institute Graduation Ceremony, held on
Saturday morning with 14 participants graduating, including Extension Country Agents,
Odis Hill, Morehouse & Union Parishes; and Thomas Legiandenyi, East and
West Carroll Parishes. Terry Washington, Rapides Parish, graduated in the
previous class.
The graduation speaker was Felicia
Bell, graduate of Class II of the regional leadership class. And the highlight
of the event was Miss Christina Gary, a seven-year old 3rd grader performing an
excerpt from a sermon by Bishop Eddie Long and another from Maya Angelou's
poem, “Still I Rise.” Her renditions were the best tributes to our new
leaders.
An article entitled Three new members join Southern U’s agricultural ‘legends’ features the Louisiana Living Legends Banquet and
is available on the LSU AgCenter website.
The event was organized by Dawn
Mellion-Patin, Ph. D., MBA, Specialist, Agriculture, and Project Director, who
can be reached at (225) 771-2242.
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