Friday, December 16

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the SU Land-Grant Campus


SU Ag Center now accepting meat pre-sales for Annual Livestock Show


Baton Rouge, La – The Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center will host its’ 74th Annual State Livestock & Poultry Show on March 2 - 4, 2017 at the Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena, Hwy. 61 North, in Baton Rouge, LA.

The Livestock Show Office is currently accepting pre-orders for non-processed choice meats from various livestock. All proceeds from meat sales go directly to participating youth as a reward for their hard work and financial investment. The following meat choices and quantities are now available for pre-order:

·         Whole beef $2,000
·         Half beef $1,000
·         Fourth beef $500
·         Whole pork $225
·         Whole lamb $200
·         Whole goat is $175
Those who don’t pre-order their meat are invited to do so during the show’s ‘Junior Auction Sale’ on Saturday, March 4 beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The office will deliver the meat to two locations, either the Cutrer Slaughter House in Kentwood (985) 229-2478 or Rouchers in Plaquemine (225) 687-4258.   

There is a processing fee that is not included in the original cost of the meat. All purchases must be paid by money order or check and made payable to the Southern University Ag Center Livestock Show, prior to picking up the meat from the slaughter house.

Donations to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank are also welcome.

Southern University has held an annual Livestock Show since 1943 and has continued the tradition of providing an opportunity for the state’s youth to showcase their animals, gain entrepreneurship skills and receive character and leadership training.

For more information on the SU Ag Center’s Livestock Show, how to participate in the show or how to purchase meat; visit http://www.suagcenter.com/livestock-programs or contact the Livestock Show Office at 225.771.5270 or 225.771.6208.

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Wednesday, December 14

SU Land-grant Campus participates in joint Ag Center Annual Conference

Chancellor-Dean Phills addresses annual conference audience with updates from the SU Land-grant Campus
Baton Rouge, La. – Chancellor-Dean Bobby R. Phills presented updates on the Southern University Land-gran Campus during the joint annual conference hosted by the LSU AgCenter, December 13-14. In his address, Dr. Phills emphasized partnership across the three arms of the land-grant units – teaching, research and outreach between the two agricultural centers in all program area. 
In his updates from the LSU AgCenter, Vice President and Dean Bill Richardson stressed the importance of using available resources to provide quality programs in Louisiana despite the on-going budget cuts.
Both administrators focused on moving the agricultural centers in Louisiana to a better place.
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Monday, December 12

Southern University Ag Center is Nutritionally Yours!

Stephanie M. Elwood, center, interacting with students at Bridge Academy as they start their fall gardens in Kindergarten and 1st Grade classes
Baton Rouge, La. - The Southern University Land-Grant Campus is Nutritionally YoursNutritionally Yours encompasses the Land-Grant Campus’s signature Extension nutrition programs and serves 13 parishes in the state. Our signature nutrition programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Education Program (SNAP-Ed), the Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP), Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods (C.H.E.F) Camp & Growing Healthy Initiative. Our Nutritionally Yours programs provide direct and indirect education to the citizens of Louisiana using a policy, systems and environmental change (PSE) approach. The policy, systems and environmental change approach goes beyond programming into the systems that create the structures in which our program clientele live, work and play.

Nutritionally Yours intends to do just that through our Growing Healthy Initiative. The planting of vegetable gardens, fruit trees, berry bushes, classroom container gardens, are all used to help increase nutrition knowledge and encourage behavioral change amongst our clientele. The Growing Healthy Initiative provides hands-on nutrition education, fresh foods access and sustainable environment in our Nutritionally Yours sites.  The initiative is implemented by our Family and Consumer Science Agents and SNAP-Ed, EFNEP Nutrition Educators.

As part of the Growing Healthy Initiative, Stephanie M. Elwood, Extension Associate, and Kiyana E. Kelly, East Baton Rouge Nutrition Educator, started fall gardens for 125 students in two classes at Bridge Academy in Baton Rouge. Vegetables like Arugula, Bok Choy, Cabbage and Mustard Greens were planted in the gardens on December 5. 

Our nutrition education programming aims to educate the citizens of Louisiana about the positive benefits of making healthy nutritional choices, expanding their food dollar, and preparing food safely.

For more information about the Nutritionally Yours programs, contact us at 225-771-2242 or ellen_mcknight@suagcenter.com.
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Thursday, December 1

Southern University Ag Students Sponsored Clothing Bank huge Success

Ms. Stewart shopping during the clothing bank event in the Southern Niche Boutique on SU Baton Rouge campus
Baton Rouge, La - The clothing bank event took place on Thursday, December 1, from 9:00 a.m.-12 Noon in the student-run retail boutique-laboratory, Southern Niche in Pinkie Thrift Hall.  Members of the community turned out for the student-sponsored event hosted for individuals affected by the recent flood in Baton Rouge. Flood victims were able to select clothing, shoes, and other accessories at no cost, with assistance from Jasmine Guillory, MBA graduate student who was excited to help in coordinating the event.

“I believe this was an amazing event, and I am so happy I was able to be a part of such an occasion,” said Guillory.

One beneficiary of the clothing bank, Brandy Steward is a two-month employee of the Mayberry Dining Hall on Southern’s campus.  This mother of five young children expressed her gratitude for the clothing bank which she learned about through the Digest publication. 

“I’m happy they did this. I lost everything in the flood. I think it is great that you are doing this because I missed the first time they did it. This is wonderful,” said Stewart.

Dr. Doze Butler, Associate Dean for the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences serves as lecturer for FCSC 497, Sustainably in Design, Apparel Merchandising and Textiles in the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences, as well as Project Director of the Southern Niche Retail Boutique-laboratory.

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