Friday, December 20

SU Ag Center teaches Thrive Academy students to harvest greens

Students at Thrive Academy's Garden Club recently harvested over a dozen bunches of mustard greens which they cooked for one of their meals.


Baton Rouge, La. – Southern University Ag Center’s Fast Track Grant Program has established a flourishing garden at Thrive Academy. The Center has had an agricultural presence at the school since 2013.

This year, every Monday from 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. approximately 15 students meet for the school’s Garden Club, which has have been led by garden instructor and SU Ag Center Extension Associate, Stephanie Elwood.

The campus’ 14 raised garden beds are filled with vibrantly green and deep purple-red mustard greens among other cool-weather crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and strawberries. The students recently made their first harvest of greens. Seven female students in the club enthusiastically learned how to appropriately harvest the greens, and harvested over a dozen bunches.

After the greens were harvested the school’s residential assistant (RA), the leader of the dorm, quickly called her grandmother to retrieve her best mustard greens recipe, which she shared with the whole club. 

The students at Thrive Academy were able to literally plant the seeds, harvest, cut, wash, cook and eat their mustard greens. This is an experience they can take with them for the rest of their lives, and hopefully share with their grandchildren as well. 

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Kentwood High students participate in 4-H Holiday Soft Skills Ambassador Training

Forty Kentwood High School 4-H Club members participated in the club's 2019 Holiday Soft Skills Ambassador Training on Dec. 19.


Baton Rouge, La. – Kentwood High Magnet School held its 2019 Holiday Soft Skills Ambassador Training on December 19, 2019 at the Golden Corral Buffet & Grill in Hammond, La. The Ambassador Training was open to all 4-H Club members, in grades 7th – 12th, that attend the school.

Forty youth attended the training and worked cooperatively with each other to foster a real-life application of teamwork. Youth Ambassadors were also tasked during a working Christmas Luncheon to create their own personal quotes about teamwork to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of the team.

“Alone we can do so little, together we could do so much,” was the quote that resonated with Tahlia Carter, an 8th-grade Ambassador at Kentwood High Magnet School.

As part of the training, youth organized assembly lines to package canned goods, toys, and coats to donate to God's Store House Thrift Store just in time for the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays.

For additional information about the 4-H Club activities at Kentwood High Magnet School, contact Nicolette Gordon, SU Ag Center’s Assistant Area Agent, at 985-748-9381.

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Thursday, December 19

SU Ag Center to host leadership summit for mayors and community leaders in Jonesville

Event Flyer


Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Ag Center will host its Learning Everyday About Development (L.E.A.D.) Summit for mayors and community leaders on January 30, 2020 at 9 a.m. in the Classic Venue on the Bayou, 208 4th Street, in Jonesville, La. 71343.

The summit will equip mayors, police juries, city council members and other community decision-makers with the tools to help communities reach their potential while unlocking previously untapped resources.

Topics covered during the summit will include:

·         Bettering your communities through grants
·         Community development
·         Initiatives used to develop the economy of small towns

For additional information about the L. E. A. D. Summit, contact Gerald Williams at 225-771-5782 or email him at gerald_williams@suagcenter.com.

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Wednesday, December 18

SU Ag Center now accepting meat pre-sale orders for 77th Annual Livestock Show


2020 Meat Order Form


Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Ag Center's Livestock Show Office is currently accepting pre-orders for non-processed choice beef, pork, lamb and goat meats.

All proceeds from the meat sale go directly to the youth participants 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 - $175
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 slaughterhouse. Southern University System employees are allowed to purchase meat through payroll deduction.

Individuals who don’t pre-order their meat are invited to do so during the show’s ‘Special Junior Auction Sale’ on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 9:30 a.m.

The office will deliver the meat to either Cutrer’s Slaughter House in Kentwood, 985.229.2478 or Rouchers in Plaquemine, 225.687.4258.  

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

The 77th Annual State Livestock & Poultry Show will be held February 27 – 29, 2020 at the Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena, 14600 Scenic Hwy, in Baton Rouge.

Southern University has held an annual Livestock Show since 1943 and is the only 1890 land-grant institution currently continuing 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/page/2020-livestock-show or contact the Livestock Show Office at 225.771.6208.
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SU Ag Center holds successful Fall Garden Workshop

Sarah Sims, SU Ag Center's Nutrition Educator for Madison and Richland Parishes, discussed the equipment needed to properly make preserves and jams from fresh fruits and vegetables during the 8th annual Fall Garden Workshop on Nov. 26, 2019.


Baton Rouge, La. – More than 90 teachers, backyard gardeners, and community garden coordinators attended the Southern University Ag Center’s 8th Annual Fall Garden Workshop on Nov. 26 at the M. A. Edmond Livestock Arena Multipurpose Building.

Orlando F. McMeans, Ph.D., Chancellor-Dean of the SU Ag Center and the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences, was on hand to provide greetings to the attendees.

This year’s workshop focused on learning how to preserve fruits and vegetables and abiding by the state's Cottage Food Rules and Regulations. Stephanie Elwood, Extension Associate for the SU Ag Center, facilitated a session on eating locally grown produce; Sarah Sims, SU Ag Center’s Nutrition Educator for Madison and Richland Parishes, provided instructions on the proper way to make preserves and jams from fresh fruits and vegetables; Gabriela Crespo Gautierrez, Assistant Manager of the Food Incubator at LSU’s School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, discussed the state's cottage food rules and regulations; Mila Berhane, Senior Research Associate at the SU Ag Center, demonstrated how to graft vegetables; and Yemane Ghebreiyessus, Ph.D., Professor of Urban Forestry and Soil Sciences in SU’s Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources and Marlin Ford, Ph.D., Urban Agricultural Specialist at the SU Ag Center, conducted a session on hydroponics.

For eight years, the Southern University Ag Center has held its Fall Garden Workshop as a way to educate the community and provide individuals with the tools and information needed to successfully grow their own fruits and vegetables, as well as raise farm animals.

The workshop is held on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to give teachers an opportunity to participate in the event.

The Fall Garden Workshop was co-sponsored by the SU Ag Center, its Wisteria Alliance Program and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program.

For additional information about the SU Ag Center’s Fall Garden Workshop contact Zanetta Augustine at 225-771-2591 or via email at zanetta_augustine@suagcenter.com.

View photos from the event here.

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Tuesday, December 17

Two Urban Forestry students named SAF 2019 Diversity Ambassadors


Top photo: Standing from left, Asija Rice and Simbrey Major, both students in the Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources in the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences, were named Society of American Foresters 2019 Student Diversity Ambassadors. Bottom photo: Twenty-four faculty and students from the Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources participated in the Society of American Foresters National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.
Urban Forestry Faculty and Students participated in the Society of American Foresters National Convention


Baton Rouge, La. – Southern University Urban Forestry and Natural Resources students Simbrey Major and Asija Rice were named Society of American Foresters (SAF) 2019 Student Diversity Ambassadors for the organization's national convention in Louisville, Kentucky during October 30 - November 3, 2019.

The SAF Student Diversity Ambassador Scholarship Program is designed to promote leadership skills, engagement, and understanding of the value of the forestry profession. The scholarship included the convention’s registration, an opportunity to participate in an exclusive networking luncheon, and a $450 stipend. The students were also paired with a career natural resource professional who served as a mentor throughout the convention.

To apply for the scholarship, the students had to submit an application; be interested in forestry, natural resources, terrestrial ecosystems and/or other related fields as a career; and interested in encouraging and promoting a culture of inclusion within the profession. 

Major, a graduate student, and Rice, a senior undergraduate student, competed against nearly 40 applicants from the nation’s top universities - such as Yale and Penn State - and were selected as two of the top 10 students who received the scholarship.

Major is conducting her master's degree thesis research through a NASA funded competitive project that quantifies the carbon flux of the forests and wetlands in coastal Louisiana. Her positive attitude and strong work ethic both in the field and in the lab, has earned praise from her professors at Southern University and project collaborators at Louisiana State University. Dr. Zhu Ning, project director and thesis committee chair, recommended Simbrey to the SAF for the scholarship and to the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) for its 2018 Student Ambassador Scholarship. Simbrey won both.

Rice is equally stellar. Currently, she serves as the SAF SU Student Chapter President. She demonstrated her leadership skills by organizing the chapter’s activities such as workshops, community service, fundraising, and training events. Asija has demonstrated a significant and award-worthy commitment to the chapter by being a role model for other students and serving as a well - organized and energetic leader with a tremendous passion for forestry and natural resources. Dr. Kamran Abdollahi, the faculty advisor of the SAF SU Student Chapter, recommended Asija to the SAF for the scholarship.

Major and Rice were joined by twenty-two other participants from within the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences’ Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources. Southern University’s largest participation to date at the SAF National Convention.

The participation was made available through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) McIntyre-Stennis Project on Enhancing Graduate Education and Research, the USDA Forest Service’s Urban Forestry Enhancement Project, and the USDA-NIFA Capacity Building Grant Program.

The participants included four faculty members - Drs. Kamran Abdollahi, Vanessa Ferchaud, Zhu Ning, and Yadong Qi; 13 graduate students - Eman Dakkak, Uday Bhuma, John Namwamba, Darrell Street, Brian Phillips, Caroline Akinrinwoye, Okwusi Jane, Joyce Peralta, Lakshmi Dasari, Dawn Crosby, Wilbert Thomas, Hande Suslu, and Tyrus Georgetown; and five undergraduate students - Aaliyah Royston, Brooke Mcfarland, Jordan Davis, Rodney Purdy, and Terrell Lewis.

A total of 16 presentations including five oral and 11 poster presentations were made by the faculty and graduate students at the convention. The topics of the presentations covered the up-to-date research in the areas of urban forest ecophysiology, ecology, ecosystem analysis, social science and education, forest fire management, GIS/remote sensing, bioenergy, coastal research, and global climate change.

The department’s faculty and students represent the diversity and excellence in urban forestry education and research and drew the convention spotlight from among more than 1,400 attendees from more than 70 colleges and universities and professional entities around the nation.

A video featuring highlights from the Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources during the SAF National Convention is available here.


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Friday, December 13

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue encouraged graduates to be independent and courageous during SU’s Fall Commencement Ceremony

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, delivered the graduation speech for Southern University's Fall 2019 Commencement Ceremony on Dec. 13.


Baton Rouge, La. – United States Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, served as the graduation speaker for Southern University’s Fall Commencement Ceremony on Friday, Dec. 13.

Perdue encouraged the graduates to be independent, courageous, stand on their own convictions and to persevere. All characteristics of Southern University’s mascot, the jaguar.

“You’re a jaguar, don’t let the pack hold you back,” was the mantra Perdue used throughout his speech.

Perdue recognized several graduates from Southern University’s College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences who are currently employed with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). One of the graduates was Andrea Bridgewater, who became pregnant while attending the University. Bridgewater would go on to be one of the College of Agriculture’s top graduates in 2014 and is now the District Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Bossier City, La. She is the youngster conservation service supervisor in the state of Louisiana.

He also told the audience about Devon Gales, a former Southern University football player who was paralyzed from the waist down in 2015 during the Southern University vs. Georgia State football game.

“Devon didn’t give up. With the support of your University, your great fans and (Georgia State) Bulldogs in the medical center; Georgia and Southern communities came together to support Devon who has fought his tail off in rehab and recently landed a coaching job at a high school in Georgia,” express Perdue. “Not giving up or feeling sorry for himself, that’s the Jaguar spirit. That’s exactly what’s in you and that you embody,” he told the graduates.

After giving his speech, Perdue was presented with an honorary doctorate from the University.

Nearly 400 undergraduate and graduate students receive bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees during the ceremony. Shamyra K. Walker, a native of Magnolia, Ark., was recognized as the Chief Student Marshall, the student graduating with the highest grade point average. She earned a degree in Accounting.

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Wednesday, December 11

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to be SU’s Commencement Speaker

United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will be the graduation speaker for Southern University's Fall Commencement Ceremony on Dec. 13, 2019. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.)


Baton Rouge, La. – United States Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, has been named Southern University’s Fall Commencement speaker.

Perdue has served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture since April 2017. In this position, his policies have been guided by principles which include increasing job-creation in the agriculture and agribusiness sectors, prioritizing customer service for American taxpayers and consumers, safeguarding the nation’s food supply, and ensuring the sustainability of the nation’s land resources.  

Perdue credits growing up on a farm in rural Bonaire, Georgia for his strong work ethic. Prior to running for public office, he served in the United States Air Force and achieved the rank of Captain. He has worked as a veterinarian in North Carolina and served as a Georgia State Senator for 11 years where his senate colleagues elected him to the position of President Pro Tempore. Perdue served as a two-term Governor of Georgia and was credited with reforming the states’ budget and helping to create more than 200,000 new jobs.

He has served as a board member of the National Grain and Feed Association and as President of both the Georgia and Southeastern Feed and Grain Associations.

Perdue earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia. He has been married to his wife Mary Ruff Perdue for 44 years.

Southern University’s Fall Commencement Ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on December 13 at the F. G. Clark Activity Center on the University’s campus. Nearly 400 students, 30 students within the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences, are expected to receive bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees during the ceremony.

Shamyra K. Walker, a native of Magnolia, Arkansas, will be recognized as the Chief Student Marshall, the student graduating with the highest grade point average, during the ceremony. Additional information about the Commencement Ceremony, including parking, is available here.

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Tuesday, December 3

SU Ag Center, Law Center to host Cannabis and Hemp Education Symposium

Event Flyer


Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Ag Center's Medicinal Program Institute and the Southern University Law Center’s Cannabis Compliance, Law and Policy Institute have partnered to host a Cannabis and Hemp Continuing Education Symposium. The event will be held from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on December 12 and 13 in rooms 129 and 130 of the SU Law Center.

The symposium will include panel discussions on the state’s medical marijuana and hemp programs, the 2018 Farm Bill and its impact on the legality of industrial hemp, the impact of cannabis and hemp legislation on minority and underserved populations and much more.

Registration is $225 and the symposium is open to the public. Participants can register online and view a list of sessions at http://www.sulc.edu/page/panel-sessions.

For additional information, contact Marla Dickerson, director of the Cannabis Compliance, Law and Policy Institute, at 225-771-4913 or via email at mdickerson@sulc.edu.


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Tuesday, November 26

Dr. Orlando F. McMeans writes letter about his first 60 days as the Chancellor-Dean of the SU Ag Center & College of Ag



BATON ROUGE, LA — Dr. Orlando F. McMeans, Chancellor of the Southern University Ag Center and Dean the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences, has written a letter about his first 60 days in his position.

The open letter is available here.

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Thursday, November 21

SU Ag Center holds Great American Smokeout Day Events



Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Ag Center’s Communities of Color Network will host several events on Nov. 21 for Great American Smokeout Day. 

Great American Smokeout is an annual intervention event held on the third Thursday of November every year by the American Cancer Society. Approximately 40 million American adults still smoke, and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the country. The event challenges people to quit smoking on that day or use the day to make a plan to quit.

The SU Ag Center’s Communities of Color Network will host the following events:

Region 1 – Ryan Sugulleh
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Southern University at New Orleans University Center
6400 Press Drive
New Orleans, LA  70126
Activity:  Tobacco presentation and cookout

Region 2- Frankie Poland
10:00 a.m. —2:00 p.m.
Iberville Parish Council on Aging              
58015 Court St., Plaquemine, LA.
Activity:  Parish Council on Aging Thanksgiving Luncheon

Region 7 – Johnetta Rhone
David Raines Community Center
2920 Round Grove Ln
Shreveport, LA 71109
10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Activity:  Workshop presentation, Booth Display, Refreshments

Region 8 – Jamea Hart
12 Noon
Emily P Roberson Rec.
3504 Jackson Street Monroe, LA 71202 12:00
Activity:  Cookout, Presentation, and Giveaways

For additional information about the SU Ag Center’s Communities of Color Network visit, http://suagcenter.com/page/communities-of-color-network or call 225-771-4456.


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Tuesday, November 19

Dr. Renita Marshall named Vice-Chancellor of the SU Ag Center and Associate Dean of the College of Ag

Dr. Renita Marshall has been appointed the Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Services at the Southern University Ag Center/ Associate Dean of the Southern University College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences.


Baton Rouge, La. – Renita W. Marshall, DVM, has been appointed the Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Services at the Southern University Ag Center/ Associate Dean of the Southern University College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences.

Dr. Marshall was appointed to the position during the Southern University Board of Supervisors' meeting on October 18, 2019.

Since 2017 Dr. Marshall has held the positions of Director of the Southern University Institute for One Health One Medicine, Department Chair of Agricultural Sciences and Professor of Animal Science.  She has also served as the Veterinarian for the Southern University Ag Center since 2012.

In her role as a professor of animal science, she served as the faculty advisor for both the Department of Animal Science’s Pre-Veterinary Club and Southern University’s Chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS). She was also a co-coordinator of the Southern University College of Sciences and Agriculture’s Beginning Agricultural Youth Opportunities Unlimited (BAYOU) Program.

Prior to teaching at the college, Renita was employed with the Southern University Ag Center for more than a decade. During that time, she held the titles of Interim Associate Research Director and Livestock Programs Director.

Dr. Marshall has received several certifications which include a Pharmacy Certification from the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy. She is also a United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency Controlled Substance Certified Veterinarian, and a United States Department of Agriculture Category II Accredited Veterinarian.

She has secured $7.5 million in grant funds to expand teaching, research and extension programs at Southern University and has written several scholarly articles on small ruminants, swine, cattle, water resources, animal reproduction, and minority-owned small farm operations.

Renita is a member of numerous community and professional organizations. She is a member of the Baton Rouge Zoo’s Advisory Board, Southern University’s representative for the Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency (MOHSEP) Animal Disaster/Evacuation and a member of the Next Generation Global Health Security Network.

Dr. Marshall earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Southern University, a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Missouri – Columbia and a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University’s School of Veterinary Medicine.


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SU Ag Center Names Dr. Calvin Walker Executive Vice-Chancellor

Dr. Calvin Walker has been named the Executive Vice-Chancellor and Director of Department: Agriculture, Research and Extension Center Special Projects at the SU Ag Center.


Baton Rouge, La. – Calvin Walker, Ph.D., has been named the Executive Vice-Chancellor and Director of Department: Agriculture, Research and Extension Center Special Projects at the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

The position was approved on October 18 during the Southern University Board of Supervisors' regular meeting in Baton Rouge, La.

Walker recently held the position of interim Chancellor- Dean of the Southern University Ag Center and the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences.

For more than 30 years, Dr. Walker has been a professor of animal science at Southern University and A&M College.

He has also served as Associate Vice-Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives, Auxiliary Services, and External Affairs; Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology Development; Chairman of the Department of Agricultural Sciences; Chair of Agricultural Sciences and Urban Forestry; Southern University Baton Rouge campus’ Division Leader of Agricultural Sciences; and Program Leader of Animal Science.

Dr. Walker earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Louisiana Tech University and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Animal Science from Oregon State University.

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Wednesday, November 13

Southern University’s local MANRRS Chapter hosts Annual Sweet Potato Sale

Event Flyer


Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University chapter of the Minority in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) - a student organization - is currently taking orders for its Annual Sweet Potato Sale.

Individuals can purchase 40 pound boxes of sweet potatoes for $20, 15-pound bags for $12 and 10-pound bags for $7. Payment is required with your order in the form of cash, checks and money orders. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the SU Foundation/ MANRRS Chapter.

The deadline to place an order is Thursady, November 14, 2019.
           
Pick-ups will occur  from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on November 21 – November 22 and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 23 at the SU Ag Center’s back parking lot.

For additional information contact, Dr. Janana Snowden at 225-771-2242 or Dr. Devaiah Kambiranda at 225-771-3254.

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Middle schoolers pick their passion during SU Ag Center’s 4-H NYSD

Students at Park Forest Middle School participated in National Youth Science Day's Game Changers activity on November 11, 2019.



Baton Rouge, La. – Students at Park Forest Middle School had the opportunity to “Pick Their Passion” on Nov. 11, using this year’s National Youth Science Day (NYSD) Game Changers activity!

The event was designed to inspire youth to take an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) topics through hands-on learning experiences – with this year’s focus on computer science and coding. Projects ranged from baseball games to trips to the moon!

This group of talents students was led by Ms. Tyler Colson and Frank Sparks under the supervision of Principal, Mr. Curtis Walker!

Students received assistance from Chelsea Hammond, SU Ag Center’s Youth Agent for Orleans Parish; Keenan Villory, Southern University Ag Student; Milissia John-Baptiste; and Tiffany Franklin, both from the SU Ag Center’s State Office.

The Game Changers, designed by Google and West Virginia University Extension Service, aims to teach kids how to use computer science (CS) to create games and engage with topics they care passionately about.

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Monday, October 28

SU College of Ag set to host Career and Graduate School Expo

Event Flyer


Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences will host a Career and Graduate School Expo from 10 a.m. – 2 pm. on October 31 in Seymour Gym on the campus of Southern University.

The expo is free and open to all Southern University students who are interested in learning about agricultural career opportunities and graduate programs.

More than 15 exhibitors are registered to attend the event.

Students are asked to bring resumes and dress in business professional attire.

For more information, contact Dr. Harold Mellieon at harold_mellieon@subr.edu.

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Friday, October 25

SU Ag Center reschedules Personal Health History Workshop in Greensburg

Event Flyer


Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Ag Center has rescheduled its Personal Health History Workshop in Greensburg, La. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Northshore Technical Community College’s Florida Parishes Campus, 7067 Highway 10.


The workshop was initially scheduled for October 17 at the same time and location but was rescheduled due to a scheduling conflict with several of our partners.

The free workshop will feature sessions on:

  • ·         Knowing your family medical history
  • ·         Getting the most from your doctor’s visit
  • ·         What’s a Power of attorney?
  • ·         Information on Living Wills
  • ·         Eating healthy at every age
  • ·         The harmful effects of tobacco
  • ·         Information on the USDA rural housing repair program

For additional information about the Personal Health History Workshop, email nicolette_gordon@suagcenter.com, burnell_muse@suagcenter.com, or amyles@agcenter.lus.edu or call 225-222-4136.


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Tuesday, October 15

SU Ag Center's Medicinal Marijuana Program to Host Job Fair



Baton Rouge, La. – The Southern University Ag Center’s Southern Institute for Medicinal Plants will host a job fair on Monday, October. 21. The Institute is hosting the fair for its medicinal marijuana program partner, Ilera Holistic Healthcare. Candidates will be interviewed on-site from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Ag Center’s M.A. Edmond Livestock Arena's Multipurpose Building, located at 14600 Scenic Highway Baton Rouge, LA 70507. 

Positions available: 
  • 6 Cultivation Technicians
    • 2 - Packing (hiring within 60-90 days out)
    • 2 - Trimmers (hiring within 60-90 days out)
    • 2 - Extracting (hiring within 60-90 days out)
  • 2 Sales and Education Outreach Reps
  • 1 Controller

Applications will also be available for other upcoming positions.


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Monday, October 14

BYP’s October 18th Trail Ride and Camp-out Canceled

The BYP Trail Ride and Camp-out scheduled for Oct. 18-20, 2019 has been canceled. 


Baton Rouge, La. – The Barnyard Posse’s BYP Zydeco Trail Ride and Camp-out scheduled for October 18-20, 2019 at the Southern University Ag Center’s Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena has been canceled.

The SU Ag Center apologizes for any inconvenience this cancellation may have caused.

Individuals seeking additional information regarding the cancellation of the trail ride can contact, Dr. Calvin Walker at 337-344-8634.


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SARDI and Agromen, Inc. set to co-host Community Fall Festival on Oct. 19

Event Flyer


Baton Rouge, La. – The Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development Institute (SARDI) has partnered with Agromen Inc., to host a Community Fall Festival on October 19. The free event will be held from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at SARDI’s office, located at 1209 Diesi Street, in Opelousas, La.
           
The festival will include demonstrations on planting Fall crops, small ruminant, and farm safety.

There will also be several informational sessions on Hemp, health and wellness, and a kid's carnival featuring a petting zoo along with carnival games and activities.

Agromen Incorporated is a non-profit agricultural organization in St. Landry Parish. The organization, which has been in existence for 25 years, consists of professional African American men who assist the community with agricultural-related topics. Each year the organization holds an annual field day in St. Landry Parish.

SARDI is a satellite campus of the Southern University Ag Center housed in Opelousas, La. The Institute focuses on improving the socio-economic well-being of citizens in rural communities within a ten-parish region of St. Landry, Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Evangeline, Lafayette, Pointe Coupee, St. Martin, and Vermillion.

For additional information about the Fall Festival, contact Chasity Johnson at 337-943-2410 or email sardi@suagcenter.com.


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Friday, October 11

SU Ag Center to host Climate Modeling Workshop



Baton Rouge, La. – The SU Ag Center’s Air, Nutrient, Soil, Water, Ecosystem, and Remote Sensing (SU-ANSWERS) Institute will host a two-day Educational Global Climate Modeling (EdGCM) Workshop on October 15-16, 2019.

The workshop will be held in the GIS Laboratory, room 390, of the P.B.S. Pinchback Engineering Building on the campus of Southern University. The October 15 session will begin at 1 p.m., and the October 16 session will begin at 9:30 a.m.

EdGCM is a software suite that allows users to run a fully functional 3D Global Climate Model (GCM) on laptops or desktop computers. The Global Climate Model was developed by NASA and has been used in research projects by scientists worldwide to study climates of the past, present, and future. EdGCM provides a user-friendly interface, as well as a database and scientific visualization tools that make it possible for educators and students to access some of NASA’s most advanced climate modeling capabilities.

The aim of this workshop is to equip students and educators with a scientific model to predict climate change and assess the impacts of changing climates.

The workshop is free and open to the public. For registration information, contact Zhu Ning, Ph.D., Director of the SU-ANSWERS Institute and Endowed Professor in the SU College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences, at zhu_ning@subr.edu or by calling 225-771-6292.

The EdGCM Workshop is funded by a USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Capacity Building Grants titled, “A Modeling Approach to Climate Change and Natural Resource Education.” EdGCM is the creation and intellectual property of Columbia University and NASA.

The mission of the SU-ANSWERS Institute is to promote natural and biological resources conservation through research, education, and service to communities both in urban and rural settings. For additional information about the SU-ANSWERS Institute click here

NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and Columbia University Center for Climate Systems Research are co-sponsors of this event.
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