(Distributed 09/20/10) An LSU AgCenter research team is evaluating the effectiveness of biodispersants to replace chemical dispersants used in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

(Distributed 09/24/10) Shrimpers are benefiting from a direct-sales method using the Internet to announce when they will be coming ashore with a fresh catch. The Twin Parish Port Commission – along with the LSU AgCenter and Sea Grant – has created a marketplace, Delcambre Direct Seafood, where consumers are able to contact seafood producers (fishers) directly to purchase fresh shrimp and other seafood when they arrive at the dock.

(Distributed 09/14/10) TALLULAH, La. – Longtime 4-H volunteer Ann Keene, of Tallulah, La., will be inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame Oct. 8 in Washington, D.C.

(Distributed 09/27/10) The LSU AgCenter will host a natural resource enterprises workshop Tuesday, Nov. 9, at Curry Farms in Rayville.

(Distributed 09/08/10) The LSU AgCenter will present a feral hog seminar Sept. 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the police jury meeting room in the Bossier Parish Courthouse in Benton.

(Distributed 09/23/10) A workshop on year-round commercial vegetable and cut-flower production using high tunnels has been set for Nov. 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 09/23/10) The Burden Horticulture Society announces a call for entries to its first juried art exhibition. The theme for the show is “A Brush with Burden,” according to Judy Weaver, with the Burden Horticulture Society.

(Distributed 09/28/10) FRANKLIN, La. – Twenty youngsters gathered at the St. Mary Parish courthouse to cook, learn and play. These nine- to 12-year-olds will meet monthly as part of the LSU AgCenter’s Operation Cook program.

(Distributed 09/09/10) New Louisiana laws may help stop feral hogs from impeding other wildlife populations such as deer and turkey. The elusive hogs also cause property damage and devalue land leased for hunting.

(Distributed 09/24/10) The LSU AgCenter is offering classes for home renovators to become Lead Certified Renovators.

(Distributed 09/15/10) BOSSIER CITY, La. – Planning your weekly food menu not only saves money, it also gives you control over such ingredients as salt, sugar and fat.

(Distributed 09/17/10) Bedbugs are more of a nuisance than a health hazard, but they should be correctly identified and dealt with, according to several LSU AgCenter entomologists.

(Distributed 09/07/10) September is National Preparedness Month and the peak of the Atlantic/Gulf hurricane season. This month, the Louisiana House Resource Center, called LaHouse features exhibits and information on many topics to help make your home and landscape more resistant to hurricanes.

(Distributed 09/27/10) SHREVEPORT, La. – Vélo Dendro S Deux, a leisurely bicycle tour of Shreveport’s most significant trees, is set for Saturday, Oct. 23, led by Shreveport native Hallie Dozier, an urban forester with the LSU AgCenter in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 09/13/10) Take-all root rot, a disease caused by a soil-borne fungus, has become a major concern in St. Augustine grass lawns across Louisiana, according to LSU AgCenter experts.

(Distributed 09/29/10) As demand for blueberries keeps increasing so does the need for more people to grow them. To promote both the production of blueberries and their nutritional value, the LSU AgCenter has developed a new website, www.eXtension.org/blueberries.

(Distributed 09/01/10) A weed is just a plant that’s out of place. Weed control is possible with the right herbicide applied at the right time, said Chuck Griffin, LSU AgCenter agent, while presenting “Weed Control for Lawns” at the LSU AgCenter’s Lunch and Ag Discovery session Aug. 31 at the Red River Research Station in Bossier City.

(Distributed 09/17/10) FENTON, La. – Louisiana soybean farmers are on the brink of a successful year with good prices as harvesting starts on more than 1 million acres of the commodity.

(Distributed 09/08/10) Crates of crabs sit on the bustling dock of Pontchartrain Blues, a crab processing facility in Slidell, La., on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. Last month crabs were just trickling in. But owner Gary Bauer was determined to stay open to keep his customers supplied and his labor force working.

(Distributed 09/14/10) New Orleans, La – After years of moving and being separated into several groups, the LSU AgCenter’s Orleans Parish office has found a home in New Orleans City Hall.

(Distributed 09/23/10) Almost any time of year is a good time to “Get it Growing” in Louisiana, and the LSU AgCenter’s latest edition of its lawn and garden calendar can help you do just that. The recently published 2011 Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar is designed to help gardeners and others learn about and enjoy gardening in Louisiana.

(Distributed 09/23/10) The Burden Horticulture Society, in conjunction with the LSU Rural Life Museum, will sponsor extra events at Harvest Days on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16-17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(Distributed 09/22/10) LITTLE FLORIDA BEACH, La. – Students from two Lake Charles schools drew a line in the sand against coastal erosion. The students hit the beach on Sept. 19-20 to place 5,000 plants of bitter panicum to act as a defense against the attacks of wave action and high tides.

(Distributed 09/29/10) Visitors can enter the world of agriculture and follow a path that leads to knowledge in wildlife, crops, livestock, nutrition and 4-H at AgMagic at the State Fair of Louisiana.

(Distributed 09/27/10) The Louisiana Crawfish Research and Promotion Board is holding a referendum on Nov. 10 to reauthorize two assessments for crawfish producers. Voting is to take place at LSU AgCenter parish extension offices.

(Distributed 09/14/10) Sensory tests of a mayonnaise-like product made from rice bran oil and soy protein got high marks from a consumer study in which people were asked to taste and evaluate the product developed by researchers at the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 09/03/10)The LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy will host the Louisiana Youth Financial Educators’ Summit at the Baton Rouge Crown Plaza hotel Sept. 27-28.

(Distributed 09/01/10) The LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station has announced an open house on Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to noon.