(Video News 12/21/11) Changing the way farmers feed their dairy cows can lower their costs without reducing milk production. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard says researchers with the LSU AgCenter are working on methods to help farmers produce milk more efficiently. (Runtime: 1:22)

(Radio News 12/22/11) 2012 crop outlook is similar to 2011. LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says commodity prices will drive where acres go next year, and these prices have come down. (Runtime: 1:15)

(Radio News 12/21/11) In a year marked by drought and floods, farmers in Louisiana still managed to have a good year in 2011. Dry weather allowed for easy and efficient harvests of most crops, and overall yields were respectable despite challenges. LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry said one downside was some flooded or drought-damaged crops never did get harvested. (Runtime: 1:20)

(Audio 12/19/11) Winter doesn’t seem like a prime time for pests, but our habits around the holidays and during cold weather could bring bugs into our homes. When freezes threaten, people bring in their tender potted plants, and with them insects says LSU AgCenter entomologist Dennis Ring. (Runtime: 1:30)

(Radio News 12/16/11) A burning sugarcane field releases a sweet, smoky smell, but it also sends particles and greenhouse gases into the air. LSU AgCenter chemist Jim Wang monitored a burning field to determine what is released during a burn. It is part of a larger study funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to learn more about how sugarcane production affects the environment. (Runtime: 1:45)

(Video News 12/15/11) Pies, candies and even side dishes and salads are laced with pecans during the holiday season. This nut figures large in Louisiana cuisine. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard visited a pecan processing facility to see how the season is going. (Runtime: 1:27)

(Radio News 12/14/11) The Mexican rice borer, a pest that threatens the state sugarcane crop, is moving east into sugar production areas. The insect was first detected in Louisiana two years ago in Calcasieu Parish but has now been confirmed in Cameron, Jefferson Davis and Beauregard parishes as well says LSU AgCenter entomologist Gene Reagan. (Runtime: 1:35)

(Video News 12/12/11) Louisiana’s sugarcane harvest is ahead of schedule. Dry weather is helping farmers move quickly through their fields and harvest clean cane. An early harvest reduces the risk of a freeze damaging the cane. (Runtime: 1:24)

(Radio News 12/14/11) The LSU AgCenter’s Southeast Research Station held a field day to show dairy farmers pasture and grazing techniques that can help their cows produce milk more cheaply and efficiently. Station coordinator Mike McCormick explains. (Runtime: 1:10 seconds)

(Radio News 12/13/11) In the southeast portion of the state, LSU AgCenter researchers are helping Louisiana’s dairy industry survive despite challenges like high prices for fuel, feed and fertilizer. Milk prices have been high, but Mike McCormick, coordinator of the LSU AgCenter's Southeast Research Station, says that hasn’t helped producers. (Runtime: 1:10)