(Distributed 12/23/14) HAMMOND, La. – 2014 is winding down, and 2015 is near. When we think of resolutions for the coming year, most of us include losing weight, being more organized or simply an overall "being better." Resolutions are good goals to have.

(Distributed 12/22/14) BOSSIER CITY, La. – The "perfect" soybean would have great disease and herbicide resistance, excellent drought and salt tolerance, be able to withstand insect pests and be high-yielding. And LSU AgCenter plant breeder Blair Buckley is on a quest to find it.

(Distributed 12/22/14) CROWLEY, La. – Louisiana rice farmers will get a chance to hear the latest recommendations by LSU AgCenter experts at a series of meetings in January and February.

(Distributed 12/19/14) Norfolk Island pines (Araucaria heterophylla) frequently accent our homes during the Christmas season. Make sure you keep them watered while it is on display.

(Distributed 12/19/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Master Gardeners in northeast Louisiana will hold their 5th annual gardening seminar at the West Monroe Convention Center from 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Jan. 17.

(Distributed 12/19/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – John Gaspard doesn’t think he is following in his parents’ footsteps. Although the path he is taking is similar to theirs. On Friday, Dec. 19, Gaspard, a science teacher at Rougon Elementary School in Point Coupee Parish, received a doctorate from LSU in human resource education and workforce development.

(Distributed 12/19/14) HAMMOND, La. – Amaryllis is a popular holiday plant. Bulbs are commonly available from November to late December. Forcing them to bloom during winter is not difficult, and the results are beautiful.

(Distributed 12/18/14) WINNSBORO, La. – The LSU AgCenter will hold a workshop on cover crops and soil health on Jan. 21 at the Macon Ridge Research Station. Registration and refreshments will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Tom H. Scott Extension and Education Center, which is at the station. The workshop will start at 9 a.m.

(Distributed 12/15/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Thirty-six Louisiana 4-H Club members attended the 93rd annual National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Nov. 28-Dec. 2. The delegation earned the trip by winning contests at 4-H University, which took place in June 2014.

(Distributed 12/17/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The annual forestry forum held in conjunction with the AgExpo at the West Monroe Convention Center is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon on Jan. 16.

(Distributed 12/15/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Twenty-one members of the LSU AgCenter faculty and staff were recognized for their outstanding effort and career contributions at an awards ceremony held Dec. 15 at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden.

(Distributed 12/15/14) ALEXANDRIA, La. – Forage producers discussed the benefits of different forage systems and human nutrition at the Louisiana Forage and Grass Council’s annual conference on Dec. 5.

(Distributed 12/15/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter and the Prevention Research Center at Tulane University have been working with local stakeholders to identify behavioral health needs of Orleans Parish residents and are sharing best practices for improving community behavioral health.

(Distributed 12/12/14) Although plentiful in the appalachian Mountains, rhododendrons don’t show up much in Louisiana. Our heat and humidity usually lead to poor landscape performance. But a new series of heat-tolerant rhododendrons for the Lower South have been developed in Louisiana by Dr. John Thornton of Franklinton.

(Distributed 12/12/14) HAMMOND, La. – It’s late fall in Louisiana, and this is the time when people think about pruning plants in the landscape. One of the most commonly pruned plants in Southern landscapes is the crape myrtle. It is also the main plant in Southern landscapes that is pruned incorrectly.

(Distributed 12/11/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana farmers who want to become Master Farmers can begin the process by attending Phase I training on Jan. 12 at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe.

(Distributed 12/10/14) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Fred Zaunbrecher, a rice farmer in Acadia Parish and a member of the Louisiana Rice Research Board, was honored on Dec. 8 as Farmer of the Year at the USA Rice Federation Outlook Conference.

(Distributed 12/10/14) CROWLEY, La. – LSU AgCenter rice specialist Johnny Saichuk said this year’s second rice crop in south Louisiana was outstanding.

(Distributed 12/10/14) OAK GROVE, La. – The 59th annual Tri-State Soybean Forum has been scheduled for Jan. 9, 2015, at the Thomas Jason Lingo Center in Oak Grove.

(Distributed 12/09/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Fourth-grade students at the LSU University Lab School learned about wetlands and their importance in an LSU AgCenter program that gets kids out of the classroom with a hands-on learning experience.

(Distributed 12/08/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Scores of visitors prowled through a greenhouse at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens on Dec. 5, selecting poinsettias to purchase and voting for their favorites among 18 varieties on display.

(Distributed 12/05/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Rebecca Stephens has always loved dressing in costumes. The LSU College of Agriculture junior felt stifled as a child by regular children’s clothes. Now she is pursuing her passion for costumes by majoring in apparel design.

(Distributed 12/05/14) The Chinese pistache (Pistachio chinensis) is a medium-sized ornamental shade tree known for spectacular orange, red and crimson fall foliage colors. The fall color is great in Louisiana from early November through mid December most years.

(Distributed 12/05/14) HAMMOND, La. – Most of us relax during late fall and winter. Our minds turn more toward the holiday seasons and less toward our landscaping and gardening efforts. Many activities, however, should be included in a “to-do list” of gardening tasks for December, January and February.

(Distributed 12/04/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The sixth annual Arbor Day at Burden in the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens has been scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

(Distributed 12/04/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter is once again offering photographers an opportunity to contribute to its popular Get It Growing calendar.

(Distributed 12/04/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – New plants are heading for the marketplace to grace home gardens and commercial landscapes.

(Distributed 12/03/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The deadline for nominations for induction into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction is Monday, Dec. 15. The inductees will be recognized at a reception and dinner at White Oak Plantation in Baton Rouge on March 5, 2015.

(Distributed 12/02/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – A horse in Port Allen, Louisiana, has been diagnosed by the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine with equine enteric coronavirus. This highly infectious RNA virus can cause intestinal distress and is more common during the colder months of the year, said LSU AgCenter equine specialist Neely Walker.

(Distributed 12/02/14) HOUMA, La. – An oyster industry update for boat captains and deckhands will be held Dec. 5 at the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum.

(Distributed 12/01/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Winners of the Louisiana 4-H educational awards look forward each year to the tour of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, said LSU AgCenter youth development instructor Tanya Giroir.

(Distributed 12/01/14) A superior camellia for the Louisiana landscape, the Louisiana Super Plant ShiShi Gashira variety is the most widely planted camellia in the South. It is frequently referred to as a Camellia sasanqua but actually is a Camellia hiemalis.

(Distributed 12/01/14) HOUMA, La. – Citrus fruit are becoming sweeter and juicier with cooler temperatures, according to LSU AgCenter agent Barton Joffrion in Terrebonne Parish.