BATON ROUGE, La. – Producers, processors and distributors who provide agricultural products to the New Orleans area are invited to a leadership forum to discuss ways to improve the current system.

Bobby Fletcher Jr., LSU AgCenter assistant director of urban programs, said the meeting will be at the Audubon Tea Room in New Orleans 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Feb. 11.

“We want to look for ways to pull the leaders in urban agriculture together to discuss ways to improve the regional food system, including production, processing and distribution of goods in the New Orleans area,” Fletcher said.

Panel discussions and speakers on the program will cover topics ranging from agricultural leadership to technology in agriculture.

“We want to leave this meeting with working teams formed and ideas for best practices that can be measured as well as challenges that can be addressed,” Fletcher said.

He said the theme for the meeting is a forum on the characteristics of quality leadership focusing on urban and niche agriculture.

The meeting is being hosted by the Agribusiness Council of Louisiana, the LSU AgCenter and the Audubon Institute.

The Audubon Tea Room is located at the 6500 Magazine Street in New Orleans. For additional information, contact Fletcher at 225-305-3235.

Johnny Morgan