(Distributed 03/31/15) BATON ROUGE, La – Sea salt is sprinkled on chocolate and caramels and used to enhance the flavors of vegetables and meats. Sea salt is a trendy food ingredient. LSU AgCenter area nutrition agent Kate Farbe said nutritionally it is not very different from table salt despite popularized claims that it is healthier.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – Dry weather opened the window for corn planting in Louisiana as farmers were getting anxious to start their growing season.

(Distributed 03/27/15) One great buddleia (butterfly bush) for Louisiana is better than most on the market. It’s Fluttterby Petite Tutti Fruitti Pink, which was selected as a Louisiana Super Plant in 2014.

(Distributed 03/27/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter LaHouse Home and Landscape Resource Center will host its seasonal Saturday open house on April 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(Distributed 03/27/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board has awarded the LSU AgCenter $1,873,000 for 2015 to continue conducting research and extension programs that benefit the industry.

(Distributed 03/27/15) HAMMOND, La. – Our spring- and summer-flowering trees and shrubs are growing and preparing for another great bloom season. One of favorite landscape plants for late spring and summer is the popular and loved crape myrtle.

(Distributed 03/27/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – AgMagic, an interactive event that teaches children about agriculture, will be held April 20 to 26 at the Parker Coliseum on LSU’s Baton Rouge campus.

(Distributed 03/26/15) CROWLEY, La. – The 2015 Rice Leadership Class toured the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station on Thursday (March 26) to see what scientists there are doing to help rice farmers with new varieties of rice and better ways of growing it.

(Distributed 03/26/15) HAMMOND, La. – The stinging caterpillars that will become buck moths are beginning to appear in south Louisiana and will be active through May.

(Distributed 03/26/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – Crosscut sawing, canoeing, duck calling and ax throwing are some of the events LSU College of Agriculture students participated in at forestry and wildlife conclaves. The conclaves are competitions among students from different universities.

(Distributed 03/25/15) DELCAMBRE, La. – Shrimpers and crabbers learned about the newest regulations, techniques and equipment at a Louisiana Fisheries Forward meeting on March 24, organized by the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant.

(Distributed 03/25/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – As Louisiana educators try to prepare students for a growing number of careers in seemingly divergent fields — science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, and mechanical trades — agriculture could provide common ground for training the state’s workforce of the future.

(Distributed 03/25/15) HAMMOND, La. – Forest landowners heard the latest updates on invasive species and other issues of importance in their industry at the Florida parishes forestry forum on March 20 in Hammond.

(Distributed 03/24/15) POLLOCK, La. – Eating right and regular exercise are critical to a healthy lifestyle. But a third component — family involvement — is just as important, children and parents learned at the 4-H Food and Fitness Camp on March 21 and 22.

(Distributed 03/24/15) POLLOCK, La. – Nearly 440 4-H’ers representing every parish in the state attended the 2015 Junior Leadership Conference at Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center March 13-15.

(Distributed 03/22/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – Three individuals were recognized as Louisiana Living Legends during the fifth annual Louisiana Small Farmer Conference at the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center on March 20.

(Distributed 03/20/15) Many Louisiana gardeners enjoy a summer landscape planting of caladiums. These are one of the most popular plants to fill shady gardens because they thrive in the heat and humidity common in Louisiana summers.

(Distributed 03/20/15) HAMMOND, La. – The National Garden Bureau has named 2015 the “Year of the Gaillardia.”

(Distributed 03/20/15) ALEXANDRIA, La. – A quarantine is likely to be imposed soon to ban the movement of wood from ash trees out of Webster Parish because of the discovery there of an invasive insect pest, timber industry personnel learned on March 17 at the Central Louisiana Forestry Forum.

(Distributed 03/19/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter has scheduled the 2015 Louisiana Natural Resources Symposium for Aug. 21 at the LSU AgCenter Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center near Pollock in central Louisiana.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana is benefitting as countries around the world turn to the state to satisfy growing demand for wood products and forestry expertise, said Richard Vlosky, director of the LSU AgCenter Louisiana Forest Products Development Center.

(Distributed 03/17/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – As warmer weather approaches, we conjure up images associated with the upcoming season – longer days, swimming, snow cones, barbeques. . . and sweet corn.

(Distributed 03/17/15) BATON ROUGE, La, – Matt Fannin has spent much of his career researching the economics behind rural communities. His work has helped improve health access for rural residents and assisted local governments become financially prepared for natural disasters.

(Distributed 03/16/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently awarded $14 million in grants through its Agriculture Food and Research Initiative to support programs aimed at increasing prosperity in rural America. Matt Fannin, LSU AgCenter economist and associate professor in the LSU College of Agriculture, is part of a group that received $500,000 to study rural communities and regional development.

(Distributed 03/13/15) Silverbells comprise several species of native trees that are attracting increased interest in the southeastern United States. The two-winged silverbell (Halesia diptera) is one of our many smaller-growing native tree species that should be considered for inclusion in a native landscape plan.

(Distributed 03/13/15) HAMMOND, La. – As we transition from late winter to early spring in the landscape, many gardeners start thinking about weather conditions, last frost and freeze dates and consider whether it’s safe to plant this plant or that plant in the landscape.

(Distributed 03/13/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – Christopher Green, associate professor at the LSU AgCenter Aquaculture Research Station, received the Distinguished Early Career Award at the United States Aquaculture Society’s annual meeting.

(Distributed 03/13/15) HOUMA, La. – The Louisiana Fisheries Forward seafood summit held Wednesday (March 11) provided the seafood industry with information and assistance that could help producers stay in business and even increase profits.

(Distributed 03/12/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana 4-H has the opportunity to win $10,000 to support state programs about science, technology, engineering and math, known as STEM, if enough alumni cast an electronic vote by March 16 in a national competition sponsored by the National 4-H Council.

(Distributed 03/11/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – The second annual Central Louisiana Garden Expo will be held on April 10, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and April 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the State Evacuation Shelter on U. S. Highway 71 south of Alexandria.

(Distributed 03/11/15) JEANERETTE, La. – Cattle producers attending the Acadiana Beef Cattle Producers Field Day at the LSU AgCenter Iberia Research Station on March 7 heard about practices that could result in healthier and more profitable herds.

(Distributed 03/11/15) NEW ORLEANS – The 36th Annual New Orleans Spring Garden Show will be held at the City Park Botanical Garden April 11-12 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday.

(Distributed 03/11/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter LaHouse Resource Center will conduct a Mold Control and Remediation Training course on March 31 – April 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day.

(Distributed 03/10/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – Sugar and sugar substitutes are two products we use to sweeten our foods, and understanding the difference will help consumers make an informed choice, according to LSU AgCenter registered dietitian Denise Holston-West.

(Distributed 03/10/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – The fifth annual Brush With Burden art exhibition will be held at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden March 22-29.

(Distributed 03/10/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – Roses continue to be among the most popular flowering plants in Louisiana landscapes, and the LSU AgCenter is expanding its rose research and demonstration trials at the AgCenter Hammond Research Station and the AgCenter Botanical Gardens at Burden.

(Distributed 03/09/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – Stanley Celestine Jr. is motivated to teach science to his peers. His efforts caught the attention of the children’s network Nickelodeon and resulted in his receiving the TeenNick’s Halo Effect Award for February and $10,000.

(Distributed 03/06/15) Calibrachoas are great plants for adding to the late winter, early spring landscape. And they last through early summer. You can expect short-term performance of 4-6 months.

(Distributed 03/06/15) WINNSBORO, La. – The recent surge of cold weather could be damaging to Louisiana’s wheat crop, depending on the severity and duration of the below-freezing temperatures, according to LSU AgCenter wheat specialist Josh Lofton.

(Distributed 03/06/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – An LSU AgCenter youth nutrition program could provide a model to reduce poverty and hunger in Honduras.

(Distributed 03/06/15) HAMMOND, La. – Beneath the mighty, majestic live oaks surrounded by gardenias, Southern magnolias, azaleas and sweet olives stands the camellia – what many in the South may refer to as “the queen of the garden.”

BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter has scheduled 20 field days and agricultural awareness events for youth across the state during 2015. Details on times and topics covered are being made available closer to the dates.

(Distributed 03/05/15) DERIDDER, La. – The LSU AgCenter has scheduled two events for the forestry industry – a feral hog management workshop in April and a prescribed burning workshop in May.

(Distributed 03/05/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – With two fingers placed on each side of the reptile’s head, Chloe Vitrano, scooped a small alligator out of a holding tank. The freshman in the LSU College of Agriculture was visiting the LSU AgCenter Aquaculture Research Station on Feb. 26 with a group of students who are part of the Agriculture Residence College.

(Distributed 03/04/15) BATON ROUGE, La – Friends of the LSU Textiles and Costume Museum and Friends of the LSU Rural Life Museum gathered on February 28, for Tea, Fashion and Fancies. The event held at the LSU Rural Life Museum featured a traditional English high tea and a discussion with Louisiana jewelry designer, Mignon Faget.

(Distributed 03/04/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – In Honduras, where 67 percent of people live in poverty, food and other resources are not always used or distributed efficiently.

(Distributed 03/03/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter School of Nutrition and Food Sciences will conduct two food safety workshops for seafood processors in May and a workshop for the meat and poultry slaughter and processing industry in June.

(Distributed 03/03/15) ALEXANDRIA, La. –The Central Louisiana Forestry Forum, canceled last month because of bad weather, has been rescheduled for March 17 at the LSU AgCenter Evacuation Shelter next to the LSU-A Campus on U.S. Highway 71 south of Alexandria.

(Distributed 03/02/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – Dining with the local flavors of Louisiana among the blooms and under the stars will be featured during Gourmet in the Garden: A Progressive Dinner in the Garden at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden on May 1 from 7 to 10 p.m.

(Distributed 03/02/15) BATON ROUGE, La. – Researchers and industry representatives interested in biotechnology in Louisiana met on the LSU campus on Feb. 27 to learn more about how they can work together to strengthen the role of the industry in the state.