Program Highlights

4-H Youth Development Beauregard Parish has an active 4-H program with a 4-H Club in each of our parish public schools as well as a Home School Club and one private club. We have an annual enrollment between 500 and 600 youth between the ages of 9 and 19. Club educational programs con-tinue to focus on Work Ethic and Character Counts. This focus continues to be an issue that our 4-H Advisory views as a continued educational importance. Many educational activities such as workshops and Field Days are conducted annually. Activi-ties have conducted related to Pet Shows and Pet Care, Science and Engineering, Foods Contest and safety activities, Puppet Practices and Puppet Shows at annual Parish Fair and the Beauregard Watermelon Festival. The largest 4-H project enrollments in Beauregard Parish are the Introduction to 4-H “Discovering 4-H”, Outdoor Skills which includes the disciplines of Archery, Rifle, Shotgun and Hunting, and the more traditional Livestock projects which include beef, goats, poultry, rabbits, sheep and swine. We have over 50 direct and indirect volunteers who serve as organizational club leaders, project volunteers, educational activity presenters, judges, as well as other volunteer efforts.

Agriculture & Natural Resources

Beauregard Parish has ranked second in forestry receipts statewide in 2009, 2010 &

2011. The 2012 SW LA Forestry Forum educated forest landowners about the state of LA

forestry, mineral & pipeline leasing, ecotourism, movie site registration, selling small timber

tracts, and NRCS longleaf programs. Other forestry programs included: hunting lease tax

workshop, family succession workshop, and prescribed burn workshop.

Master Gardeners started its second MG classes for nine recruits, and several of the

Beauregard MG’ers became Advanced MG. These MG’er have started a demonstration

garden at the Fairgrounds and had tours during the Parish Fair. Extra vegetables went to

the Council of Aging. Our MG’ers are assisting with the 2011 State MG Meeting in Lake

Charles. One MG’ers lead a workshop about ornamental eucalyptus in Merryville. Another

MG’er has instructed both children and adults about

insects at several events.

The SW LA Beekeepers Association celebrated its

first anniversary in FY 2012, and at least six attendees

have started their first hives. This Association contin-

ues to have meetings and workshops to help novice

beekeepers in starting, splitting, inspecting hives. Out-

side speakers have discussed hive pests and income

taxes. The Board continues to make recommendations

on programs to promote local beekeeping.

Beauregard Parish Profile

Beauregard Parish

Extension Office

Address: PO Box 609,

203 West Third St.

DeRidder, LA 70634

Phone: 337-463-7006

Fax: 337-463-7007

Email: Beauregard@agcenter.lsu.edu

Web site: LSUAgCenter.com/beauregard

Office Hours:

8:00a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Keith Hawkins

Parish Chair, SW Area For-

ester, County Agent khawkins@agcenter.lsu.edu

Twitter@khawkbikeragent

Mike LaVergne

County Agent, 4-H, Environ-

mental Science

mlavergne@agcenter.lsu.edu

Lisa Johnson

Administrative Coordinator ljohnson@agcenter.lsu.edu

PROGRAMS:

4-H ,Youth & Family

Development

Citizenship/Leadership Science, Engineering &

Technology

Healthy Living Livestock Shows

Shooting Sports

Challenge Camp & more

Hands-on Field Day Activities

Agriculture & Natural

Resources (ANR)

Beef Cattle

Beekeeping

Forestry & Wildlife

Horticulture/Lawns and

Gardens

Master Gardeners

Pest Management & more

March 2012

Who we reach: Youth: (includes 600 4-H members in 18

school 4-H clubs) Adults: (includes forest landowners

from LA, TX, CO, CA, VA, WA, WV);

Total Agriculture & Natural Re-

sources contacts: 58,367

How we reach them: 4-H clubs Class series

School Enrichment Demonstrations

Field days Workshops

Newsletters Web sites

Publications Social media

Expanding our efforts: 170 Volunteers - 4-H, Master Gardeners,

Volunteers for Family & Community, SW LA

Forestry Association, SW LA Beekeepers

Association, Beauregard Cattleman’s Asso-

ciation.

Report to Beauregard Parish Stakeholders

Parish Facts

LSU AgCenter County Agents provide

research-based information on plant, and

animal enterprises to Beauregard Parish

clientele. The 2010 total dollar amount from

these commodities were:

—Plant enterprises - $59,767,276

—Animal enterprises - $12,399,781

Data from the Louisiana Ag Summary

Web site: LSUAgCenter.com/agsummary

Population - 35,419

Land area (acres) - 755,772

Persons under 18 years old - 26.0%

Persons 65 years old and over - 13.1%

Median household income - $43,398

Persons below poverty - 14.0%

Local Issues & Plans for this

year. 1. Promote the wise use of natural re-

sources & protection of the environment.

-Collaboration with Southwest LA Forestry

Association to bring an annual Forestry Fo-

rum and other natural resource education:

Sponsorship of Teachers Forestry Tour & 4-

H Forestry Invitational in WV.

-Deliver a workshop about eucalyptus for

homeowners & assist Merryville in become “Eucalyptus Capital of Louisiana”.

-Deliver workshops on hunting leases, legacy issues, & prescribed burning

2. Increase productivity & profitability of LA Agriculture.

-Advise landowners on optimal timber sale practices.

-Continue providing training for private pesticide applicators. Enable new applicators to ob-

tain licenses.

-Advise producers on safe, effective pest control.

--Support Beauregard Cattlemen’s Association by scheduling various livestock and forage

specialists.

--Enabling local Master Gardeners to support horticultural education.

—Enabling SW LA Beekeepers Association by providing apiary education.

3. Build leaders and good citizens through 4-H youth development.

-Through the assistance of youth and adult volunteers; train Club officers the importance of being a good leader and prepare them to perform their 4-H Club Officer duties while teach-ing Life Skills in various 4-H educational activities. -Through efforts of Master Gardener volunteers and 4-H volunteers, continue gardening

educational activities to help youth increased their knowledge of gardening & plant propa-

gation and learn about healthy living

-Through the Advisory process; continue conducting timely 4-H club educational programs

and Field Day activities to meet the 4-H youth development needs.

*Local Funding Beauregard Police Jury Beauregard Parish School Board Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office SW LA Forestry Association

April 2011