(Distributed 09/04/08) The LSU AgCenter has made available a 32-page Storm Recovery Guide for Homeowners to help Louisianians in the cleanup after Hurricane Gustav. This guide is free at any LSU AgCenter parish extension office or research station. If you cannot get to your local office or if the office is temporarily closed, you may order the publication over the Internet.

(Distributed 09/04/08) Hurricane Gustav put a lot of limbs and whole trees on the ground in various areas of the state, and many people already are working on cleanup efforts. An LSU AgCenter forest safety specialist says safety should be a major consideration during those efforts – particularly when it comes to use of a chainsaw.

(Distributed 08/29/08) With Gustav bearing down on the Louisiana coast, homes that have been stripped for repair since hurricanes Katrina and Rita – and those that are now elevated on columns – may be subject to high winds for the first time.

(Distributed 08/29/08) Homeowners face many issues after a hurricane. If the home has escaped major structural damage, one of the first problems encountered may be the loss of electrical power.

(Distributed 08/27/08) The LSU AgCenter has a wealth of information on preparing for hurricanes and other storms as well as what to do in the aftermath of a storm.

(Distributed 08/27/08) ALEXANDRIA – Corn with improved resistance to aflatoxin and soybeans that won’t lose quality from Louisiana’s heavy rains are two of the crop breeding goals of an LSU AgCenter researcher at the Dean Lee Research and Extension Station in Alexandria. And Dr. Steve Moore is making progress on both fronts, which was good news for the 150 farmers and agricultural industry representatives gathered for a field day there on Aug. 21.

(Distributed 08/27/08) An insecticide will be available soon for homeowners to use to treat their citrus trees for the Asian citrus psyllid, according to Alan Vaughn, LSU AgCenter extension agent in Plaquemines Parish. “We’ve been told a product called Merit 2F will be available in a few weeks. Homeowners should be able to obtain it from their local garden centers.”

(Distributed 08/26/08) Bobby H. Fletcher Jr. has been named assistant director of the LSU AgCenter’s Extension Service.

(Distributed 08/26/08) 4–H and FFA goat exhibitors from across Louisiana took part in the second 4-H goat educational trip in Louisiana and Mississippi Aug. 3-8.

(Distributed 08/25/08) The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay have put Louisiana farmers in a wait-and-see mode. They are waiting to get back into their fields to plant and harvest crops while seeing the quality of crops ready for harvest being diminished by the wet weather, say LSU AgCenter experts.