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LSU AgCenter Communications produces news releases for print, radio and television media. All are published on our Web site and listed chronologically. To view past releases, go to the news archive.

The radio news releases are produced for daily use, Monday through Friday, and distributed to a select list via CD every other week. A video news release is produced for every week of the year – 52 all together – and distributed to a select list via DVD or tape also every other week. To be added to the list, please contact Craig Gautreaux or call (225) 578-2263.

Print press releases are produced three ways – as headline news for stories with more immediacy, as news you can use for stories with a helpful angle, and as seasonal stories. We produce four seasonal packets: spring gardening, hurricane preparedness (storm and flood), back-to-school and holidays.

In addition, we produce a special service called “Get It Growing” aimed at people who want to improve their landscapes, grow flowers and ornamentals or grow vegetables and fruit. This service includes a weekly newspaper column written by horticulturist Dan Gill, a daily (Monday through Friday) 60-second radio spot voiced by Gill, and a weekly 90-second television spot featuring Gill. The newspaper columns are sent via e-mail once a month to everybody on our print news distribution list. The radio and television spots are distributed with the audio and video new releases mentioned above.

For more information on our news services, please contact Linda Benedict or call (225) 578-2263.                    

Headline News Radio & TV  Get It Growing
News You Can Use Gardening News  Holidays

Back-to-School

Storm & Flood News  News Archive

Choose trees based on trunk structure
Tree Selection

(Video 03/15/10) October through March is the best time to plant hardy trees. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill helps you meet your deadline by providing tips for selecting the best trees. (Runtime: 1:37)

Tractor Supply program to support local 4-H
Tractor Supply stores in Louisiana have joined with the LSU AgCenter as part of a national fundraising campaign to support local 4-H programs.

More north La. farmers switch to rice
Tallulah rice mtg

(Distributed 03/10/10) TALLULAH, La. – More north Louisiana farmers are switching to rice instead of corn, soybeans and cotton. Garrett Marsh of Tallulah grew his first rice crop last year. “I was here to get a refresher,” he said of a rice growing clinic here on March 4 sponsored by the LSU AgCenter.

Assess your risk for diabetes on March 23
(Distributed 03/09/10) Tuesday, March 23, is American Diabetes Alert Day, an annual event sponsored by the American Diabetes Association to call attention to the risk of developing this disease. Beth Reames, LSU AgCenter extension nutritionist, wants to call people’s attention to their eating habits and how they can affect the chance for developing diabetes.

Small businesses want more local produce, flower suppliers
(Distributed 03/08/10) SHREVEPORT, La. – A panel of small business managers at the LSU AgCenter’s Market Gardening Seminar on March 6 said their customers like to buy locally grown produce and flowers and would welcome more local suppliers.
March offers last opportunity to divide perennials
(Audio 03/15/10) Perennials are great for adding bright, attractive colors in our landscapes. One of the greatest advantages of planting perennials is their ability to produce year after year. Gardeners should pay attention to overcrowding of perennials, however, and should transplant when necessary. (Runtime: 60 seconds)
Leaving mulch enriches soil
(Audio 03/15/10) Many gardeners are wondering whether or not to remove old mulch prior to adding new mulch to their gardens this time of the year. Gardeners should leave the old mulch, which allows the organic matter in the mulch to enrich the soil while saving time and money for the gardener. (Runtime: 60 seconds)
Don’t let landscape maintenance become burdensome
(Distributed 03/08/10) A goal of sustainable landscaping is to reduce the amount of maintenance our landscapes require. But reduce does not mean eliminate. You can make choices, however, that will reduce the amount of work it takes to maintain your landscape.
Southwest Louisiana Garden Festival set for March 27-28 in Lake Charles
(Distributed 03/08/10)This year’s Southwest Louisiana Garden Festival will be March 27-28 in the Burton Coliseum on the corner of Gauthier Road and Gulf Hwy. in Lake Charles.
Baton Rouge spring garden show set for March 27-28
(Distributed 03/05/10)The Eighth Annual Baton Rouge Spring Garden Show will be March 27-28 at Parker Coliseum on Highland Road on the LSU campus from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day.
LSU AgCenter sponsors Covington garden show March 20-21
(Distributed 03/04/10) The LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Master Gardeners of St. Tammany Parish are in final preparation mode for the two-day spring garden show that will be held March 20-21 at the St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds in Covington.
Many palm trees may have survived freezing weather
(Distributed 03/03/10) After extended periods of low temperatures this year, many Louisianians are concerned freezes may have killed the palm trees in their landscapes. But they’ll have to wait a while to know for sure, according to an LSU AgCenter horticulturist.
Water weevil, stinkbug called major rice pests
(Distributed 03/03/10) CROWLEY, La. – Controlling insects that prey on rice crops was the focus of an LSU AgCenter workshop Monday (March 1).
Greenhouse tomato production requires attention to detail
H.Y. Hanna
(Distributed 03/03/10) BOSSIER CITY, La. – Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse requires attention to detail, said Dr. H.Y. Hanna, a researcher in charge of the greenhouse tomato project at the LSU AgCenter Red River Research Station. A record crowd of 94 attended Hanna’s 14th annual four-hour Greenhouse Tomato Seminar on Feb. 26.