If you have started construction on a new home or want to update a room in your house, you probably have experienced sticker shock when it comes to the price of building materials, especially lumber.

Last year, the price was $354 per thousand foot of lumber. By the first week of May, the price had risen to an all-time high of $1686, an increase of nearly 475%. By May 18, the price had cooled some, down to $1,264.

The Cajun “holy trinity” is at the heart of Louisiana cuisine. The union of onions, celery and green bell peppers create the base flavors of gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee and numerous other hearty dishes that have come to define our state.

But from where did the term holy trinity derive, and how does it differ from other regional soup, sauce and stew bases? The key is the bell pepper.

The Louisiana 4-H Foundation has unveiled a new scholarship program for graduating high school seniors in honor of Robert and Debbie Joyner, who have been key supporters of 4-H livestock programs.

The Robert and Debbie Joyner Scholarship Fund was recently created with a donation from Phil Elzer, director of the LSU AgCenter School of Animal Sciences, and his wife Julie.

May, 2021, Louisiana Crops Newsletter

In Louisiana, termites tend to begin swarming the closer it gets to Mother’s Day.

LSU AgCenter urban entomologist Qian “Karen” Sun says beginning in late April and going through June, termite alates, or swarmers, will be congregating around lights after dark.

“When Mother’s Day is celebrated, it is also the time of the year when the Formosan subterranean termites swarm and spread their colonies,” she said. “The swarm peak in early to mid-May.”

Typically at this time of year, the LSU AgCenter 4-H staff is busy preparing for one of the youth development program’s most popular events: summer camp at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center in Pollock.

The campgrounds are unusually quiet, however, as they have been for months. Because several buildings sustained damage from hurricanes in August and October, there will be no summer camp at the facility for the second year in a row. Last year’s camp sessions were shifted to a virtual format amid the coronavirus pandemic.

When Ashley Edwards joined the LSU AgCenter in December 2019 as an extension agent and coordinator of livestock programs, she was eager to hit the road and begin visiting producers, conducting workshops and helping 4-H youth with their livestock projects.

“This was the perfect job for me,” said Edwards, who grew up on a cow-calf operation in Central Texas and participated in livestock shows.

The LSU AgCenter will present three webinars in the series, Inspired by Annie's: Farm Stress and Wellness. The discussions will address stress resiliency of farmers and ranchers in Louisiana, according to Maria Bampasidou, LSU AgCenter Annie’s Project state coordinator and assistant professor of agricultural economics.

Annie's Project is a national initiative dedicated to providing educational programs designed to strengthen women's role in their farming operations.

“Understanding stress and its nature, factors influencing stress on the farm and the consequences of farm stress is key for handling stress,” Bampasidou said.