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West Feliciana Parish
10032 West Feliciana Parkway
P.O. Box 1934
St. Francisville, Louisiana 70775
225-635-3614
www.LSUAgCenter.com
West Feliciana Parish offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation such as photography, bird watching, hiking, canoeing, biking, hunting, and fishing. Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge with the National Champion Bald Cypress Tree is just one of the areas that attract nature lovers to the parish. Major employers in the parish are the River Bend Nuclear Power Plant and Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. West Feliciana is known for its excellent school system which consistently ranks in the top 5 in the state.
The summer was a busy and exciting one for West Feliciana 4-H members. Several youth represented the parish at the State Horse Show in DeRidder from July 8-11, where they competed successfully and showcased their skills. In July, members of the West Feliciana 4-H Leadership Boards attended WeLead and their respective summer retreats. These events provided opportunities for youth to learn about their leadership responsibilities, connect with fellow board members from across the state, and help plan activities for the upcoming year. West Feliciana Parish is proud to have eight youth serving on the Food & Fitness Board, Wetland Ambassadors, Equine Ambassadors, and STEM Board. To round out the summer, two West Feliciana 4-H'ers attended LOST Camp, where they developed leadership and outdoor skills while building new friendships. After a busy summer filled with learning, leadership, and achievement, West Feliciana 4-H members rolled right into another exciting year of opportunities and experiences.
August and September marked the beginning of a new school year and the return of West Feliciana 4-H Club meetings and Project Clubs. West Feliciana 4-H offers nine project clubs, including Junior Leaders, Horse Club, Mission Nutrition Cooking Club, Shooting Sports (Archery and Shotgun), Rabbit Club, Sewing Club, Livestock Club, and Horticulture Club. This year, members are participating in the Feather, Fins, Fur and Friends Program, which focuses on pet project books while teaching youth about a variety of pets and animal-related careers. In addition to attending club meetings, 4-H'ers are actively participating in the annual sweet potato and pecan sale and looking forward to a busy season of fall events. Preparations are underway for several educational opportunities, including Wetlands and Wildlife Day, STEM workshops, and the second annual Bunny Boo-Nanza Rabbit Show. With so many exciting activities planned, fall is sure to be a great season for West Feliciana 4-H members.
The Feliciana Master Gardener Class kicked off in Clinton with 15 participants representing both East and West Feliciana parishes. They are receiving training in botany, plant propagation, herbaceous plants, soils, and many other horticulture topics. To earn Master Gardener certification, participants must complete 40 hours of volunteer service in their communities in addition to attending the educational classes.
The Feliciana Forestry Association is actively planning its fall tour of Hood Container. The 4-H Horticulture Club launched its new year in September with seven youth participants. The project club provides hands-on learning opportunities focused on gardening, plant science, and horticulture education.
As summer winds down, local livestock producers are taking an important step in preparing for the months ahead by testing their hay and baleage for nutritive value and digestibility. Understanding forage quality is essential for developing effective cattle nutrition programs, as it provides the foundation for meeting animals’ nutritional requirements. By evaluating forage quality, producers can make informed feeding and supplementation decisions that help maintain herd health, optimize performance, and manage feed resources more efficiently throughout the year.
Our Area Nutrition & Community Health (NCH) Agent continued mentoring LSU Alexandria psychology major William Covington during a 10-week summer internship. As part of his internship, Covington developed and delivered a youth educational program on poultry to 30 campers attending the West Feliciana Parks & Recreation Summer Camp. Since the NCH Agent also serves East Feliciana Parish, she provided Chynna King, a Southern University animal science major, with opportunities to shadow both youth and adult educational programs throughout her internship. King developed a youth educational program on dairy cows, which she presented to 33 participants at the West Feliciana Parks & Recreation Summer Camp.
18 West Feliciana Council on Aging clients participated in the Plan, Prepare, Protect: Hurricane Readiness Program, where they learned practical steps to plan ahead, prepare emergency supplies, and protect themselves during hurricane season.
Our NCH Agent serves as the project leader for the 4-H Mission Nutrition Project Club. In August 54 4-H members and their parents attended the Mission Nutrition Kickoff Meeting to learn more about the project club and its activities. During the meeting, parent-youth teams practiced basic knife skills. At the September meeting, 23 members were introduced to the Louisiana Harvest of the Month Program, which highlights locally grown foods and their nutritional benefits. 4-H’ers learned about tomatoes and cucumbers and worked in teams to prepare a fresh tomato-cucumber salad with homemade dressing.
In August, our NCH Agent developed and delivered Add a Little Flavor to Your Kitchen Program to the Feliciana Master Gardeners. 17 participants learned about the benefits of using herbs and spices to enhance flavor while reducing added salt and enjoyed sampling air-fried thyme sweet potato fries. The program also featured an interactive “Thyme to Get Acquainted with Herbs & Spices” BINGO activity, which provided a fun and engaging way to learn about a variety of herbs and spices.
In September, 117 Pre-K and 152 kindergarten students at Bains Lower Elementary (BLE) began a new year of nutrition and school garden programming. Our NCH Agent collaborates with Play 60 Coach Lanya Mayer to deliver engaging lessons and activities that help students make healthy choices and stay physically active.
During the September lessons, students explored different types of gardens and discovered that they will have the opportunity to plant and care for 10 raised garden beds while engaging in hands-on learning experiences throughout the school year. The children enjoyed playing games using the MyPlate parachute.
Throughout the school year, Pre-K students will learn about healthy habits from the inside out with the OrganWise Guys curriculum, while kindergarten students will build their understanding of nutrition by exploring the MyPlate food groups and physical activity.
Our NCH Agent co-led a water bath canning pilot program with the Jefferson Parish NCH Agent. Both agents serve on the Southeast Region team of the State Home Food Preservation Work Group. During the program, six participants learned research-based recommendations for safe water bath canning and gained hands-on experience preparing and processing pickled bread-and-butter zucchini. They practiced proper canning techniques while building confidence in safely preserving foods at home.
The NCH Agent continues to support families by providing nutrition resources to the West Feliciana Food Pantry, which serves approximately 300 families each month. In addition, she has partnered with the West Feliciana Parish Library to offer “A Taste of Herbs and Spices” monthly fact sheets and herb/spice samples that encourage residents to explore new flavors and healthy cooking techniques. These resources are also distributed through the Family Service Center to Early Head Start home-based families.
LSU AgCenter is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
