Farming classes could go by wayside in Lafourche

With state budget cuts looming like a dark cloud over Louisiana, the future of local farming classes in Lafourche Parish seems uncertain.

Mark Hebert of the LSU Ag Center told the Lafourche Parish School Board at its meeting last Wednesday that the local offices in Houma and Thibodaux could see over a 20 percent cut, or approximately $19 million, in its budget next year.

Hebert said that number includes the four percent cut, or roughly $3 million, already imposed in January.

Such drastic cuts will affect the nearly 2,000 local students involved in the 4-H program at their schools.

“We are facing some serious cuts,” he told the board. “I would just like to ask that if any of you happen to be speaking to any senators or representatives, please ask them to not only support the Ag Center but to talk to the Board of Regents.”

The cuts mark the continuation of what has been a rough year for the LSU Ag Center, Hebert explained. Sugar cane production was down 500 pounds from last year due to the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav, and cattle prices have been affected because of the Dow Jones plummeting.

“Beef cattle prices aren’t going down as much as we thought, but they are not going up either. Cost of production is going up. In sugar cane in the last two years, we’ve maintained the same acreage but we’ve lost 10 farms. The number of farms are getting less but farm size is getting bigger.”

However, he said 4-H develops the future, and therefore must be supported.

Donna Ayo, a Lafourche 4-H agent, said 4-H is vitally important to the schools and helping students expand their knowledge.

“We’re here to help not only the 4-H students, but the non-4-H students as well,” she explained. “We want to impact more students every year. We’ve expanded to include citizenship, healthy living and science engineering and technology. We’ve put a lot of things online now to help the children.”

The aftermath of the budget cuts could result in the cutting of Ag Center staff members, which in turn would limit the agency’s ability to promote different programs in the schools.

The over 60 4-H clubs in Houma and Thibodaux educate more than 2,000 children under the LSU Ag Center’s watch in addition to a series of classes, lectures and community service hours projects.

“We’ve been in a hiring freeze which seems like forever,” Hebert said ” But we will adjust and continue to have 4-H in the schools and work with agriculture. We’re going to revamp some of our programs. It means a lot to the children involved.”

Josh McCarthy, a nine-year member of 4-H and president of the 4-H club at Thibodaux High School, was one of two students to speak to the board about his experiences in the organization.

“We need the support,” he pleaded. “It taught me different leadership skills that helped me pursue being the president of the 4-H club and also an officer of many other clubs. I learned a lot of teamwork.”

“It means a lot to me. I’ve gotten a lot out of it. I have a lot of memories of it, and I owe a lot to 4-H,” he added.

School board members applauded the effort and vowed to do their best to help out.

“This is the best program in the state,” board member Ronald Pere said. “We’ll do what we can.”