LSU AgCenter Communications

Last year, the LSU AgCenter and College of Agriculture unveiled a bold strategic plan that is encapsulated by the slogan Louisiana Solutions, Global Impact. The plan aims to position LSU as a national and global leader in agricultural innovation, education and outreach through transformative, Louisiana-driven solutions. LSU Agriculture is rooted in the land-grant mission established by the federal Morrill Act of 1862, which encouraged higher-education institutions to prioritize agriculture and other practical fields for economic development and public service. LSU Agriculture’s strategic goals focus on serving Louisiana and delivering solutions to secure our future. The strategic plan goals are:

• Increase agricultural production and enhance the preservation of Louisiana’s natural resources by developing talent, technologies, products and practices.
• Expand the talent pipeline through youth development, ag leadership and college academic and workforce development programming that returns talent to rural communities in Louisiana.
• Collect and analyze data to identify opportunities and strategies for market growth, ultimately strengthening food and fiber production capacity.
• Support small business startups and workforce development through our Food Innovation Institute (FOODii), the Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab, industry-based credential programs, our intellectual property commercialization program and other mechanisms.
• Identify incentives and programs to place much-needed professional services in rural communities supporting local and state decision-makers and enhancing community resilience.
• Provide programming and solutions to strengthen rural communities and ensure economic prosperity, a healthy population and flourishing institutional structures.

Read more of the strategic plan.

Living the Land-Grant Mission

LSU AgCenter faculty are hard at work helping the people of Louisiana and fulfilling the goals of the strategic plan.

Brian Gautreau

STEM education specialist, LSU AgCenter 4-H Youth Development

Through the Agricultural Career Exploration with Drones program, Gautreau and his team designed a course that teaches high school students the basics of flying drones and helps them earn the Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 certification needed to fly a drone commercially, along with another important certification. The students can learn to fly fixed-wing drones, create images and map fields — crucial skills for agricultural drone careers.

“It’s important for youth to have multiple pathways into careers,” Gautreau said. “A Part 107 certification can open so many doors. It might not be agriculture. It might be in insurance adjustment, inspections or just a side hustle taking pictures at weddings. It is going to open avenues that youth often aren’t even aware of. It might be the spark that sets them down a road for a career or college.” ■ Kyle Peveto

Adam Famoso

Rice breeder, H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station

AgCenter rice breeder Adam Famoso and his team are working to grow better rice —varieties that are healthier, tastier and aligned with modern consumer preferences, while also being high-yielding and pest-resistant. Using advanced genomic tools, they analyze rice DNA to select desirable traits, such as shorter plants that resist lodging and grains with appealing aroma, and accelerate the development of new varieties.

This work helps Louisiana rice farmers stay competitive and profitable. By creating rice that grows well and meets the needs of both farmers and consumers, the program supports local agriculture and strengthens the state’s role in global food production. It also helps ensure that future rice varieties are more resilient, more nutritious and better suited to changing tastes and climates. ■ Tobie Blanchard

Michael Deliberto

Economist, LSU AgCenter Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness

Deliberto has helped agricultural producers navigate market trends, policy changes and other economic forces. Through spreadsheets, reports, newsletters, workshops and other avenues, Deliberto is a resource for farmers as they face decisions that affect their bottom lines. The changing nature of federal agricultural policy also plays a key part in Deliberto’s research.

“Ag economics is really the practical side of the application of finance, budgeting, accounting, management, decision-making, risk, uncertainty,” Deliberto said.

With the unpredictability of the farm economy, every year agricultural producers must carefully consider several factors when deciding what to plant and in what quantities to apply fertilizer, chemicals, irrigation and other inputs. Deliberto’s tools help Louisiana producers make the best possible plans. ■ Tobie Blanchard

Evelyn Watts

Seafood extension specialist

In the heart of Cajun Country, where seafood is a cornerstone of the local economy, Watts and the team with the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab are advancing the state’s seafood industry while providing invaluable support to small businesses and independent fishermen. She has helped secure state-of-the-art equipment for the lab to assist with research and processing seafood and is helping fisherman identify niche markets that can give them more value for their catch.

The lab provides essential training on preserving product quality, packaging and compliance with regulations, empowering fishermen to be able to process and sell their catch directly to consumers.

“We’re not only working with seafood and fishermen,” Watts said. “We are also working with consumers and outreach faculty, so we create the need from the consumers, so we close the circle — we have a product, and we have a demand.” ■ Tobie Blanchard

Luke Stamper

State wildlife specialist

Based in rural northeastern Louisiana’s Caldwell Parish, Stamper travels throughout Louisiana implementing a dynamic statewide wildlife extension program. His work includes holding wildlife field days, forestry and wildlife stewardship seminars and workshops, as well as interagency and multi-institution collaborations, reaching stakeholders where they live and giving them the tools to manage habitats and deal with both animal and vegetative invasive species encroaching on their land.

Stamper’s mission is to create better land stewards, wildlife managers and wildlife habitat managers through research and education that will have a lasting impact on Louisiana’s natural resources.

“There’s a lot of interest in habitat management and food plots, whether it’s for whitetail deer or waterfowl,” Stamper said. “On the vegetation side, we want to train landowners on management techniques that they can eventually do themselves.” ■ V. Todd Miller

Quincy Vidrine

Nutrition and Community Health regional coordinator

Through her work with the LSU AgCenter’s Healthy Communities Program, Vidrine has helped form a coalition in Franklin Parish that is making a real difference in the quality of life in the towns and villages that dot the parish.

New festivals, farmers markets and town events fill the parish calendar. Park improvements draw families to once neglected areas. Grant-funded programs are making the areas more pedestrian-friendly. These community-wide improvements have been instrumental in helping individuals make their own positive changes, which is at the heart of the LSU AgCenter’s Healthy Communities initiative.

“With healthy communities, it’s about building coalitions,” Vidrine said. “It’s getting the right people together at the table for the right projects.” ■ Tobie Blanchard

This article appears in the winter 2026 edition of Louisiana Agriculture.