West Carroll Parish Profile

About the LSU AgCenter

The LSU AgCenter is dedicated to providing innovative research, information and education to improve people’s lives. Working in a statewide network of parish extension offices, research stations and academic departments, the LSU AgCenter helps Louisiana citizens make the best use of natural resources, protect the environment, enhance agricultural enterprises, and develop human and community resources.

Program Highlights

Nutrition and Community Health

Many nutrition workshops, events, and activities were held throughout the year at the West Carroll Parish Extension Office for both youth and adult clientele. Topics included Dining with Diabetes, Break Up with Salt, Nourish to Prevent: An Educational Cancer Prevention Series; Baking Workshops for adult and youth, Nutrition Learning Lab: Back to Basics Cooking, Home Food Preservation Workshop, Youth Workshop on Dairy and Protein, and Walking Nutrition Education Sessions.

4-H Youth Development

West Carroll youth can participate in ever growing project clubs like shooting sports, livestock, heathy living, and leadership. Parish schools also participate in enrichment opportunities where the 4-H Agent provides educational curriculum and experiences including embryology, financial literacy, and wetlands.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

The West Carroll gross farm value in 2024 was $73,466,247. In 2025, field corn was the crop with the most planted acres, followed by soybean, rice, and cotton. Beef cattle are the major animal enterprise. Specialty enterprises include sweet potato and vegetables. Core block variety demonstrations with corn, cotton and soybean are conducted on producer's farms to provide unbiased information on variety performance. Training is provided for private pesticide applicators and Worker Protection Standard (WPS) training for agricultural employees.

Whom We Reach:

• 211 youth as 4-H members and 9 4-H Clubs
• 2724 adults (2,334 through agriculture and natural resources and 96 adults and 294 youth through family consumer sciences)

How We Reach Them

4-H Clubs, school enrichment, field days, publications, newsletters, class series, website, social media and workshops

Expanding Our Efforts

30 volunteers from 4-H, NCH and ANR (Advisory Leaderships Councils, 4-H school leaders, after-school leaders, and ANR cooperators.

Parish Facts

The LSU AgCenter agriculture Extension agent provides research-based information on plant, animal and wildlife enterprises to West Carroll Parish residents. The total dollar amount from these commodities in 2024 were: Animal enterprises, $13,460,975; plant enterprises, $59,958,165 and fisheries and wildlife, $47,108.

Land area — 361 square miles; Population —9,622; Population under 18 years old — 23.1%; Population 65 years old and over — 21%; Median household income — $48,514; Persons below poverty — 15.7%

Local Issues and Plans for This Year

Increase productivity and profitability of Louisiana agriculture

• Provide information on pesticide resistance and irrigation efficiency
• Provide information that may help reduce production costs
• Use regular mail, email distribution, newsletters, webpage content and local media to distribute information
• Make farm and home educational visits

Promote the wide use of natural resources and protection of the environment

• Provide producers with information on how to dispose of pesticide containers and waste
• Conduct training for private pesticide applicators and agricultural workers

Build leaders and good citizens through 4-H Youth Development

• Develop and implement service-learning projects throughout the parish focusing on Special Needs Inclusiveness (state-wide initiative)
• Offer programming and opportunities to develop and enhance leadership skills at the local, state, and national level (4-H University, CWF, camps/conferences, project clubs, workshops, contests, etc.)
• Improve knowledge of youth and adult volunteers by increased number of trained volunteers

Strengthen families and communities

• Offer food preservation workshops for youth and adults to help address the need of food security
• Conduct physical activity and fitness workshops throughout the year to address childhood obesity and to improve overall quality of life for both youth and adult community members
• Conduct programming throughout the parish on chronic disease prevention and trending nutrition and health topics
• Conduct culinary cooking camps throughout the year for adult and youth clientele to enhance cooking skills and preparation of healthful meals and snacks

How Is Extension Funded?

• Federal funding from the USDA/ NIFA
• State general funds from the Louisiana Legislature
• Local support from parish government, including police juries and school boards
• Self-generated funds

What Role Do You Play?

Our stakeholders at the parish level are the local supporters and beneficiaries of the LSU AgCenter cooperative extension programs. Their support keeps these critical programs in their communities.

Each Parish Offers Programming In:

• Nutrition and community Health
• 4-H and Youth Development
• Agriculture and Natural Resources