SU Ag Center hosts community garden Field Day

The Southern University Ag Center Field Day was held June 30 in Opelousas.

In a joint effort with LaVonya Malveaux, director of Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives, Ronald Nicholas and Chris Robichaux, Ag Center extension agents and scientists Owusu Bandele, Mila Berhane and Yemane Ghebreiyessus, SU Ag Center organized a field day in Opelousas in June 30.

The primary purpose of the field day was to demonstrate and encourage potential vegetable growers and increase diversity of vegetable products sold in the farmers’ markets in the area. The goal is to increase vegetable consumption in the communities for better health of residents. More than 100 people from St. Landry parish and surrounding parishes attended the event. Several SU and LSU Ag Center faculty and staff also attended the field day.

The field day included hands-on experience with drip irrigation and tour around model gardens in Opelousas and Lafayette. The gardens visited were First Harvest Community Garden, Lighthouse Mission Men's Shelter Garden, and EarthShare Garden.

As a continuation of this field day, a workshop on vegetable production in the underserved communities was held in early August.