Preaching Local Food Production to Homeowners

Burden Center, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is home to 440 acres dedicated to ornamental, fruit, and vegetable research. Since 2009, Burden Center has held annual spring fruit and vegetable field days targeting home gardeners. Avid and beginner gardeners visit the research center to learn how to grow fruit and vegetable crops in their backyards. Gardeners tour fields while LSU AgCenter faculty present favorite vegetable varieties, information regarding identifying disease and insect,s and general cultural practices. In addition to visiting fields, gardeners participate in taste test studies with various vegetable crops. The production information from the field studies along with gardeners' taste test recommendations are then distributed throughout Louisiana at various garden events.  The LSU AgCenter hosts these field days with the intention of spreading research-based production information to local food growers.