State

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The Louisiana Rice Research Board presents a $1 million check to fund an academic chair for rice research in the LSU AgCenter. The presentation was made at the joint meeting of the Louisiana Rice Council and the Louisiana Rice Growers Association held recently in Jennings. Shown left to right are Dane Hebert, LRRB vice chairman; Brian Wild, former LRRB member; Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and LRRB ex officio member; Donald Berken, former LRRB member; Damian Bollich, LRRB member; Ronald Sonnier, former LRRB member; Mike Fruge, former LRRB member; Alan Lawson, LRRB member; Jeffrey Sylvester, LRRB member; Bill Richardson, LSU vice president for agriculture; Rogers Leonard, LSU AgCenter associate vice president; Fred Zaunbrecher, former LRRB member; Jackie Loewer, former LRRB chairman; Clarence Berken, former LRRB vice chairman; John Denison, former LRRB chairman; Richard Fontenot, LRRB chairman; John Denison Jr., LRRB secretary-treasurer; Steve Linscombe, former director of the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station. (Photo courtesy Bruce Schultz/LSU AgCenter)

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Lake Providence farmer Robbie Howard, center, was presented the Outstanding Master Farmer Award on Jan. 10, 2019. He is pictured with, from left, LSU Vice President for Agriculture Bill Richardson; John Pitre, of the Natural Resources Conservation Service; Eric Bergeron, of Gowan; Stephen Austin, of the Louisiana Land Bank; Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain; and David Daigle, president of the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts. (Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)