Mission Creep: UL to Close Research Farm in Cade

[NewsCopy]

  UL — The University of Louisiana’s closure of its 600-acre farm is expected to save about $270,000 and bring in additional revenue through leases to local farmers, university officials said.

There are no plans to sell the property — it’s far too valuable, UL President Joseph Savoie said.

“It is an asset,” Savoie said. “We just can’t maintain its operations with its current revenue generation.”

The farm’s closure was announced earlier this month as part of the university’s midyear budget cut plan to squeeze $4.6 million out of its state funding stream. The midyear cut rolls into a total $16.4 million reduction in state funding for UL since December 2008.

The price tag of the farm’s closure isn’t that large compared to other cuts planned for the campus — $625,000 lost in the athletics budget; nearly $2 million cut for research and economic development centers, and $1.2 million for purchase of scientific equipment.

The farm’s closure is expected to initially save about $90,000, with an additional $180,000 in savings estimated as operations at the farm are phased out by the end of the fiscal year, said Bradd Clark, dean of the UL Ray P. Authement College of Sciences.

The farm serves as an open-air laboratory for students in the sciences and researchers.

The rest of the story

By MARSHA SILLS
Advocate Acadiana bureau

[Turbine]

UL has had a Research Farm for over 103 years going back to at least 1907 when the USDA through the "Bureau of Plant Industry" set up a “Demonstration Farm” on the campus of UL.

Closing the Cade Farm saddens me. I know they save a quarter of a million dollars but this is a lot of lost history and was iron clad proof that UL has been a national research facility for over 100 years. UL as a research institution was not mission creep.

I was hoping with the "National" Go-Green movement Dr. Savoie would act quickly when he took office and apply for Federal research funds so as to actually increase their research in this area. I guess with the budget cuts it's too late to apply now.

I know Dr. Authement started pulling back from the Agriculture research in the early 70’s and only the donation of 600 acres in Cade made him reconsider but I never considered that continued atrophy would be an option.

I think a lot of Federal research dollars will be lost.

jmo

[ImperialCajun]

I know that you are sad about the loss, but our east side aggies are a federal and state supported AG school and have farms and services in every corner of the state. One friend graduated from UL pre-vet and became a vet at LSUA&M. I would bet though that you can get into vet school with a biology degree just like you do not need to be in pre-med to get into med school. We would probably be better off offering a biology degree with some animal husbandry (sp?) classes. And another friend that is in a Farm support business has tried to hire a UL grad but they do not have the background that he needs and has had to hire A&m grads. He ( a big UL supporter like myself ) thought that we should drop the AG program and put our money into something in which we can compete and for which we can get outside funding. We do need access to land for the biology Dept. and other things so I'm glad that they are not selling the farm.
Oh yea, when I ask a local LSU vet if she could show me how to clip the wing on my chicken, she didn't have a clue and others that I asked also did not know. I would bet that if you are not a pig, horse, cow, dog or cat they do not know! I would bet that is true for all vets not just theirs! I finally got an old coon-ass to show me!

[VObserver]

_ I know that you are sad about the loss, but our east side aggies are a federal and state supported AG school and have farms and services in every corner of the state. One friend graduated from UL pre-vet and became a vet at LSUA&M. I would bet though that you can get into vet school with a biology degree just like you do not need to be in pre-med to get into med school. We would probably be better off offering a biology degree with some animal husbandry (sp?) classes. And another friend that is in a Farm support business has tried to hire a UL grad but they do not have the background that he needs and has had to hire A&m grads. He ( a big UL supporter like myself ) thought that we should drop the AG program and put our money into something in which we can compete and for which we can get outside funding. We do need access to land for the biology Dept. and other things so I'm glad that they are not selling the farm.
Oh yea, when I ask a local LSU vet if she could show me how to clip the wing on my chicken, she didn't have a clue and others that I asked also did not know. I would bet that if you are not a pig, horse, cow, dog or cat they do not know! I would bet that is true for all vets not just theirs! I finally got an old coon-ass to show me! _

Ask an Auburn, aTm or Mississippi State vet. They'll know. Though honestly, so few people keep free range poultry anymore that wing clipping is for the most part no longer done, so vets may NOT know. FWIW, with a set of toenail clippers, amputate the last joint on ONE wing of your newly hatched chicks or ducklings and you are good to go. Don't do both wings.