LFPI will present an informative workshop on garden pests the morning of Saturday June 9 at the Summit Street Community Garden in Fairhope. It will be presented by Dr. Ayanava Majumdar, Extension Entomologist, based in Auburn, who formerly worked out of the Research and Extension Center in Fairhope. Dr. "A" will walk the community gardeners and friends through the garden pointing out both beneficial insects and harmful insects, and and will suggest some organic methods of pest management. He has done recent research and field trials on organic alternatives to chemical pest control and will share the results of his research. Additional details will be available closer to the event.

May 10 Online Seminar: Fire Ant Control Made Easy

An online seminar, Fire Ant Control Made Easy, will be Thursday, May 10 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT (10 to 11 a.m. CDT or 8 to 9 a.m. PDT). The webinar is brought to you by the Imported Fire Ant eXtension Community of Practice.

Killing fire ants is actually easier than you think—if you understand how they live. This seminar will help you learn how to use integrated pest management tactics that are as economical and environmentally friendly as possible. You’ll also learn about fire ant biological control agents such as the Pseudacteon phorid flies. Phorid flies are also known as decapitating flies.

It’s very simple to participate in the webinar. Follow this link and log in as “guest.”  If you have specific questions that you want answered to during the webinar, post them to the Imported Fire Ant eXtension Facebook page .

The Imported Fire Ant Community of Practice also has gathered some great information and resources in one place for Master Gardeners. You can find that information here. You can also find more information on fire ants at http://www.extension.org/fire_ants or on Facebook (Fire Ant Info), Twitter (FireAntInfo), and YouTube (eXfireants).

• Community Gardeners: - LFPI is pleased to announce that all garden beds are fully occupied now, but there is a waiting list for interested community members. Contact us if you'd like to be added to the waiting list.

Our Purpose

One purpose of the Local Food Production Initiative is to educate the public about the advantages of and opportunities for consuming locally produced food.  Another purpose is to encourage the production of more locally produced food.   Producing and consuming locally grown food promotes the nutrition of citizens, reduces the energy and carbon footprint required for transporting food, promotes local self-sufficiency, and promotes the health and physical well-being of those who grow their own food. The organization also wants to encourage the preservation of agricultural land and open green space.

Our Projects

• YouthGarden

• Community Garden 

• Farmers Market Expansion

• Directory of Local Food Sources

• Public Education

• Agricultural Land Preservation in our County