South Louisiana Doctor Pens Book About Early Pioneer Families In
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Annual LDAF shade tree sale dates set See page 20 VOL. 97, No. 3 www.LDAF.la.gov February 6, 2014 South Louisiana Brand inspections in Louisiana doctor pens book The statewide agent.” brand registry start- Louisiana is about early pioneer ed in 1944. By leg- one of 17 states islative act, the state with brand Livestock Brand inspection laws. families in Commission was There are also formed. two types of “You have families that were brands now: one establishes Terrebonne Parish Christopher Cenac, Sr., M.D. in the cattle business but no ownership and one that a cattle (photo courtesy of Dr. Cenac.) longer. However, the brand is producer uses to reference and almost like a coat of arms,” document inventory. By Veronica Mosgrove said Carl Bennett, director of To apply for a brand, contact the Louisiana Department of the Louisiana Department of What started as a labor of love which was published in 2013. Agriculture and Forestry Agriculture and Forestry for Houma native Dr. Chris Cenac worked on that book simul- Livestock Brand Commission. (LDAF) at 225-925-3962. Cenac, Sr. has turned into more taneously as he also wrote Eyes of Originally, brands were used “It’s a known fact that cattle than a family chronicle of history. an Eagle, a book about his great- to identify property. “With all thieves avoid branded cattle. His research has led to the emer- grandfather and the history of the men fighting during WWII, An amateur might do it without gence of the history of a commu- Terrebonne which was published cattle theft was markedly knowing but those cattle are nity with strong ties to agricul- two years earlier. Cenac says it is increased. Today, brand inspec- hard to sell without being ture. the only documented history of tion laws mean livestock can- called into question,” added “When you think of Terrebonne life on the southeast coast of not be sold at public sale and in Bennett. Parish, you think of fishing, Louisiana from the civil war to the some states cannot be moved The LDAF registers brands seafood and oil fields, but every 1920s. “Between the two books, I from one state to another with- and marks for cows, equine, pioneer family had cattle,” said tell the whole history of the com- out being inspected by an sheep, dogs and hogs. Cenac. And that’s how this story munity and the establishment of begins. Cenac says he learned the parish.” some years back from his father Cenac was able to document the that Cenac’s great-grandfather, history because he reads and Jean-Pierre Cenac, had a brand registered in the speaks French and many of the records were in both 1860s. He went to the courthouse to find the French and English. He also did all of the research Please deliver this Market Bulletin to: records, but no one knew what he was talking about. himself with some guidance from archivists, histori- “Remarkably, two years later I received a call and ans and other published authors. “I wanted to do it was told they thought they found what I was looking right and once I started, it kept growing.” for.” Cenac, who is an orthopedic surgeon by profes- What they found were the three Brand Books of sion, says he never intended to be a book author. He Terrebonne, 1822-1946, which had been collecting just wanted to document his family’s history for his dust in a parish storage facility. The brand books grandchildren so they knew where they came from were complete. What a discovery! and how their family contributed to Terrebonne Cenac says locating the Terrebonne Parish brand Parish. “I didn’t do any of this on purpose, but registry opened up a treasure chest of history. “In what we’ve done is preserve history for more than the brand books, I found the two oldest European just our family. It’s a history lesson.” ancestors in my family,” said Cenac. But that wasn’t Cenac says the most amazing things have hap- all he found. The Cenac family is one of the earliest pened since writing these two books. “I’ve had peo- settlers that pre-date Terrebonne becoming a parish ple call and write me to say I have found my ances- in 1822. At the time, residents had to register their tors because of this book. It’s been beneficial in brands and marks. Carl Bennett, director of the multiple ways. Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry “We had a book signing and a woman came to me Livestock Brand Commission, said before 1944, asking about her grandfather’s brand. I showed her brands were registered on a parish by parish basis. his brand registration, number 575, January 11, “The brand books documented the chronological 1878. She said she brought my book to the court- settling of the parish from its creation in 1822 house and the information in the book helped prove because we had the only complete set of brand that her family had land. She told me that it proved books in the state,” said Cenac. to her family they also contributed to this parish.” The book Cenac is referencing is Livestock Brands While Cenac’s father was a surgeon and many in and Marks: An Unexpected Bayou Country History See Doctor, continued on page 19 Page 2 MARKET BULLETIN February 6, 2014 Louisiana Agriculture & Forestry Today LDAF forestry grant program underway The Louisiana Department of D.V.M. ty building activities being promoted 1) Minimize the impact on land Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is These matching fund grants are for includes the following: use change and urbanization on accepting applications for the 2013 activities not currently being funded 1) Employment of professional forests; Urban & Community Forestry Grant and are not intended to substitute for urban forestry staff at the communi- 2) Minimize the risk and impact of (U&CF) program. existing funding levels. ty level; catastrophic events; For the 2013 program year, In order to meet objectives out- 2) Development of community 3) Protect and improve air and $98,000 in federal money is avail- lined in the National Urban Forestry forestry management plans based on water quality; able. These funds will be distributed Guidelines and the Louisiana Urban resource assessments/inventories; 4) Mitigate climate change; through a competitive grants alloca- Forestry Council’s Strategic Plan for 3) Development or strengthening 5) Energy Conservation. tion process in which the LDAF will Louisiana Community Forestry, this of community forestry ordinances The LDAF must report specific award the grants. program is geared toward establish- and policy; and activities to the USFS each year, and “It is so important that we protect ing and/or strengthening existing 4) Development or enhancement future funding is based upon the our natural resources such as our community forestry programs in of local advocacy/advisory organi- number of communities participat- forests. One of Louisiana’s major Louisiana. zations. ing in the activities. MIKE STRAIN DVM commodities is forestry which at last National direction has become The Forest Service (USFS) has Download the application at COMMISSIONER report was valued at $3 billion,” said more focused during the past years. also placed emphasis on the (5) five www.ldaf.la.gov. The deadline to LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, Specific community forestry capaci- national U&CF programs goals: apply for the grant is Feb. 21, 2014. Louisiana Market Bulletin (USPS 672-600) Mike Strain DVM, Commissioner USDA Agriculture Marketing Service Hay Prices As a public service to state residents, the Louisiana Market Bulletin offers free listings Values are in tons unless otherwise noted subject to existing regulations. Out-of-state res- idents may list Want Ads only. Ads may not exceed 25 words. The name, address and tele- Alabama SE Hay Report, Jan. 30, 2014 phone number as well as the price of the item must be included with each ad. 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