New Orleans Resource

Agriculture

Agriculture is Louisiana's second-largest industry, with 80% of its 28 million acres dedicated to producing either food or fiber.  After forestry, other commodities include sugarcane, cotton, rice, soybeans, wheat, corn and other grains.  Internationally recognized researchers affiliated with the USDA and Louisiana State University (LSU) specialize in sugarcane, rice, textile, and peanut research, including value-added products.  Cattle, alligator and crawfish farms are an hour's drive from New Orleans; and the Aquaculture Research Center at LSU, a state-of-the-art facility, has 140 experimental ponds.  The USDA's Agriculture, Plant Protection and Quarantine division at the Port of New Orleans inspects cargo to prevent the entry of pests that are harmful to domestic crops, trees and livestock.

An impressive collection of French and Spanish colonial buildings along with America's largest concentration of 19^th century wooden structures create a panoply of distinct neighborhoods in New Orleans, giving it the sobriquet of the “greatest outdoor museum in the world”. Its Creole cottages and shotgun doubles of the 19th century neighborhoods have captured the hearts of countless visitors. Though most of the houses types found in older neighborhoods are rooted in the traditions and styles of the 18th and 19th centuries, handsome 20th century Bungalows and other types have added to the eclectic mix that defines New Orleans ' charm. Historic Preservation is important to the preservation of these great treasures. Regulatory agencies safeguard the heritage of the City by preserving and regulating historic landmarks and by expanding the constituency that understands the economic, cultural and aesthetic importance of historic preservation.

New Orleans' unique culture remains visible today in the architecture, cuisine, music and pace of everyday life.

Museums & Tours
The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), located in City Park, has extensive permanent collections of 17^th – 20^th century European, Asian, and African art and temporary exhibits from around the world. 

The Warehouse Arts District within walking distance from downtown has art galleries, the Louisiana Children's Museum, Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), Confederate Museum, the National World War II Museum, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. The U.S. Park Service offers both rural and urban park settings in the area, including the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve's Barataria Unit, about 35 minutes from the city. Six of the eight Louisiana State Museums are in the French Quarte and are committed to preserving and presenting Louisiana's legacy of historical events and traditions.

There are over 2,000 non-profits in the Greater New Orleans Area, that are volunteer-based and provide an array of services. Some of these organizations offer social services for battered women, at-risk youth and refugees while other focus on homelessness, literacy,legal aid and most recently on disaster recovery.

Several organizations in New Orleans are committed to teaching children and adults creative alternatives for resolving conflict without violence. Classroom visits can be arraigned at schools benefiting from the training, or, one may wish to sit-in on local meetings where community activists address racial tensions and the need for dialogue.

The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) gained national attention in the mid-1990s for drastically reducing the city's escalating crime rate.  Precipitated by the record-high murder rate of 1994 was the founding of the New Orleans Police Foundation, which today continues to support the NOPD through advocacy and public relations.  With ample notice, international visitors can sit in on the weekly COMSTAT (Computerized Statistical Mapping of Crimes) meeting to see how this crime-fighting tool helps the police be more efficient.  For programs focusing on international and/or organized crime, appointments can be scheduled with the local offices of the FBI, DEA, INS, Harbor Police, and U.S. Attorney in addition to the security divisions of major banks. 

One of the city's leading universities is home to a non-profit dedicated to socially responsible economic development in the food and agriculture sector.  Visitors can observe the Crescent City Farmers Market weekly.  The City of New Orleans and private not-for-profits regularly sponsor “how-to” seminars for new and small business owners.  The economic development arm of the chamber of commerce focuses on international trade as a viable part of the city's health. 

New Orleans has eight major area colleges and universities, including the Louisiana State University Medical Center founded in 1931 and three HBCUs.  The University of New Orleans sets itself apart by forming numerous public-private partnerships within and outside the community that contribute to the area's economic development.  The two predominately black universites are Xavier, the nation's only historically black Catholic university and Dillard. Xavier has a renowned schools of pharmacy, and Dillard offers an excellent Liberal Arts education.  The two top private institutions in the city, Tulane and Loyola Universities, are each known for its exceptional school of law, and both are involved in international, educational exchange.  Journalism training can be explored at Loyola, and Tulane houses the Amistad Research Center, the most complete ethnic collection in the U.S., a comprehensive Latin American Studies department and library, and the Middle American Research Institute, which leads archaeological digs in Central American in conjunction with the anthropology department.  Delgado Community College focuses on training for manual trades, and offers associate degrees and certificate programs in fields that respond to local job market trends and needs.

The state of Louisiana has 40% of the nation's wetlands yet loses 31 square miles of it every year due to coastal erosion.  The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, and the Mississippi River Basin Alliance are examples of citizen-supported nonprofits fighting to restore our wetlands.  Because New Orleans is below sea level and was developed on the banks of the Mississippi River, flood and mosquito control are top priorities.  Consequently, New Orleans has one of the nation's most elaborate drainage systems.  Researchers examining global warming, species survival and coastal resource issues may be available for in-depth discussions, while an important environmental law clinic influences the balance between industry and the environment through advocacy and research.  

The medical community in New Orleans was greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina and is working hard to return to the city. Tulane and LSU Medical Schools have reopened. Proir to Katrina, the Greater New Orleans area had 24 hospitals, which combined provide 5,600 staffed beds and access to 1,800 different medical and surgical specialists.  Two major medical schools offer superlative medical education, research and treatment.  The Tulane University School of Public Health is renowned for its systematic study of tropical diseases and healthcare delivery in Africa.  Ochsner Foundation Hospital maintains strong ties with Central and South America.  Xavier University, the only historically black and Catholic university in the nation, houses a nationally recognized pharmacology program.  Charity Hospital, part of Louisiana's free healthcare system cared for the low-income population and possessed one of the finest emergency trauma units in the United States. Charity Hospital was severly damaged during the storm and can not be reopend, but there are plans in the works to rebuild a state-of the-art medical complex in its place.  

The Napoleonic Code, fully integrated into an 1825 codification of Louisiana law, remains a distinctive part of the state's legal system.  Unlike English Common Law, which is based on legal precedent, the civil code is a system of precepts tending to favor collective rights.  Louisiana's civil code system is therefore unique among the fifty states and presents an excellent opportunity for visitors to explore common and civil law systems at Tulane and Loyola, two law schools internationally recognized for their comparative legal studies.  The Public Law Center, a joint venture of the Tulane and Loyola law schools, hosts annually the International Legislative Drafting Institute, and at the Loyola Law Clinic students represent clients under close supervision of faculty lawyers. 

Librarians, both public and university, and archivists can discuss library management and technology at the Howard Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, or at Louisiana State University's main library in Baton Rouge.  The Latin American Library at Tulane University holds one of the most extensive collections of material about Mexico and Central America in the world, while Tulane's Amistad Research Center traces ethnic history and race relations in the United States through its more than 2 million documents, the largest such collection anywhere.  Tulane also has an architectural archive, Hogan Jazz Archives, and a rare manuscripts collection.  Archivists and historians will be especially interested in The Historic New Orleans Collection's 5,700 linear feet of documents and manuscripts (plus drawings, photographs, prints and more), which reflect aspects of the history and culture of the Gulf South, Louisiana, and New Orleans.  In addition to the Williams Research Center, there are galleries, a house museum, and a free, changing exhibit open to the public. 

The Port of New Orleans is America's most intermodal port, enabling shippers to move cargo by ship, rail, truck and barge.  Cargo from every area of the world is funneled through New Orleans to Middle America and the South, particularly iron and steel, coffee, rubber, grain and sugar. Visitors can tour one of the largest, most contemporary multi-purpose terminals in the U.S., climb into one of their state-of-the-art gantry cranes, and learn how to make the transition from break-bulk to containerized cargo.  The Port of South Louisiana is less than one hour away from New Orleans, and leads the U.S. in handling bulk cargo, particularly grain.  Visitors can tour one of their bulk terminals and grain elevators and learn about their plan to expand their Globalplex Intermodal Terminal. 

Both non-profits and government agencies provide a dizzying array of social services to the local population.  Some of these organizations target battered women, at-risk youth and refugees while others focus on homelessness, literacy, and legal aid.  Catholic Charities alone sponsors 38 programs! Several university-affiliated organizations are committed to the teaching and advocacy of conflict resolution, both for adults and children.  School visits can be arranged to observe conflict resolution practices in action, or visitors can sit-in on meetings where local community activists address racial tensions and the need for dialogue.

Drug prevention is being addressed in New Orleans on many levels from street-outreach in the public housing projects to classroom talks by police officers.  The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office uses eye-catching murals, painted by prisoners, to deliver an anti-drug message.  A United Way agency has comprehensive drug prevention and youth empowerment programs tailored to the Hispanic community.  Visitors can see how different inpatient/outpatient facilities rehabilitate drug users, including Grace House, the only substance abuse rehabilitation program designed strictly for women. 

The tourism industry is Louisiana's second biggest revenue machine, bringing an average of 26 million people and $8 billion dollars to the state each year. Two important tourism entities located in New Orleans are responsible for marketing to the individual consumer and the convention business respectively.  The Ernest Morial Convention Center is one of the five largest convention centers in the country and still expanding. Louisiana is the only state in the nation offering tax-free shopping to international travelers.  Visitors interested in balancing tourism development with historic preservation, commercializing a riverfront area, or pursuing ecotourim can learn by visiting the Audubon Institute's Aquarium of the Americas or Zoological Garden, historic homes and museums in the French Quarter, Bayou Sauvage Wildlife Refuge or the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve among other attractions.   And, since New Orleans is the only American city besides Las Vegas to have no closing law, visitors can literally stay out celebrating all day and night!

Once known as the “Gateway to the Americas,” New Orleans is trying to regain its foothold as an important center for transportation and international trade.  Current efforts are focused on investing in technology as it relates to transportation, logistics and the Mississippi River.  New Orleans is the nation's leading coffee port with several bulk coffee handling facilities along the river.  The World Trade Center houses the Consular Corps, Delta U.S. Export Assistance Center and the Mayor's Office for International Relations and Trade Development.  Greater New Orleans, Inc. generates new business opportunities for existing companies by hosting trade missions.