News about Women in Business conference, USDA extending deadlines for Ida | Business News

Women in Business Conference set for March 23-25

The 101 Women in Business Conference will be March 23-25 at Southern University New Orleans in the Arts-Humanities-Social Science Building.

The free event will feature networking, vendors, panel discussions and sessions on entrepreneurship, procurement, manufacturing, access to capital, certifications and mental health. The event is sponsored by the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southern University.

For details and to register, go to lsbdc.org.

USDA extends deadline for farmland and forests damaged by Ida

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency has extended the signup deadline for the Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program to address damages as a result of Hurricane Ida.

The deadline is now May 16.

Eligible landowners who have not preciously participated in USDA programs should contact their Farm Service county office as soon as possible to establish customer records. Due to COVID-19, it is necessary to make an appointment with the USDA Service Center.

The deadline for the Emergency Conservation Program has been extended for the following parishes: Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne and Washington.

The program provides assistance to restore damaged farmland. Producers may receive up to 75% of the cost of approved restoration activity.

The Emergency Forest Restoration Program deadline extension is for Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes.

It provides owners of nonindustrial private forests assistance up to 75% of the cost to implement approved restoration practices; and limited to $500,000 per person or legal entity per disaster.

For information on disaster recovery, visit farmers.gov/recover, or contact your local USDA Service Center. To locate a Farm Service office, visit farmers.gov/service-center-locator.

Element Hotel by Westin open 

An extended stay hotel intended primarily for traveling health care workers and hospital patient families in Baton Rouge is open.

The Element by Westin is a 124-room hotel that sits on Summa Avenue, a stone’s throw from Baton Rouge General Medical Center and a few miles from Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. It has one-bedroom suites and studio rooms, each with kitchen space. Other features include large suite spaces with common areas, electric car charging stations, bike rental stations, a gym, a saline pool and a full-service kitchen.

Nial Patel, principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs, developed the Element. Restic Development of Baton Rouge was the contractor, and Paramount Hospitality Management in Atlanta will operate the hotel.