I see LSU's Hammond Research Station has its own Facebook page now:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/LSU-AgCenter-Hammond-Research-Station/222670654425080

Hammond has historical value for the LSU Fig Program as the place where Dr. Ed O'Rourke's figs were moved after the original fields were repurposed in the 70s (thanks to the efforts of Benny Williams). Dr. Wayne Bourgeois eventually moved them to Port Sulphur where they took off, leading to the LSU varieties we now enjoy in the marketplace. 

The Hammond Research Station is back at it again preparing a new field for figs and olives:

Fig varieties being planted - LSU Gold, LSU Purple, Tiger, O'Rourke, Champagne, Celeste, Texas Everbearing, Hardy Chicago, Southeast Brown Turkey, Magnolia, Marseilles, Kadota, Alma, Hollier, Smith, Scott's Black, and Hunt. April 2015.

Olive varieties being planted in April 2015 - Koroneiki, Maurino, Aglandau, Picual, Frantino, Grossane, Bouteillan, Manzanillo, Pendolino, Mission, Arbosana, and Arbequina.

I live 15 miles from there. I always go to lsu ag reseach center in baton Rouge at lsu. Did not know they had one in hammond. Hammond is SLU NOT LSU. THANK YOU FOR THE INFO. PLANNING TO DRAG WIFE THERE. Richie

Richard SLU is in Hammond so is the LSU Ag Center.

No sir Lsu ag center is at lsu. At the burden center. its the reseach field. Remember i live here and been there. . Baton Rouge is were Dr o'rourkie did his fig research for many many years And created all the lsu fig. Hence the name Lsu gold etc. Hammond is a branch were they must be growing a new feild. Lsu fig trees are huge and very old. They have all the trees mentioned above . Just for your info. I have a thread were i took pics of the reseach field. and took cuttings... At lsu in baton Rouge. Richie

I have also been to the Baton Rouge Burdon Center but the history is pretty clear about the program being moved to Hammond.  This was made clear by Dr Charley Johnson at the Fig Field Day July 2013.

I have added the below information with another source for my information

The LSU Figs

Promising fig selections identified by Dr O'Rourke at the Station were LSU Purple, LSU Gold, Golden Celeste and Improved Celeste. After cuttings of all the promising selections were rooted, the trees were distributed to interested individuals in 40 different parishes.

SOURCE: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/Figcitrus.html

Just to be clear because by text you cannot tell. I am just discussings this with you:)) i was there less,then to months ago. The trees are all there and huge. All the name plates have faded and trees need trimmed. The professor there told me they are starting it back this year. Maybe he ment in hammond. These trees,cannot be moved. You cant tell by pictures but they are huge! Probably 12 to 16 plus thick at base. No way to move them. All the trees mentioned above were there. Others like jack lily. St gabriel black etc were not

they were probably grown somewhere in pots or something. I dont know about that. But the reseach field is in tact & the other feild that they brought people too was bulldozed down. This feild i went to is rarely seen by public. This is what i was,told in person by the doctor. In november 2014. I hope it is going to be in hammond too. I am takeing the lsu ag center madter Gardner this year so i will have better info then

I was at Burden, too.  There were grapevines winding through the trees and other trees growing up through the fig trees.  I spent a lot of time pulling the grape vines out and breaking the other trees as best as I could.  It's a shame they let them get so over grown.  I was  there in late Oct, Richard, so you may have seen some of my handiwork  :)

Looked good just over grown figs. Nice job!!! They told me there was two fields. The reseach field. And a feild for visiters. The visitor feild was bulldozed down. I have never,seen it. Thereseach field was located way in the back. The feild i went two had only figs nothing else. he told me the feild i got to go to was for scientist only. He only broght me there because i drove a hour to see the field and it was gone. So he let us loose in the reseach feild. Nothing but big fig trees. No grapes just about 6 or so rows of fig trees. They were very old and big.

There weren't any grapes purposefully planted, they were volunteers that were climbing in the fig trees.  I tore them down and pulled them out of the trees.  Some of the trees had signs, most didn't.  I might have been at the visitor's fields (at Burden) but they were there as of Oct 27, 2014.  I assumed they didn't allow cuttings so I didn't take any.  The facility director said I could take fruit, though.  There were tangerines that were excellent but the figs were terrible.  There were grounds people everywhere.

 

 

the field i was in had 10 rows of fig trees They had signs but they were extremely faded. No o'rourkie sign at all.

The field at Burden where the Fig Field Day was held had 10 or so rows of fig trees and also had some Peach trees and Grape vine on the North side of the field.  There was a very large O'Rourke and I took cuttings from it.  At the time of the Field Day, the orchard was very well maintained and I don't remember if Dr Charley Johnson ever said how long the trees had been there but he did say it had been 14 or 15 years since they had been fertilized.  All of the trees looked to be about the same size, 8"-12" caliber trunks, 10 ft or so in height

That particular day was very special, Dr Charley spent a couple of hours answering our questions and talking about the O'Rourke program.

There are some good threads posted on the Fig Field Day, some may have pictures.

Bobby sorry. I was on my facebook fig group That i posted my thread on. I forgot. Lol.

When i went he told me i could take a few cutting of my favorite looking trees and he left me there with no supervision. So all the trees,were my favorite lol
had i duffle bag full. They are,all rooted. But i dont know what they are except the. " DEAD CAT SERIES. IT HAD METAL TAGS. dont know anything about it as a fig plant. Just the history of its name----
Pretty much long story short that row of figs was,to be removed and the next day they found,a dead cat on it. They still were very small trees. Rest,was huge. Same field they had feild day at judging by field,day pictures.

I went by the Burden orchard today with Dr. Johnson who graciously agreed to mmet me on my lunch break for a few cuttings and some discussion.  He said the Burden site was becoming more of a visitor-centric site and most of the plants on the fig side of the road had been rooted over the last few years and moved to Hammond.  THe rows of celest and LSU purple were gone, as the stumps show.  THe dead cat figs are in the foreground, and not looking so hot.  He said cuttings had been taken of them as well.


 


The main two rows of all the others were intact.  He said they were about 20 yrs old and there were no immedialte plans for removal, but their days are numbered.


 


 


I got several cuttings of Champagne, the only fig from the orchard whose cuttings have never yet taken on my Frankenfig.  Also some Hollier, for trade bait. . .


I also got several cuttings of persimmon and pear, my next projects. 

Many thanks to Dr. Johnson, about the nicest fella you could imagine!!

Search "fig day" to find the threads with more pics of the orchard

Was this the only field left

This is the field where the fig day was held, and it originally had five rows of figs best I can tell.  Two are now gone, a third adjacent still has the dead cat figs on one end and further down the Hollier and some others.  The fourth and fifth rows of figs are a few rows over (with pear/persimmon/mulberry in between) and are still there and shown above with the white signs.  I am unaware of any other figs on the property, but it is freakin huge!

This and the other field you mentioned is where I was in Oct.  I should have asked about cuttings.  Such a shame and a waste of my time to clear all those grape vines out.  The tangerines and persimmons were great, though.

The pictures of the missing trees is a great disappointment, actually sad.  Like everything else, change is inevitable, I am truly thankful that I got to see it in it's prime.

Well i dont feel bad that i raided all the trees for cuttings in november. I want to go back and get more dead cat series cause i onlt took a few of them

They should allow this to be given to people in this area to propagate instead of cutting diwn the trees. Maybe thats why he lefts us in field and told me just to take a few of my favorites.