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Agricultural Field Day draws large crowd
Posted on Sep 21, 2017
Dr. Hari Singh, Biotechnology Graduate Program Coordinator, standing in front of the Houston Stallworth Agricultural Research Building.
More than 530 farmers, students and interested spectators looking for a firsthand view of the latest agricultural practices visited Fort Valley State University’s 2017 Agricultural Field Day on Sept. 14.
This free event, sponsored by FVSU’s College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology, took place at the Agricultural Technology Conference Center (ATCC). Attendees rode on tractor-drawn wagons and visited 13 demonstrations and displays and sampled food products during the “Taste of Ag.”
Dr. James Brown, a FVSU professor and interim program leader of FVSU’s Agriculture and Natural Resources program, who chaired the event’s planning committee, said the elementary and high school students who attended had the most to gain.
“The younger generation these days doesn’t have as much experience on the farm as the older generation,” Brown said. “By being exposed to agriculture and what it takes to produce crops and understanding how valuable food is, especially if you were to grow it yourself, they have the most to gain in comparison to the ones who grew up on a farm.”
Attendee Amos Lawrence, of Reynolds, who’s been farming since 2007, said he’s been to previous Agricultural Field Day events held by FVSU, but his purpose this year was to gather information on developing his cattle business. “I’m here to get up to date on the different types of grasses like Bermuda grass,” he said. Lawrence said his experience each visit to FVSU has been very valuable and he advises for people to come at least once to see what the university has going on.
In addition, Northside High School student and Future Farmers of America (FFA) member Jacob Logan Kendrick, 16, said he learned a lot about drones, peaches and fish farming. With this being his first time attending, he hopes to return the next time it is offered.
Agricultural Field Day is aimed at attracting farmers, gardeners and persons interested in producing edible crops and raising healthy animals for food production. It also serves as a learning experience for persons interested in eating healthier.
For more information about agriculture and natural resources programs at FVSU, contact Brown at 478-827-3118 or brownj01@fvsu.edu.
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