Ag Days Recap: Oregon Without Borders

The Agricultural Executive Council hosted their largest event of the year, Ag Days, during the first week of May, Monday through Friday.

A Global Opportunities Poster Presentation was held Monday afternoon in Strand Agriculture Hall. Students presented about their experiences abroad at the poster session. The activities then continued with two workshops – one featuring Bill Moar, an entomology scientist from Monsanto, speaking about international agriculture and competitive markets and the second being a study abroad panel featuring Oregon State students.

Tuesday, the Ag Day in the Quad event was held in the MU Quad and SEC Plaza. Approximately 25 groups were there to represent their clubs, the College of Agricultural Sciences, and the College of Forestry. The OSU Young Cattlemen’s Association sold tri-tip sandwiches, and they were a crowd-pleaser! The booths were judged by the Ag Exec advisors and were ranked as follows: 1^st place Forestry Club, 2^nd place Sheep Club, and 3^rd place Botany and Plant Pathology Club. Students were also given the chance to volunteer for Agriculture in the Classroom as part of a service project.

Wednesday evening, the Council partnered with the Oregon Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers to host the second annual Farm Bureau Discussion Meet. The event took place in the MU Lounge, and the six students that participated were asked to discuss the involvement of farmers and ranchers in government and natural resource issues. Andrew Miles took first place in the discussion meet, and Emily Hopfer took second.

Thursday night the Council hosted a keynote speaker, Dr. Reynold Gardner with the Oregon Department of Education. He spoke about the problems and opportunities facing agriculture today and the importance of education for the future.

Finally, Ag Olympics were held outside of Strand and the East side of the MU. Corn hole, ladder toss, and John Deere ‘tractor’ tricycle races were all offered as part of the fun! Ag Days is something the Agricultural Executive Council enjoys hosting every year, and it helps to provide education while people get the chance to see agriculture in action.