Participants at last year’s Ag Day on Campus at UW-River Falls learned about various aspects of agriculture at one of more than 20 information booths that were part of the event. This year’s Ag Day on Campus is April 11.
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Please join us for the 2024 Ag Day on Campus April 11 as we celebrate the legacy and future of agriculture through our theme "Growing for Generations!"

• The opening ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m., with many Wisconsin and Minnesota agriculture royalty and special guests present along with some of our very own UWRF VIPs!
• After we kick off #AgDay24, join in the fun and participate in activities on the University Center Mall hosted by various College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences student organizations from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
• A free dinner will be provided at 5 p.m. outside 200 Ag Science.
• Finally, we will end the night with an agricultural speaker panel in the Riverview Ballroom in the University Center from 7-9 p.m.

Freddy’s Dairy Bar (212 Ag Science, next to CAFES Dean's Office) will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, for Ag Day on Campus. Stop by to pick up some cheese curds made in the newly renovated Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence – plain, dill and chipotle flavors available. There will also be ice cream for sale – not Freddy’s ice cream just yet, but that will be coming soon.

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Ag Day on Campus at UW-River Falls helps connect food to farming

 

April 11 event will include animal petting zoo, agriculture seminar, local food and even a mechanical bull
 

March 29, 2024 – Agriculture is closely interwoven in the history of both the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and the state of Wisconsin, and organizers of this year’s annual Ag Day on Campus hope to connect with event attendees to focus on farming’s future as well. 

The event, which focuses on the important roles that agriculture plays in people’s lives. runs from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, in the area in front of the University Center, E. 501 Wild Rose Ave., River Falls. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved inside the University Center.

This year’s theme, “growing for generations,” symbolizes the longtime, pivotal role that agriculture has played in Wisconsin and how it continues to have a significant impact even as farming undergoes changes, said student organizers Aleah Cole and Lashawna Vogel. 

“It’s about the generational aspect of agriculture, how that has been so important and has developed through the years, and how agriculture really connects us all,” said Cole, a senior animal science major from Sartell, Minn. 

Ag Day on Campus was started at UW-River Falls in 2012 by the university’s Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter. The event will include a display of tractors – a symbol of agriculture – along with another ag icon, Colleen the Dream, a large fiberglass Holstein cow. 

Many booths staffed by agriculture industry workers and representatives of student agriculture clubs will be at Ag Day, which will also be attended by Princess Kay of the Milky Way, UW-River Falls student Emma Kubal as well as the Wisconsin Fairest of the Fair, a position currently held by Kelsey Henderson. 

A favorite activity is attendees being able to view and pet farm animals.

“That is always a big draw,” Cole said. “People love to see and pet the animals.”

Adding to the fun, attendees can test their skill riding a mechanical bull. 

“That is something we hope will add some fun to this event,” said Vogel, a junior agriculture marketing communications major from Denmark.  

As part of the event, a panel of agriculture experts will discuss trends in modern agriculture and skills the ag industry is looking for in its employees. A free dinner featuring foods grown locally will be served at 5 p.m. in Room 200 of the Agricultural Science building on campus. 

Food – specifically where food comes from – is a focus of the event. With so many people not living on farms, they often don’t make connections between food and farms, Vogel said. 

“So many people are three generations removed from a farm,” she said. “They go to the grocery store to buy food, but they often don’t think about where their food really comes from and all that is necessary to get that food to the store.”

Cole and Vogel said Ag Day on Campus takes months of planning and is only possible because of the help of so many students. Between 50-60 students took part in planning this year’s event. Mike Orth, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES), echoed that sentiment. 

“The participation of our CAFES students in Ag Day events demonstrates students’ commitment to agriculture and helping others realize its critical role in the health and well-being of our society,” he said. 

Vogel’s immediate family didn’t farm, but her grandparents did, and she has fond memories of spending time on their farm as a child. In high school she joined the National FFA Organization, formerly Future Farmers of America, which led her to study agriculture marketing communications. Cole didn’t grow up on a farm, but when she arrived at UW-River Falls and was exposed to agriculture, she was hooked. She recently was accepted into veterinary school. 

“Even if you aren’t raised on a farm, you can get involved with agriculture and the ag industry,” she said. “You can learn an appreciation for agriculture and make connections with how important it is in our society.”

For more information about the event, email cfb@uwrf.edu.