Northwest hosting annual ‘Celebrate Agriculture Week’ activities

Northwest hosting annual 'Celebrate Agriculture Week' activities

Northwest Missouri State University's School of Agricultural Sciences will host a week of activities Nov. 3-8 to spread awareness of the importance of agriculture.

The annual Celebrate Agriculture Week events showcase the University's Agricultural Learning Center (ALC), located on the R.T. Wright Farm at 22893 U.S. Highway 71 in Maryville, with a variety of educational sessions, a livestock show and some competition.

The week concludes with the Celebrate Agriculture football game featuring an equipment display and tailgate activities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8. The Bearcat Zone, Northwest's tailgate area at the Raymond J. Courter College Park Pavilion, offers a family-friendly environment, including performances by the Bearcat Marching Band, cheerleaders and Bearcat Steppers before the football game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. at Bearcat Stadium.

Jackie Lacy, who joined the Northwest faculty in 2014 and is in her first year as chair of the School of Agricultural Sciences, said the week helps illustrate the value of agriculture in the region while expressing gratitude for the support of the Northwest community.

"It is important to share the story of agriculture," she said. "It's an industry that we're very passionate about. We're very fortunate to be able to give back to a community that does so much for us."

Other events during the week include "AgVenture Night" at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, hosted by Collegiate FFA/ATA and Collegiate Farm Bureau. In partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Northwest's student agricultural organizations will demonstrate agriculture safety and awareness. The event is free and open to the public.

For the third consecutive year, students from various disciplines will showcase their animals and showmanship when the Block and Bridle organization hosts the Little National Western livestock show on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the ALC. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the show starts at 5 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, at the ALC, the Northwest Collegiate Cattlemen's Association will host a chili and soup cookoff as well as trivia for agriculture students, faculty and staff.

Additionally, the School of Agricultural Sciences will conduct a food drive throughout the week in collaboration with Hy-Vee. Collection bins will be outside of Hy-vee in Maryville from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. All donations will go to the Maryville Ministry Center.

About the School of Agricultural Sciences

Headquartered in the Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation, Northwest's School of Agricultural Sciences offers programs in agriculture business, agriculture education, agriculture media, agriculture science, agronomy and animal science.

The 29,500-square-foot multipurpose Agricultural Learning Center, which opened in 2021, enhances the School and its curriculum while addressing infrastructure needs at the 448-acre Wright Farm, which is home to beef, swine, dairy, sheep and goat enterprises as well as row and forage crops. The ALC enables further innovation and partnerships while addressing best practices for the Northwest campus and agriculture sciences.

For more information about the School of Agriculture Sciences and its programs, visit https://www.nwmissouri.edu/ag/.