‘Celebrate Agriculture Week’ events to include open house, national broadcast, networking event

Northwest's Agricultural Learning Center opened in July and includes an expo center that is capable of hosting a variety of activities and events. Northwest will host Celebrate Agriculture Week activities at the facility Nov. 13-17. (Photo by Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)

Northwest Missouri State University will celebrate agriculture with a series of activities Nov. 13-17, including a national broadcast emanating from the University’s new Agricultural Learning Center (ALC).

All of the week’s activities are scheduled at the ALC, located on the R.T. Wright Farm at 22893 U.S. Highway 71 in Maryville, and they are open to the public.

“Celebrate Agriculture allows us to recognize the role the agricultural and food industry play in the region and at Northwest Missouri State University,” Dr. Rod Barr, the director of the School of Agricultural Sciences, said. “It gives us the opportunity to showcase the newly opened Agricultural Learning Center and show appreciation to those involved in the agriculture and food system.”

The celebration begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, with an open house at the ALC. Then at 11 a.m. the Northwest community is invited to a barbecue lunch. Tickets for the lunch are $5, and may be purchased at the door. Tickets, along with Celebrate Agriculture T-shirts, also may be purchased ahead of the event at www.nwmissouri.edu/ag/celebrate/.

At 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, Mike Adams will broadcast his national agriculture talk radio show, “Adams on Agriculture,” from the ALC. The show, which features a mix of commentary on agricultural issues and interviews with decision-makers, will include a discussion with Barr.

Then, from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 16, an Agriculture Employer Networking Event takes place and features a variety of employers inside the ALC’s expo center.

To wrap up the week’s activities, all Northwest students and employees are invited to enjoy free ice cream sundaes during “Get the SCOOP on the ALC” from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17. Sponsored by Midwest Dairy, the event also will feature interactive agricultural literacy activities and displays related to food and agriculture, with a special focus on dairy.

The new 29,500-square-foot multipurpose ALC opened in July and enhances the School of Agricultural Sciences and its curriculum, which offers programs in agriculture business, agriculture education, agriculture media, agriculture science, agronomy and animal science. Additionally, the facility addresses infrastructure needs at the 448-acre Wright Farm, which is home to beef, swine, dairy and sheep enterprises as well as row and forage crops. It 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 www.nwmissouri.edu/ag/.