Earlier this spring, students at UW-Madison had the opportunity to learn first-hand about agriculture. April 22 served as the date of the fifth annual Ag Day on Campus, an event designed solely by collegiate students to connect with their fellow Badgers.
The day’s festivities took place on Library Mall, a fairly central location on campus, which allowed the promotion and education to reach people not typically exposed to the deep roots that the university has in agriculture. There, opportunities were provided to test one’s knowledge at the agriculture trivia wheel, compete with friends in a pedal tractor race, and enjoy free food samples showcasing products produced locally in Wisconsin. The highlight for many of the people passing by were the free milk chugs. In total, 1500 milk chugs were handed out to students, faculty, and even a couple campus tour groups.
These milk chugs provided not only a tasty treat, but also a prime opportunity for agriculture awareness, as they were handed out in can koozies donning fun facts about the industry. This year’s koozie read: Every Day is Earth Day to a Farmer. This saying also served as an underlying theme for the event, seeing as the date fell on that of Earth Day. Collegiate Farm Bureau members were excited to promote agriculture on such a well-known day, and connect farmers to the positive practices associated with caring for our planet. Sophomore Sydney Endres, who also served as the event’s food coordinator, shared a simple message with the people she talked with.
“We raise animals from young to old and grow crops to feed those animals. If we want to continue doing this year after year, it is in our best interest to care for the land that we rely so heavily on.”
Here are what some of the other collegiate members had to say about the day and their experiences:
“On Ag Day, CFB members are able to connect with other UW-Madison students through sharing their stories and passion for agriculture. It’s an opportunity we have every day, but one we do not take advantage of enough. By having an event like Ag Day, we can make connections on a larger scale, have more conversations, gain additional exposure and have another great reason to celebrate agriculture.” – Taylor Holterman
“Handing out the milk allowed me to share the industry that I love with my fellow students who may not otherwise know much about agriculture and the dairy industry.” – Andrew Greenfield
“I love to be able to share my passion for agriculture with others and Ag Day was a great opportunity to do so!” – Sara Griswold
Even though the day’s weather may not have been ideal (no one likes snowflakes in April!), UW-Madison’s Ag Day on Campus was a large success and Collegiate Farm Bureau members are already looking forward to continuing their agriculture promotion on campus next year at the sixth annual Ag Day!
Abigail Martin
Abigail Martin is a freshman majoring in Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a Collegiate Farm Bureau member and served on the signage committee for this year’s Ag Day on Campus.
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