Ag Field Day on the HillHundreds came out this year in support of Prairie View A&M University’s College of Agriculture and Human Sciences 2017 Agricultural Field Day recently held on the campus. Participants at the 34th annual event included new and early-stage small-scale farmers and ranchers, students from 9 area high schools and their teachers, local community members, vendors, and exhibitors. The two-day event which originated as Goat Field Day later joined with Ag Field Day to become one of the signature events of the College. Lawton, Hodges and Leslie SmithAccording to the planning committee co-chair, “Ag Field Day should be one of the University’s top three events held on the campus.” In his opinion, those events “should be graduation, homecoming, and Ag Field Day.”

This year’s Ag Field Day opened with several experienced operators giving testimonials about their experiences and offering tips for success in a session aptly titled “And You Can Do It Too.” Leslie Smith II, CEO and Founder of Change Happens!, a 501 (c) (3) community-based social service organization whose mission is “empowering people to help themselves,” gave the opening address. Russell and Jewel Bean, owners of 88-acres in Eufaula, Alabama, Milton and Diann Woods of Milliesbarn Veggie Farm in Eagle Lake, Texas, and Dr. Cindy Ayers, founder and operator of Foot Print Farms, rounded out the speakers for the opening session. The Texas Department of Agriculture also presented information on the new Food and Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and how it affects fruit and vegetable producers.

Scientists from the College’s Cooperative Agricultural Research Center provided valuable resource information on livestock and forage, small ruminant, and home and commercial vegetable production. By popular demand, the topics covered in the workshops were:

  1. Raised bed and container gardening
  2. Selling your products at Farmers’ Markets
  3. The basics of ruminant nutritional requirements for beef cattle and goats
  4. Common medicinal plants
  5. Understanding parasite control
  6. Caprine diseases and health management
  7. The art and science of successfully feeding a youth show animal
  8. Artificial insemination

A large number of faculty, staff and students from the CAHS were involved in planning and launching the event. Special thanks and appreciation goes out to all who helped make Ag Field Day a success.
Angela Moore

 

Angela Moore
Extension Associate, Agriculture and Natural Resources
almoore@pvamu.edu
(936) 261-5002