Purdue's Ag Week: Why It Matters

In the world of agriculture, we talk a lot about the misconceptions, fear, and questions that exist from those not related to the industry.  Four years ago, there was a group of students that decided to try and bridge the gap. 

At Purdue, State Street draws a line through campus just south of the Purdue Memorial Union.  Most of campus lies to the north of this street, but on the south side is the Krannert School of Management and the rest is largely the College of Agriculture.  As you could imagine, this leads to a division of sorts.  On the "South Side," you can discuss genetically modified crops, nitrogen leaching, AI, cattle sales, and tractor parts, and rarely will you see anyone look just too lost.  Once you cross the street, it is a different discussion. 

During Ag Week, the college of agriculture, and some 20 + student organizations work across the entire Purdue campus to have a presence.  Some groups bring in animals, the Dairy Club gives away grilled cheese sandwiches and milk on #MilkMonday, for example.  The Collegiate FFA has now hosted a "Farmer 5K" on the Sunday prior to Ag Week as a kickoff event for two years. 

This is the list of all events for this week.  Our goal is to open a door for other students to feel that they can come to us with their questions, concerns, doubts, and if they wish, maybe even learn something.  The Ag Week Task Force does not set out to go "teach people."  They set out to help others see our College of Ag and students as a resource. 

Why does Ag Week matter?  In my opinion, it lets non-ag friends put a face to the words "farming" and "food production."  Those words can be scary, I'll be honest.  If you're not directly related to farming and someone tells you, "Did you know they keep pigs in buildings?!  They don't get to go outside!"  That doesn't sound fun.  By giving you the face of a person who raises those animals, they can speak firsthand to why we do some of the things we do, and why that improves the life of the animal.  We want to be a resource for you, since we do raise the meals you eat three times a day, 365 days a year.  

I hope you enjoy Purdue Ag Week (If you will be on campus).  If you are not going to be at Purdue, make sure to check out Purdue Ag Week on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (all are hyperlinks).  We are all working to "mAGnify" agriculture!

**This post reflects the views of Samuel Ebenkamp and may not reflect the views of Purdue Ag Week or Purdue University, and was not written in conjunction with either group.**

Have a great Monday!

You can follow along on my social media sites, and send any of your questions to 

lifeofafuturefarmer@yahoo.com.  I'd love to hear from you!

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