At ABAC, we tend to believe that everyone around us is educated in the area of agriculture, but this is not the case. Students who are majoring in non-agricultural and agricultural topics alike may not know about the different commodities that agriculture brings. Cattlemen’s Association seeks to educate those both in and out of agriculture majors.
On Thursday, April 11, Cattleman’s Association hosted the eighth annual Ag Awareness Day. Each year, different clubs gather in the Meadows to educate students about different ag commodities.
Although Ag Awareness Day is never a disappointment, this year was especially fruitful. Ag Communicators of Tomorrow gave samples of delicious peach lemonade from Lawson Peach Farm. Young Farmers and Ranchers had information and samples of watermelon. Alpha Gamma Rho had blueberries, and the Agronomy Club brought some information on oranges along with samples.
The meat and dairy industries were also represented. Collegiate 4-H brought a poster about the poultry industry. Representing the pork industry was Sigma Alpha; they pulled through with pulled pork barbeque. Cattlemen’s Association represented the beef industry with their, “Everything but the Moo” demonstration. They not only focused on the direct products of cattle but also the by-products.
From the gelatin in marshmallows and gummy bears to the adhesive on the back of their bumper stickers, everything on the table came from beef by-products.
The Dairy Club also had ice cream and other dairy products with their informational display.
Other items that were represented included corn, which the Collegiate FFA brought; peanuts, from the Ag Business Club; and pecans, from the AET club.
Perhaps the most interactive table belonged to the Beekeeper’s Association. At any time, students and faculty could sample two types of honey, clover honey and orange blossom honey. Then, to show how that honey is harvested, Kade Houston did an extraction demonstration at noon. This was very informative, as beekeeping is not something that many people have experienced firsthand.
Ag Awareness Day accomplished what it set out to do by engaging students and educating them in a subject they may have known little about.
