By Bruce Hallmark (M.S., ’04)
If you believe Ag Day is merely a harvest-time acknowledgment of Colorado State University’s agricultural roots and traditions, you have only begun to scratch the surface. And, if you think most students in the College of Agricultural Sciences grew up on farms and ranches, then you will be surprised to discover that 70 percent of them did not.
The world of agriculture may still look a lot like it did 50 or 100 years ago, but a closer inspection reveals its 21st-century practitioners are at the forefront of global challenges such as sustainability and water conservation and are partnering with researchers to quickly turn today’s scientific and technological advances into tomorrow’s best practices.
Gratitude
Ag Day is first and foremost about gratitude. According to the dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, James Pritchett, agricultural partners around the state donate about $50,000 worth of food and services to the Nutrien Ag Day BBQ held before the football game (vs. Sacramento State on Saturday, Sept. 24).
“Our gratitude helps ground us when we’re thankful for the great food we receive. And our partners show their gratitude by making a meal for everybody, and the proceeds from their donations go directly into student scholarships,” he said.
According to the Colorado Department of Agriculture, there are more than 38,000 farms and ranches in the state employing 195,000 people. At $47 billion annually, agriculture comprises 25 percent to 30 percent of Colorado’s GDP and is the top contributor to the state’s economy, followed by oil and gas production, manufacturing, and tourism.
Ag Day is an opportunity to tell the story of Colorado agriculture, which has gained a lot of traction in recent years. “I think there’s more interest in food now than I’ve ever seen in the past 20 years,” Pritchett said. “People now want to talk about microbes in the soil, how they promote plant growth, and what it means for people’s guts and overall human health. It’s gotten a little sexy to be in agriculture.”
Student Scholarships
Those consumer interests are increasingly reflected in the college’s diverse student population, and among the higher profile issues attracting students are climate change and sustainability.
Vanessa Alvarado is a first-generation, nontraditional student from Columbus, Georgia. She is a senior majoring in horticulture and conducting research into prolonging the freshness of produce with Dr. Eduardo Gutierrez-Rodriguez. She is also a 2022 recipient of the Ag Day Scholarship.
Alvarado began working in one of the department labs in 2020 and that experience changed her academic plans to focus more on climate change. “I did it for my kids. We’re not doing enough to address climate change, and rather than hoping more people work on the problem, I thought I’ll join the field and be part of the solution.” When she graduates in December 2023, Alvarado plans to pursue a master’s degree at CSU in food safety.
Brittani Meis is also a first-generation student and currently a junior studying soil and crop science with minors in chemistry and global environmental sustainability. She grew up on a dairy farm in southwest Wisconsin, where she became interested in sustainability in elementary school after starting a garden with her father and observing the harmful effects of hot, dry weather on their plants.
That experience eventually led her to acknowledge similar realities occurring around the globe, which informed her career aspirations. “I would like to work abroad using sustainable agriculture practices, especially carbon sequestration, to help advance developing economies.” After graduation, she plans to stay at CSU to earn a master’s degree.
Meis is an Ag Day Scholarship recipient who believes “Ag Day is an opportunity for all of us to come to the table and celebrate our differences around something we all need to survive, which is food, and the big role agriculture plays in all of our lives.”
A Green Fum
Most people associate Thurman “Fum” McGraw (B.S., ’50) with athletics, but his collaboration with John Matsushima (B.S., ’43; M.S., ’45), professor emeritus in the Department of Animal Sciences, is what brought about the first Ag Day event in 1981.
After learning that the cattle-feed industry was looking for mutually beneficial partnerships, McGraw worked with Matsushima to meet with some of the feeders to propose a closer working relationship with the University. Later, a feeder named William Harman brought a steer to CSU’s Meat Lab, where it was prepared for barbecue. Others wanted to participate as well, including Frank Seawall with Coors, which at the time, had a feedlot in Longmont. Seawall offered to furnish the beer. Cecil Hilbush, farm director for Safeway, said he’d supply buns and utensils. So, they had everything they needed for the first barbecue, held at CSU rodeo grounds southeast of Hughes Stadium.
According to Matsushima, about 200 people attended the first year. It was a hot day and attendees ate in the shade of the rodeo stadium. McGraw addressed the crowd and said, “Now that I’ve got you here, I want all of you to go to the football game.”
Word spread in the agricultural industry and other producers – including dairy, pork, apple, sheep, and more – wanted to participate. Attendance increased to 800 people in the second year, and by the third year, every agricultural sector wanted to be involved and the home football game’s attendance increased by thousands. Ag Day has become a CSU tradition, combining barbecue and football to showcase the best of Colorado agriculture and the state’s land-grant University.
Come to the Table
Those familiar with the College’s branding have probably heard the phrase “Come to the Table.” Most of us think of that table as a place to eat meals, but it is more than that, Pritchett says. “Beyond the dinner table, it’s sometimes a conference room table where we’re having a business meeting, and other times it’s the negotiating table where we’re finding common ground among different groups, and it can also be a creative space where researchers and others bring their creativity and innovation to solve problems.”
It’s a table for everyone around topics important to all of us. You are invited and will almost certainly learn something exciting if you take your seat on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.
For more information, visit the Ag Day webpage.