FFA At SEMO Day
ROB MILLS
PERRYVILLE, MISSOURI
Whether you’ve grown up on a farm, or in St. Louis County, there’s a career in agriculture waiting for you.
That was the message being conveyed at the annual Southeast Missouri State University FFA Field Day. The event was held on October 4th at the David M. Barton Agricultural Research Center, located just outside of Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Nearly 750 middle & high school students from 25 schools located in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois attended the event, which featured a tour of the Research Center, booths showcasing the University’s ag department and several local agricultural businesses who were part of the field day.
Dr. Samantha Siemers, Assistant Professor in the SEMO Department of Agriculture, said the FFA event promotes what Southeast has to offer students, and in doing so promotes the future health of the ag industry. “The field day is a recruiting tool for S.E. Missouri State”, she told MAFG, adding “Agriculture is a growing, changing industry. There are careers that we want these students to know about. We have eight majors and one master’s degree we offer online.” Siemers concluded by saying “when I’m in the classroom I want my students to be excited by being a part of such an impactful industry.”
Also attending the field day was Marissa Wilson, MS, an Instructor in the school’s Ag Department. She offered that growing up on a farm, or in a rural area, isn’t necessary to pursue a degree in agriculture.
“I am from a very suburban area where there was little if any ag related activity going on. If you do as I did, and follow your interests, you’ll find it’s worth it”, she said.
During the day, students heard a keynote address on Hemp Production and were introduced to the use of Drone technology in an ag setting. They also toured the Charles Hutson Greenhouse, which is the largest student run, commercial green house in the U.S., and the Charles Nemanick Alternative Agricultural Garden.
Businesses having booths on-site included MFA Inc., Baker Implements and Davis Farm Supply. SEMO’s booths included exhibits on the beef industry, veterinary technology, crop sciences and the production of rice & grain. Students also were able to interact with a live cannulated cow.
The University provided lunch for all who attended. ∆
ROB MILLS: MAFG contributing writer