The annual College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Week reached its halfway point Monday on Lowry Mall.
Monday’s “Lil’ Ag Expo” lasted from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offered a free meal to students who visited at least five booths to learn about various CAFNR clubs on campus. The week of events will continue through Sept. 22.
“Today is just to educate the university about agriculture and what our college does,” senior Lauren Dye said.
Cargill Meat Solutions provided the meals by donating 300 hamburgers from Mizzou Market.
“We had a great turnout,” junior Emily Brant said. “We actually ran out of hamburgers.”
Dye and Brant are members of subcommittees of the CAFNR Week Steering Committee, a group composed of 24 students within the college who have been planning this week since February.
Dye, one of four directors of CAFNR Week, said she enjoys working with the committee because it is a great way to highlight CAFNR and a good way to get the best and brightest of CAFNR students involved.
“It celebrates our college and showcases everything we have to offer,” junior Ally Bettels said.
Brant led the week’s kickoff last Thursday at Déjà Vu Comedy Club through her participation on the activities committee. Comedy Night was sponsored by Alpha Gamma Rho and Alpha Gamma Sigma. Other events included dirt volleyball on Friday and the Great Grill-Off and Road Rally on Sunday at Trowbridge Livestock Center.
Dye said the week is funded in part by the fundraising committee, one of eight subcommittees on the CAFNR Steering Committee. Other sponsors include companies promoting agriculture and CAFNR itself.
The week continued at 6 p.m. Monday in Jesse Hall for Skit Night, a relaxed event for CAFNR clubs to participate, incorporating the week’s theme “CAFNR’S Got Talent.”
CAFNR Week will conclude Thursday at Pem’s Place on Providence Road. In previous years, the Barnwarming was at Snorty Horse Saloon, which moved to a new location in July. The best king and queen candidates from different organizations, such as the Ag Education Club and the Ag Econ Club, who competed on Skit Night, will be crowned there.
“All the CAFNR clubs can come and eat some barbecue,” Brant said. “Pem’s Place has provided a band that will be playing.”
When the week is over, the directors will choose the directors for next year’s Steering Committee.
“CAFNR Week is a great way for the whole university to see what CAFNR is all about and to promote incoming freshmen to get involved in clubs,” Brant said. “It’s a great way to promote agriculture as a whole.”
