Located four miles southwest of Mt. Vernon, the University of Missouri Southwest Research Center addresses the main agricultural concerns of the area, including dairy, beef, forage and horticultural crop production.
More than 2,000 FFA students traveled to the University of Missouri Southwest Research Center for its annual Agricultural Education Day on Sept. 8. Agriculture experts from dozens of disciplines presented at the Center, one of 20 around the state at which the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources conducts impactful research benefitting Missourians.
Students took walking tours where they could hear presentations on a variety of agricultural and conservation topics, from marketing fruits and vegetables to establishing a pasture-based dairy. They could watch a sawmill demonstration and check out a tornado safe room, as well as learn about the many careers in agriculture.
Tony Rickard, MU dairy specialist, said it’s important for students to see the diversity of career opportunities in agriculture. It also provides an opportunity to achieve all of the missions of the University—discover, disseminate, preserve and apply knowledge.
Reviewed 2013-01-24