Purdue Ag Week returns for 11th year

T

he traditional week of highlighting and celebrating agriculture at Purdue returns to the Memorial Mall with a mixture of new and old events.

Ag Week, an annual springtime event held this year from April 4-8, offers a week’s worth of activities for the campus and local community to learn more about the impact of agriculture as well as to catch a glimpse into the innovations utilized in ag-related operations.

Danica Kirkpatrick, executive director of the Purdue Ag Alumni Association and Ag Week Task Force sponsor, said the week’s events will highlight just a handful of things that happen every day south of State Street.

“Ag Week is such a great way for our student leaders to show the rest of campus and beyond the importance of agriculture to our everyday lives,” Kirkpatrick said. “Faculty, staff and students will be impressed at the level of professionalism and intensity that the student leaders put into making this week-long celebration informative and memorable.”Milk Monday is sponsored by the Purdue Dairy Club, Abigail Powell, director of media for the Ag Week Task Force, said, offering grilled cheese sandwiches on the Memorial Mall. While grilled cheese is a popular giveaway among students, Powell said the opportunity to see and pet a cow is a frequent first experience for students.

Tech Tuesday, a new event day in the Ag Week lineup, will bring drones, tractors and simulators for demonstrations and close-up views.

The evening of April 5, the 2022 Presidential Dialogue with Kip Tom, former ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, will take place in Fowler Hall and will be moderated by Purdue President Mitch Daniels.

Burger Bash Wednesday will offer burgers, cheeseburgers and plant-based burgers to visitors in exchange for their participation in a brief survey, Powell said. In the evening, an outdoor Ag Week Expo will feature representatives from Ag Week sponsoring organizations and businesses, where attendees can ask questions while a member of Ag Week will moderate. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating.

Thursday’s theme will be Hammer Down Hunger, with the goal of packing 55,000 meals to send to organizations assisting with food insecurity. Anyone interested in registering for a one and a half hour volunteer shift can do so by going to the link here. A tailgate party sponsored by the Indiana Corn and Soybean Alliance will also take place on the Memorial Mall Thursday evening, featuring a food truck, corn hole and other yard games.

Farm to Fork Friday will highlight Indiana food producers, aiming to educate campus on the work involved from getting food from the farm onto your plate, Powell said.

Throughout the week, College of Agriculture student organizations will also set up booths on Memorial Mall to engage with event goers.