The Arkansas State University-Beebe agriculture department will celebrate Ag Day starting at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28, with students from 95 school districts from across the state expected to attend. Students will also have the opportunity to explore various areas of study offered at ASU-Beebe at a preview session held in the Centennial Bank Gymnasium from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Since 1956, high school students, advisers and representatives have traveled from all over the state to attend Ag Day at ASU-Beebe. Last year, 1,453 students, who are members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA), participated in the competitions. In the past, an influx of students to the area during Ag Day prompted local businesses to prepare to serve more patrons.
Ag Day includes campus-wide contests and skilled competitions in agriculture areas such as: ag communications, agronomy, dairy foods, electricity, farm business management, floriculture, land, equine, poultry, livestock, mechanics and veterinary science.
ASU-Beebe has the only working farm on a community college campus, as well as one of the only post-secondary two-year agriculture programs in Arkansas. The facilities are used to impart real-world agricultural principles to students through hands-on learning, which appeals to both recent high school graduates and non-traditional adults seeking advanced agriculture education.
In addition to classrooms, the agriculture program has a 150-acre farm featuring pasture land, livestock working facilities, orchard, arena, greenhouse and shop. Other agriculture related programs at ASU-Beebe include veterinary technology and John Deere agriculture equipment technology.
ASU-Beebe offers a two-year Associate of Science Degree in agriculture, with an emphasis in one of five areas: agriculture business, agriculture education, animal science, plant science and agricultural science.
