MSU Ag Days (Ag Expo}

[Milford Wearley]

Hope this finds you in good spirits at the start of another school year.

As one or the few people who have attended every MSU Ag Days, now Ag
Expo, I want to shed some light on past events and to look at options
and opportunities in the future of Ag Days, as I will refer to it.

Ag Days was not started as an FFA event, it was an MSU College of Ag
event as an answer to a nationwide study that looked at the lack of
scientists with agricultural backgrounds. Invitations to attend Ag
Days mainly went to high school science teachers and guidance
counselors as well as FFA advisors and county extension agents.
Contests were put on by College of Ag faculty and MSU students. As
situations and people changed, Ag Days lost favor with MSU Ag Faculty
and since FFA is so organized and we, as Advisors, saw the value, it
soon became an "FFA Event". We even moved it to Billings for two years
when Ramey Lunceford, Foundation Director at the time, and a
committee of us took on planning and coordinating contests. Then a
number of situations happened and we were able to come back to Bozeman
and MSU.

This year we have the opportunity to get the College of Ag back
involved in Ag Days. Dr. Perry and I had a sit down discussion about
contacting some of the Ag Faculty and inviting them to participate in
judging or even helping to plan the CDEs.He did not want them to be
asked to just come and observe but to be involved. So I am hoping the
coordinators of certain CDEs will reach out to Dr. Perry or myself to
see how we can make those connections. I think this is a great time to
put MSU back into the MSU Ag Expo (Ag Days}. We can work on
strengthening the FFA's connection to the MSU College of Agriculture.
Let us take advantage of this situation.

Down the road, shortly, there is talk of hiring a FFA Events
Coordinator for the whole year, working under the State Association.
This would take the Foundation out of the event planning business and
back into fully fund raising for the Association, hopefully to fund
such a position. I think this would be a positive move for all groups
in the Montana Agricultural Education Family.

If you want to go back a bit in time, ask Jim or I about the annual
BBQ and softball game we had between the College of Ag Faculty and the
MT Ag Teachers at the Update Conference every year. Maybe we can get
back to that kind of relationship.

Any thoughts or questions, let me know,

Milford