The year has come to a close and I couldn't have wished for a better semester! I've enjoyed so many activities with other Ag students this fall, including Ag month, Ag Day BBQ, recruiting at various high schools, and listening to Temple Grandin's lectures during her visit to Cache Valley in the first week of November. The College of Agriculture has provided me with so many great opportunities and fun times! With the end of the semester here and finals over with, I can look back over the past few months and love the classes that I took. (I didn’t love them a week ago, that's for sure) My professors are fabulous! They are easy to talk to and are more than willing to help me out if ever I need it. The one thing I've noticed about professors in the College of Agriculture is their passion for the subject they teach. Whether it is soil science, weed biology, or graphics, they love what their doing and it definitely shows. For example, I might not be that interested in the subject matter, but when the professor is enthusiastic during lecture, its hard not to show the same excitement, even if it is just a weed. Fall 2011 has been a great semester, one of learning, good times and meeting great people! I'm excited to see what lies in store for next semester. Bring on the New Year!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Recruiting!
What a great time to be an Aggie! With our recent domination over BYU in basketball, my Aggie Pride is burning bright. Not to mention that November is a great time to be in Logan – there are still a few leaves hangin’ around, the fall afternoons are perfect and it’s still chilly enough at night to be able to wrap up in a blanket, enjoy some soup, and watch the latest Redbox flick.
For me, November also means recruiting at high schools, which is always a good time. The past couple of weeks, I’ve visited some great students at Provo High and Lehi High. I love being able to talk about the College of Agriculture and all the amazing things that we have going on. As a dietetics major, I especially love talking to kids that love science and nutrition as much as I do (shout out to all those AP Biology classes I visited). We also have a new Equine Science program that I am so excited about. I’m not a horse person at all, but this program makes me want to strap on my cowboy boots and learn how to ride. There is always something going on in the College of Ag. Like I said, it really is a great time to be an Aggie.
-- Jillian Cartwright, Ag Ambassador
Saturday, November 12, 2011
A Semester in Review...
The semester is quickly coming to an end. It seems like just yesterday I was getting back from Wyoming after a fun summer working on a vacation ranch nestled in the quiet hills just outside of Jackson Hole, WY. We had a good time I’ll never forget. We made friends, made a little cash, broke horses, broke trails and well, broke one of my buddies arm. Good memories were made underneath that Wyoming sun.
Now at home on the frontlines, life continues on. It has been busy the last couple of months with so much to do and think about. College of Ag month was a ball! The Utah Agricultural Products Barbecue (Ag BBQ) couldn’t have been much better than the beef shish-ka-bobs being sold on the northeast corner of the Aggie practice field that day. The only thing that could have topped it off was a win for the Aggies over a Colorado State team that overcame us in overtime. Although victory hopes were shattered after a failed two-point conversion try by the Aggies, anyone who was at the Ag BBQ went home with a satisfied belly.
Of late, one of the things that has been on the agenda has been visiting various high schools around the state to let juniors and seniors know of the many possibilities located in the College of Agriculture. It has been an eye-opening experience that has reminded me of why I came to Utah State in the first place, especially why I came to the College of Ag!
I was born and raised on a 200-acre farm in Flowell, Utah. My father’s business began to grow like a wild fire when I was 10 years old. Since that time I have practically lived in a swather, cutting anything from small grains to hay to some sedan grass here and there. Sure enough my dad’s custom harvesting business has become one of the biggest operations this side of the Rocky Mountains. We travel to New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, California and Colorado to chop feed. Because of my love for agriculture and the memories it had given me, I knew my home had to be somewhere in the College of Agriculture. Most people understand that Utah State is the only place to be if agriculture is your love. I received a small scholarship, which helped aid my decision.I haven’t looked back and I continue to look forward to the great days ahead.
The last semester has been a growing phase in which I have learned that agriculture is much more than just farming and ranching. Agriculture encompasses so many things that we don’t have the time or the space to talk about them here. It is amazing to me how many opportunities are offered in the College of Ag. If students only knew of the scholarship money, the faculty, the respect for one another and the love for learning to serve those around us, this would be the only college on campus. Agriculture is the backbone of USU. Although there may be many different bones in the spine representing the different departments, we all work together as one to better our community and ourselves. We love to serve others and that’s why we are here. We are used by anyone with an appetite and a need for nourishment. We go unnoticed by most and aren’t the ones in the headlines. Our egos are small but our hearts are big. We love the land and our neighbors. Our word means more than our signature, and a handshake is more binding than cast-iron shackles. We love what we do and we love the College of Agriculture. Yes, that’s why I am here. I love this way of life and wouldn’t have it any other way.
-- Kyle Tuttle, Ag Ambassador
On and Off the Campus Fun!
Winter is here! The temperature has dropped, snow is on the ground and the sidewalks and streets are icy, but that doesn't stop the fun here in Logan. Last Wednesday and Thursday night I was among the crazies who set up a tent on the Hyper field to be some of the first in the door for the BYU, USU basketball game. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Camping on campus was amazing, not to mention the BBQ we had Thursday night with smores included. Amongst all the excitement on campus I also work at a production dairy in Lewiston, UT on the weekends, and even with the snow and the cold the work doesn't stop. I get so used to working in my rubber boots, jeans and a T-Shirt, that when winter hits, my movement seems limited to the added layers and gloves that I am required to wear to prevent freezing. Oh, but how grateful I am to have such equipment/clothing to survive the arctic-like cold. I love the change in seasons! Going from hot summer days to frozen winter nights brings variety, change and the excitement of, "What's the weather going to do tomorrow?" Until next time stay warm and Happy Thanksgiving!! GO AGGIES!
-- Jacob Miller, Ag Ambassador
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Aloha Hawaii!
I just got back from a trip to American Society of Horticultural Science Conference. It was held in Hawaii and it was beautiful! I went to present some undergraduate research I have done on strawberries. It was an incredible experience. We went for a drive around the island and I saw an avocado tree, of course I made the driver hit the brakes and launched myself out of the car. I ran full speed toward the biggest avocado I have ever seen. All the sudden I realized, “shoot, that’s a cliff.” As I was teetering over the edge I decided I couldn’t get my avocado. The good news is I found a fruit stand down the road and bought an identical one for a dollar. Thanks for the great trip USU!
My research poster on strawberries
-- Tiffany Maughan, Ag Ambassador
My research poster on strawberries
Farming in Hawaii
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Internships Make All the Difference...
One of the greatest opportunities that comes with going to college is having your summers free to explore your interests through internships and other experiences. Last summer I had a great internship experience. I worked as a research assistant during the school year for one of my professors and she recommended I apply for an intern position with the Bureau of Land Management. She knew the position would require some work in ArcGIS, which is a computer program I had been using to conduct research with her. I wanted to develop my skills in the program so I followed her suggestion and applied for the position.
I was lucky enough to be hired as a student intern at the BLM Utah State Office working directly with a USU alumnus who also graduated from the Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning department. I spent the summer working on Visual Resource Management projects throughout the state of Utah. The BLM’s Visual Resource Management program is tasked with ensuring that the scenic values of its public lands are considered before allowing uses that may have negative visual impacts. This requires conducting inventory and analysis of scenic quality across all BLM managed lands and preparing data and maps that can be used in the planning and management of those lands. It was a great chance to see beautiful places all across the state of Utah and continue developing and using skills I had learned at school to turn our analysis into usable information for the BLM. I was exposed to an area of my profession that I knew little about before and worked directly with many amazing professionals!
Summer may seem like a long way away right now, but it’s never too early to start making plans and looking for things you can do to expand your education and have some great experiences outside of school. Talk to your professors and see what recommendations they can make for internships or experiences that relate to your interests. Look for the opportunities that are out there to develop yourself professionally, and don’t be afraid to try something new! Remember, summer comes and goes quickly, so take advantage of the free summers you have during college.
-- Alan Perry, Ag Ambassador
Monday, October 10, 2011
AgriFuture Conference a Success!
I had the opportunity to attend the AgriFuture conference held in Laramie, WY along with two other USU COA Ambassadors- Cody Swainston and Jacob Miller. We were able to go thanks to the scholarships provided to us by Mr. Blackham, the Utah Commissioner of Agriculture and Food. This was the second annual AgriFuture conference, which was put on by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming Rural Development Council and other partnering agencies.
The purpose of the conference was to bring people together in order to allow for discussion and education about the issues facing agriculture as well as to brainstorm ideas to help agriculture in the future. The conference also provided a great way for producers, leaders, students and professionals, to come together and network. The activities included speakers, break-out sessions, and discussion groups.
The keynote speaker this year was Dr. Lowell Catlett, a noted economic futurist from New Mexico State University, who talked about the coming golden age of agriculture. Listening to Dr. Catlett was an inspiring way to kick-off the conference. Soon afterwards, we split up into breakout sessions which included: I graduated with an Ag degree, now what?, Local/Global: Feeding the neighbors and the world, Energy in Agriculture-Back to the Future, and The Media and Agriculture: Wait, that’s not what I said! By choosing two of these smaller classes to attend we got the opportunity to focus our attention on issues more relevant to us individually. The second day was mainly focused on discussion and problem solving. We again broke into small groups with a goal to discuss and pinpoint the future problems in agriculture and come up with solutions to those problems. At the end of the conference each group presented their ideas in front of the rest of the conference. As a whole, we decided we need to work on is increased advocacy or agricultural advocacy. Personally, I know I will be trying harder to do my part on this end of things.
Besides attending the conference we also had the opportunity to do and see other things in Laramie. In particular, we had the opportunity to tour the University of Wyoming campus after meeting some of the UW College of Agriculture Ambassadors at the conference. With their direction, we also got to visit the animal facilities for UW. It was interesting to compare their campus and facilities to the ones we have at USU.
In my opinion, the whole experience was a great success! It is the responsibility of each of us involved in agriculture to learn about current issues as well as to be prepared for future issues that we will face. Going to this conference was a great way for me to get involved in both of those things.
-- Karmella Dolecheck, Ag Ambassador
Cody and I presenting on our discussion group’s results
The Utah State University representatives at the 2011 AgriFuture Conference: Jacob Miller, Karmella Dolecheck, and Cody Swainston
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Welcome to the College of Agriculture Blog!
Utah State University was founded in 1888 as the Agricultural College of Utah. That’s more than 120 years! While buildings have come and gone, degrees have changed and technology has advanced, our college has stayed as strong as ever. We want to make sure you stay updated on all the College of Ag happenings.
Check back frequently, as we’ll be posting news, upcoming events, videos, job and internship opportunities and links to the latest and greatest in the College of Ag. Whether you’re a prospective student, a current student, an alumnus, or you simply have an interest in agriculture, there’s something for you here.
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