CAAS Week raises awareness and involvement for agriculture
Cache Valley is mostly occupied by farmland, so it only makes sense that Utah State University would have an expansive agriculture program.
USU’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences offers 78 degrees, more than 30 certificate programs and over $750,000 in scholarships.
According to their website, the mission of the college is to “enhance the lives of people through education, discovery and outreach.” Each year, the college hosts a week-long celebration full of events to educate and engage the community.
“The purpose of CAAS Week is to show students what CAAS is all about and what we have to offer. It is also to help students find ways to get involved such as joining clubs,” said Carlie Peterson, the CAAS senator.
The week’s events included a Snacktivity, CAAS Olympics and Day on the Patio. With different yard games, booths, clubs and animals, students were able to get a first-hand insight into each program.
Addison Jones, a speech pathology major, said CAAS week can also benefit people who aren’t in the college.
“I think something that really helps getting CAAS involved with other students is learning the importance of shopping at local grocery stores, farmers markets and the other small sides of agriculture,” Jones said.
Peterson and Sarah Lachenmyer, a senior studying bioveterinary science, said CAAS is for everyone.
“My favorite event is probably the cow milking. I think it’s fun to teach people a little bit about where their milk comes from,” Lachenmyer said.
“I thought the cow milking contest was really cool,” Jones said. “I had never heard of a cow milking contest before, so it was definitely something new to go to. I don’t think lots of universities do big events surrounding agriculture.”
A highlight of CAAS Week, the cow milking contest is also educational. After attending, people learned about the college’s connection to Aggie Ice Cream.
“I didn’t realize how much CAAS impacts our community in general,” Jones said. “I didn’t even know that Aggie Ice Cream was a part of CAAS, but I did after the grand opening in Blue Square this week.”
On Sept. 22, Aggie Ice Cream opened a new location at Blue Square Apartments. Many community members came for free handcrafted ice cream, straight from campus.
“It’s always great to see people come together for great ice cream,” Jones said. “This is where a lot of my lasting friendships were made.”
The end of CAAS Week brought the annual tractor parade.
“I love this because I love tractors and I get to see so many of them at once,” said Porter Smith, a fourth grader in attendance.
Families and community members lined the street, grabbing candy and taking pictures of all the tractors.
“A big thing CAAS is pushing this year is ‘This is my classroom,” Peterson said. “Meaning that we are very hands on, have lots of options of what to study, and we learn by doing.”