The University of Idaho Argonaut

People get into line to dish up at the Ag Days BBQ and Chile Cookoff Saturday in front of the Kibbie Dome. Jake Barber/Argonaut

More than 250 high school students from various schools in the Northwest came to the University of Idaho for Agriculture Days, sponsored by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The event, which featured multiple activities and workshops related to agriculture, gave prospective students a look at the college.
“I wasn’t planning on coming here,” said Thomas Hurley a junior at Filer High School, “But then I came here and I saw what (the college) was all about.”
Other students with different college plans came solely for the livestock judging activity.
“I came here only to judge the livestock,” said Jessica Lancaster, a freshman at Valley High School in Hazelton. “I’m already planning on going to Casper University. I have already earned scholarships there.”

“Ag Days has been around for 26 years, it used to be only a homecoming for the college of agriculture,” said Rachel Lorenzen, director of new student recruitment for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. “For the last three years it has become a recruiting tool for prospective students.”
Invitations were sent to high schools across Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Attendence showed an improvement over last year’s 187 students and teachers.
Students participated in various one-hour workshops such as “Soil as a natural resource” and “From food to fuel: growing your own biodiesel.” Students could also attend a barbecue hosted by Farmhouse and Alpha Gamma Rho as well as a game session at the Student Recreation Center ,which included activities such as dodge ball, rock climbing and a movie night.

Ag Days featured a chili cook-off and a softball tournament on Thursday for alumni and current agriculture students. Friday, participants could attend a hayride tour of the campus and major fair showcasing different fields of study in the college of agriculture. Saturday featured livestock and dairy judging.
Students had the opportunity to spend the night at various locations across campus.  
The students were required to pay $40 or $85 if they intended to spend the night on Friday. Cost of transportation was also a factor. Filer High School used a booster program to raise the $1,300 needed for bus transportation.

All proceeds from the event go to paying for the costs of the activities.
The events take a considerable amount of time to plan, and they represent a collaboration of multiple university departments including facilities, housing and Sodexho, the campus catering service.

The college of Agriculture Student Ambassador Program, an organization that helps recruit students to the college by giving presentations to high schools across the Northwest, was responsible for running many of the events.
Amanda Naher, a student ambassador, said she felt it was a great way to connect with students.
“It is incredible,” Naher said. “Seeing all these young people interested in agriculture and life sciences is great.”
Agriculture Days was expanded to include the natural sciences, and she said the desire exists within the college to include the biological sciences as well.
“It is a matter of developing it for more people,” Naher said. “We are hoping to see it continue to expand.”