FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky State University hosted over 30 schools for Ag Round Up, bringing about 4,000 people, including over 1,000 high school students, to the university’s Yellow Brick Road for research demonstrations, livestock exhibits and information about careers in agriculture.
Students could see livestock up close, learn about research and talk with people working in agriculture.
“A lot of kids really are disconnected nowadays from agriculture completely,” said David Neville, a Henry County farmer. “So we want to give them just a positive experience.”
Neville said animals, including a calf drinking milk, helped draw students in and create opportunities for broader conversations about farming.
“When we capture them, they come up to pet the calf,” Neville said. “It gives me an opportunity to talk about other things on the farm, other agriculture issues.”
Kirk Pomper, a professor of horticulture at Kentucky State University, showcased pawpaw, inviting students to explore the native Kentucky fruit.
“Agriculture itself has been kind of more interest the last few years,” Pomper said. “I think people want to know where their food is coming from and how it grows.”
Jade McCargo, KSU’s senior class president, along with her sister, Jaiya, want high school students to explore the endless opportunities a world of agriculture can hold for them.
“Before I got to college, I did not know anything about agriculture, but Kentucky State just really opened my eyes to what the world could possibly for my future,” McCargo said.
Ag Round Up wrapped up KSU’s fall All In for Ag Education Week, a statewide effort to teach students where their food comes from and show them career opportunities connected to agriculture.
According to the agriculture department, 95% of Kentucky counties joined All In for Ag Week this spring, up from 63% last year.
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