Another Successful Fall on the Farm
By Braelyn Walker
The Hutson School of Agriculture at Murray State University sponsored its 16th annual Fall on the Farm event. The Murray State University Pullen Farm opened their property from Sept. 24 until Sept. 28 for the public.
Buses of children and families flock to this event. Local schools use this event as an educational field trip for their young students. Fall on the Farm is a perfect family-friendly day. Fall on the Farm charges a small fee to attend. They offer a concession stand for cheap food and drinks. Students offer free rides on a trailer to get into the event. The Arboretum sells local honey, pumpkins and mums for people participating.
Students of the Hutson School of Agriculture are encouraged to volunteer for Fall on the Farm. They are offered credits or volunteer hours. They work hands-on with children through educational exhibits. Students are provided jobs to supervise and provide information to the children. The clubs of the school also have their own informational tents. Students who are officers or are apart of clubs are seen at Fall on the Farm.
“Fall on the Farm allows the kids to have a fun day. They come with a smile on their face and are ready to make great memories” Mackezie Smiley, public relations chair for agribusiness club said. “Kids who have attended this event in the past, look forward to it. They genuinely enjoy their time at this event and ask lots of questions. They are curious and are willing to learn about agriculture. Hands-on learning is important for kids and this event does a great job at doing just that.”
Fall on the Farm provides many interactive exhibits. You will see children holding baby chicks and learning how to milk a cow on a wooden mock dairy cow. There is also a reptile exhibit with large snakes. They also offer pedal tractor races, water balloon sling-shots, and a live pig. There is a pit of corn for kids to play and dig in. A corn maze is offered to children with small stations to teach basic information about harvesting corn. Children are taught about gardening and compost as well. On Saturday, pumpkin painting is offered.
“This is the perfect time for our agriculture program to educate our young people of Murray,” Chase Ragland, student of the Hutson School of Agriculture said. “Since agriculture runs the world and these kids are going to be the next generation of potential farmers, they must be informed about the importance of agriculture. This event was also perfect for a fun family day.”
The mission of the Hutson School of Agriculture is to inform our youth about agriculture. This allows children to interact with agriculture in a hands-on manner. For more information about Fall on the Farm, contact Christy Watkins, Recruitment Coordinator at (270) 809-3329.
