It is that time of year when trees start budding, grass starts growing and barnyard animals entertain students on campus.
Agriculture Awareness Week, an annual event sponsored by Alpha Zeta in the Brickyard, begins Monday and will last through Thursday.
Ag Week is an event that exposes students to different aspects of agriculture and allows clubs and organizations associated with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to showcase themselves to the University.
“It’s a way for people who haven’t experienced agriculture to get an up-close experience,” said Travis Birdsell, a member of Alpha Zeta and junior in landscape design and poultry science. “Some people have never even seen some of these animals in real life.”
Students will also have alternative dining options, as organizations will provide lunch and dinner all week long. The Poultry Science Club will serve barbeque chicken tenders Monday at 11:30 a.m. Volunteers will also serve spaghetti, hamburgers, and ribs throughout the week, with the price of food at $5 a plate, Birdsell said.
April Madison is a graduate student in agricultural education and as an active member of Alpha Zeta, is in charge of planning and directing this year’s Ag Week.
“Our main purpose is to promote agriculture outside of CALS. A lot of people don’t know where our clothes and food comes from,” Madison said. “Our everyday lives revolve around agriculture. The food and clothes you wear comes from some aspect of agriculture.”
Preparation for the event began at 1 p.m. Sunday. Members of Alpha Zeta huddled together on the chilly spring day and watched as a crew raised the tent that will house different organizations such as Poultry Science Club, Animal Science Club and Sigma Alpha. The group prepared stalls for the sheep, goats, cows, pigs, baby chicks and ducks that will move into the Brickyard.
Birdsell said that there will be at least three people from Alpha Zeta present for the event at all times. Members of the group have been assigned shifts in order to watch over the event and animals.
“This means someone’s got to be there 24-7, even through the night,” he said.
Those who are assigned the night shifts will be sleeping outside in forecasted lows in the 40s.
Madison said she doesn’t plan on sleeping in a tent or any other type of shelter.
“We’ll just crawl up wherever we can stay warm,” she said.
Alpha Zeta raises funds for Ag Week from organizations such as Student Senate, Agriculture Life Council and N.C. Farm Bureau, according to Westin McCorkle, adviser to Alpha Zeta and Dairy Unit Manager. University Field Labs are providing feed for the animals, he said.
McCorkle said that Ag Week has been carried out since at least 1964 and is now a part of University tradition. He has been involved with Ag Week since 1990, when he attended NCSU and was a member of Alpha Zeta. He is now employed at the University Field Laboratories.
Intentions for the event are not just for CALS to become involved with the University, but for the University to become involved as a whole, according to McCorkle.
“It’s a good opportunity to educate — this is our big event,” he said.
One main event to take place is a pedal tractor contest between Dean Wynne and Ken Esbenshade of CALS, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford and Provost Larry Nielsen, taking place at 1:30 p.m. Monday. There will also be a milking contest between N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler and Heather Green from country music radio station WQDR.
Birdsell said that Ag Week is bigger and better this year, with more administration involved, more organizations engaged and more food.
