FAYETTEVILLE – The past 150 years of agricultural education, research and extension activity made possible by the Morrill Act of 1862 will be recognized during activities this month at University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture facilities.
The events are part of the statewide Division of Agriculture Day during which the Division’s research and extension facilities will host their local communities.
The Morrill Act provided federal lands to each state to be used toward the establishment of land-grant colleges at which agricultural studies would be offered. The University of Arkansas was founded in 1871 as a land-grant college. The UA also became a host institution for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station that was founded through passage 125 years ago of the federal Hatch Act. The university’s Arkansas Forest
Resources Center resulted from passage 50 years ago of the federal McIntire-Stennis Act that provided support for forestry education and research.
Events at these Division of Agriculture facilities include:
Saturday: Southeast Research and Extension Center, Monticello, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Events at the Southeast REC will include lunch at noon. Several educational booths will include information on food preservation, 4-H, Master Gardeners, Family and Consumer Sciences, soil sampling, bait casting and other topics. Other activities will include a hayride, ice cream making and pumpkin painting.
Oct. 20: Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Fayetteville (Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center, Garland Avenue and Knapp Street), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Events include wagon rides showing agricultural research in poultry science, animal science, bio fuels, water use, horticulture, farm equipment
and technology, Cooperative Extension demonstrations, children’s area with games and kids’ “train” ride, antique tractor and equipment display, archery demonstration and shoot, and agriculture and local area information booths.