MSU to host annual Celebrate Agriculture event Nov. 9-10

MSU News Service

BOZEMAN — The Montana State University College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station will host its 19th annual Celebrate Agriculture event, set for Nov. 9-10 in the MSU Strand Union Building ballrooms. The event includes an annual agricultural economics conference, a 1968-themed harvest dance, and a public brunch. 

Celebrate Agriculture is held each year in honor of the state and university’s joint agricultural legacy and in celebration of current students, agriculture alumni, and MSU’s extended agricultural community across Montana. During the month of November, the college will celebrate its agricultural heritage, part of MSU’s yearlong 125th anniversary celebration.

MSU Vice President of Agriculture Charles Boyer said the event is a longstanding tradition. Boyer said he’s particularly pleased to be honoring agriculture at MSU in November, as he’ll be retiring from a lifelong career in agriculture and higher education in December.

“This year, we’re particularly enthused to be celebrating agriculture at the state’s flagship land-grant institution,” Boyer said. “As we celebrate MSU’s historic 125th year and the bright future of agriculture and all disciplines at MSU, we want to welcome the friends, family and supporters of agriculture who share in our success.”

The two-day event will feature the MSU Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics’ annual Outlook Seminar, “Agriculture and Political Uncertainty,” scheduled from 9:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Friday, Nov. 9, in the MSU Procrastinator Theater. Several MSU agricultural economics faculty will present short talks on farm and ranch insurance, grain markets, labor issues, the new farm bill and colony collapse disorder.

Randy Fortenbery, professor at Washington State University in the School of Economics Sciences, will deliver the keynote M.L. Wilson Lecture, “Trade in an Uncertain Political Environment.” Registration for the outlook conference is $25 and can be found online at http://www.ampc.montana.edu/fallconference/.

Following the conference, the MSU Collegiate Stockgrowers will host a reception beginning at 4 p.m. in the atrium of the Animal Biosciences Building. From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Agricultural Education Club will host an ice cream social in Room 231 in Linfield Hall for alumni of the Division of Agricultural Education.

From 8 to 10 p.m., the event includes a public Harvest Ball in the MSU Strand Union Ballrooms. The dance is a throwback to 1968, with a vintage costume contest, live music by Rocky Mountain Pearls, a cash bar, photo booth and light refreshments. Costume prizes will be awarded.

Saturday, Nov. 10, a free Harvest Brunch will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the MSU Strand Union Ballrooms, where the college’s annual Outstanding Agricultural Leader and 2018 honorary and alumni achievement awardees will be recognized. MSU President Waded Cruzado and Boyer will deliver remarks. At 1 p.m., Bobcat Football will play Northern Colorado for the Ag Appreciation game at Bobcat Stadium. During the first half of the game, the Outstanding Agricultural Leader will be recognized.

A full schedule of events for the Celebrate Agriculture weekend can be found at http://agriculture.montana.edu/celebrateag/.

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MSU to host traditional agricultural Harvest Ball on Nov. 9

MSU News Service

BOZEMAN — Montana State University will revive an old tradition Friday, Nov. 9, in the Strand Union Building Ballrooms when the MSU College of Agriculture hosts a 1968-themed Harvest Ball in honor of MSU’s 125th anniversary.

Held from 8 to 10 p.m., the dance is free and open to the public. The event includes live music by the Rocky Mountain Pearls, a cash bar, photo booth, light refreshments and prizes awarded for costumes. The dance is part of the college’s annual Celebrate Agriculture

event, held Nov. 9 and 10.

Harvest Ball has roots at MSU dating back to 1937, when the university was Montana State College. Historically, the ball was held in October, just as many agricultural students were arriving to campus after the harvest season on family farms. Agricultural students crowned a Harvest Ball Queen during the dance.

The College of Agriculture will be highlighted during November in a series of events.