By:
Julie Walters

Source(s):
E. Jane Luzar EJLuzar@ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 392-2251
Christopher Vitelli cvitelli@ufl.edu, (352) 392-1963

GAINESVILLE, Fla.—The University of Florida’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) will celebrate National Agriculture Week, March 20-26, marking the college’s first official celebration of the 32-year-old event.

“Celebrating National Ag Week is a way to raise awareness of and support for the safe, affordable and abundant food supply that agriculture provides,” said Jane Luzar, associate dean of CALS, which is part of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “As a land grant university, UF has strong ties to agriculture and natural resources, and we are proud to celebrate Florida’s agricultural and environmental stewards.”

CALS will kick off the festivities March 19 with Friends and Family Day at Boulware Springs Park in southeast Gainesville. “As we celebrate Ag Week, we want to recognize the importance of the environment and the natural resources upon which the agriculture industry relies,” Luzar said. “In addition to hiking and biking, there will be nature walks and tours of Paynes Prairie and Hawthorne Trail, led by state park rangers and CALS faculty. It’s a great opportunity for all of us to enjoy and appreciate Florida’s unique environment.”

On March 20, the college will launch a college-wide community service pilot project at the residence of UF President Bernard Machen. Luzar described the project as an “ecosystem makeover” of the president’s hurricane-damaged backyard. Students from a wide range of CALS majors will gather at the president’s home on Sunday to contribute their expertise, she said.

Students from the environmental horticulture department will install a garden, students from fisheries and aquatic sciences will analyze the stream that runs through the property, and entomology and nematology majors will identify pests on the site and discuss options for biological control of those pests, said Christopher Vitelli, director of CALS student services.

“And that’s just a sampling of the projects the students are undertaking,” Vitelli said. “Almost 100 students will participate in the project, representing 14 of the 23 diverse majors offered through CALS. It’s a chance for CALS to showcase the skills of our students, and demonstrate how the disciplines work together to promote a healthy environment and strengthen agriculture.”

Luzar thanked Machen and his wife for making their home available for the pioneer project. She said CALS plans to expand the effort into a college-wide community service project for next year’s Ag Week celebration.

On March 21, CALS will host a luncheon for state Future Farmers of America (FFA) officers to recognize their role as future leaders in agriculture and related sciences. Monday evening, the college will host the Student Spring Fling at UF’s Touchdown Terrace at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for CALS students, faculty and staff. The Spring Fling is an annual event that gives CALS students a chance to meet faculty members and students from other disciplines, Luzar said.

“Success at UF” is the theme for this year’s Spring Fling, Luzar said. “We are enrolling excellent students at CALS and throughout UF, and we want them to have every opportunity to challenge themselves while they’re here, through international experience, internships, leadership development and community service,” she said. Information on the wide range of opportunities extended to CALS students will be available at the Spring Fling.

On March 23, CALS will host a reception for officers of student organizations in the college. During National Ag Week, CALS students will have information tables at the Reitz Union to promote student awareness of the contributions of agriculture, life sciences, and natural resources to daily life.

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