By Kelly Youngblood
The University of Illinois’ Department of Crop Sciences is hosting its inaugural open house to showcase today’s best scientific advances in agricultural production.
Harvest Open House, which will be held Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will combine fall fun with interactive experiences for the entire family to enjoy.
Linda Harvey, crop sciences officer manager, has worked in the department for 23 years and remembers when the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences used to host open houses.
Harvey recalls how much fun it was to have busloads of kids coming through to dig for worms and plant seeds. As head of the planning committee, Harvey hopes they can recreate that same feeling of excitement about ag exploration with this year’s open house.
“If we can get someone in grade or middle school interested in things like, ‘Where does my food come from and how does it happen, or how are pumpkins grown, what happens after you put a seed in soil,’ then just maybe there is one more person that will choose to make agriculture or horticulture their future,” Harvey said.
There are numerous events and activities planned throughout the day, with more possibly in the works. Most of the events will be free but some may include a small fee.
Participants can expect to see farm equipment up close, offering a touch-a-tractor experience as well as an opportunity to learn about different varieties of corn and their purposes. Those in attendance can look forward to tasting popcorn, salsa and fresh vegetables from produce grown at the student sustainable farm.
Younger participants can enjoy digging for worms in soil, a small farm Olympics course to race through, potting seeds, and an insect display that describes their impact on crops. Kits will also be available to grow your own microgreens.
Additional activities include selfie stations, scavenger hunts, pumpkin painting, face painting, drone and robotic displays and more. A taco food truck will be on site and possibly some live music as well.
Harvest Open House will be held at the Agronomy Seed House at 2102 S. Wright St., in Urbana, running concurrently with the Vet Med Open House held nearby.
For more information about Harvest Open House, contact Linda Harvey at (217) 244-1693 or lharvey@illinois.edu.