FVSU holds ‘Taste of Ag’

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Fort Valley State University will host a “Taste of Ag” event Thursday featuring the university’s food products and outdoor agricultural demonstrations.

The free, six-hour event will showcase research and information from the university’s College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology, according to a news release.


Food samples expected to be available include lamb burgers, goat jerky, goat barbecue, sweet corn on the cob, fresh muscadines and food made from goat milk. 

Demonstrations will include bioenergy crops, fish farming, peach tree management, livestock grazing, and organic fruit and vegetable production practices.

On-site registration begins at 8:15 a.m., and the event begins at 9 a.m. Activities will take place at the Agricultural Technology Conference Center, 46 Camp John Hope Road (off U.S. 341).

For more information or to register, call 825-6268 or 825-6296.



Read more: http://www.macon.com/2010/09/02/1249537/fvsu-holds-taste-of-ag.html#ixzz0yLoEIZPa

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Fort Valley State University hosts agricultural showcase

FORT VALLEY — Fort Valley State University hosted an agricultural showcase Thursday at its Agricultural Technology Conference Center off U.S. 341 that attracted visitors from all over the state.

The university’s Taste of Ag event served to “showcase to farmers and the public what goes on with applied research and agriculture programs (at the university),” said Govind Kannan, interim dean for Fort Valley State’s College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology.


As a land-grant institution, Fort Valley State provides agricultural science education, conducts research and provides extension outreach, especially to farmers with limited resources, said Kannan.

Throughout the day, participants had the opportunity to watch field demonstrations, which included samples from a garden of organic muscadine grapes and blackberries, as well as tips for small-scale farmers on how to raise chickens.

Officials spent several months to a year preparing for the event, making sure crops and animals were ready to go on display, Kannan said.

While Fort Valley State’s campus is experiencing a surge in construction projects, “the bedrock of the institution is built on agriculture,” said interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Julius Scipio in his opening remarks at the event.

Northside High School agriculture teacher Virgil Bla-lock brought a group of about 40 students to Thursday’s event to give them a “good hands-on view of what’s happening outside class.”

“When you bring them out to network with people in the field, that are really working, it drives home what we’re teaching,” Bla-lock said.

Those who attended the event also were able to sample food items produced using university facilities, including ice cream and fudge made with goat milk, corn, goat jerky, goat barbecue and goat and lamb burgers.

Among the Northside students, junior Ashley Davis raved about the goat ice cream.

“The ice cream is better than most ice cream,” Davis said. “It’s not as soupy.”

Senior Lawrence Malloy also enjoyed his share of goat dairy products.

“The cheese has a distinct taste. It’s good,” Malloy said. “It’s similar to feta cheese.”

Others, like junior Alyssa Haddock, enjoyed the goat barbecue.

As of Wednesday, about 600 people were registered for Taste of Ag and were expected to attend the event throughout the day, Kannan said.

Even so, Kannan said he was “really excited” about the turnout early on in the morning.

“It shows how well-organized the event was and how it reached everybody,” he said.



Read more: http://www.macon.com/2010/09/03/1250784/university-hosts-agricultural.html#ixzz0yUN5JiCr

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