New location near on-campus stadium

For the first time in its history, Ag Day[1] will be celebrated on the Colorado State University campus, within walking distance of the new on-campus stadium. The Ag Day BBQ will be held on the west lawn of the Lory Student Center prior to the Rams versus Abilene Christian University game on Sept. 9. Festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. and the BBQ will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The 2017 Ag Day will be the 36^th year of the event, one that began as a small beef barbecue and has grown into a giant tailgate featuring food from Colorado commodity groups, music and interactive demonstrations from College of Agricultural Sciences faculty, staff and students.

Colorado home-grown feast

The event has grown dramatically through the years and now annually draws some 3,500 people for a football-day feast of Colorado-grown food.

Ag Day showcases many commodities that have blossomed in Colorado with knowledge gained from CSU research. The event, which started with beef as its primary feature, now traditionally includes a number of other local commodities such as lamb, pork, beans, potatoes, onions, wheat and dairy products, and more.

“The collaboration between the commodity groups and CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences at Ag Day showcases the economic value of the agriculture industry in Colorado,” said Kris McKay, associate director of Development for the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Ag Day & 4-H

For the second year, Colorado 4-H and Ag Day will be celebrated together.

“Ag Day & 4-H will feature fun, interactive activities and games for youth and families throughout the day, along with giveaways and information about the many ways to join 4-H,” said Jean Glowacki, state 4-H director. “Many of these activities are directly tied to 4-H curriculum and projects.”

4-H is a community of young people across Colorado and the United States learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. 4-H raffle tickets will be sold for a chance to win a Ford F-150 truck, donated by local Ford dealers. The winning ticket will be drawn during 4-H Day festivities, and proceeds from the raffle will support 4-H programs statewide.

Supporting scholarships

Ag Day proceeds also provide critical funding for scholarships granted to deserving students in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Each year, the event typically funds between 15 and 20 student scholarships amounting to $2,000 each. Since 2000 alone, Ag Day has funded more than 200 scholarships totaling more than $420,000 for agricultural students.

Purchase tickets

Tickets for both the football game and BBQ, or just the BBQ, are available at the Ag Day website[2] or by calling (800) 491-RAMS (7267).