When agribusiness management senior Beth Oliver attended the MSU Agriculture Expo with her family when she was young, she had no idea how much it would change by the time she got to college.
“What makes the Ag Expo special for me is that I remember coming here with my dad and brother when I was a little girl, and it was completely different when I started working here than my memories depicted it,” Oliver said in an email.
The expo began Tuesday at the MSU Pavilion, located at the corner of Farm Lane and Mt. Hope Road, and will conclude at 3 p.m. Thursday. Admission and parking are both free.
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Gov. Rick Snyder kicked off the event at 7:30 a.m. with remarks at the Ag Expo breakfast.
Oliver said the best part of working at the event for the past three years has been the team atmosphere with the other student workers.
“This team is very unique in that students are given the same responsibilities that are traditionally given to adult staff members in most workplaces,” Oliver said. “As such, we’re treated as equals, which isn’t very common with university jobs.”
Eileen Gianiodis, communications manager for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said the expo is the largest agricultural event in the state and that she wants people to learn more about Michigan agriculture.
“It’s a broad overview of learning about agriculture in Michigan,” Gianiodis said.
Gianiodis said there will be equipment vendors and educational demonstrations and that people attending the expo can also ride and drive tractors and sample free MSU Dairy Store ice cream.
Rachel King, grain merchandiser at Michigan Agriculture Commodities, said the Ag Expo is a way for her company to network, since most of their business is done over the phone.
“This gives us another opportunity to have face-to-face connections with our customers,” King said.
Still, King added that it’s also important to educate the consumers about agriculture.
Michigan Agricultural Commodities is the largest handler of grain in the state, and King said that has allowed them to support the expo with a $10,000 sponsorship and the title of diamond sponsor the past two years.
“Our lot is at the front of the event,” King said. “We want to support the efforts to bring the latest agriculture technology to Michigan.”
For Oliver, the MSU Ag Expo is something that everyone can enjoy, not just those who work in the agricultural field.
“Ag Expo isn’t just for farmers, it offers something for the whole family and is a cause that my family really believes in,” Oliver said. “Case in point, my brother will be bringing his daughter to her first Ag Expo this year, making her the third generation of our family to visit the show this year.”
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