CLC Staples Gives Up-Close Look at Agriculture During Annual Field Day

For years, Central Lake College’s Staples campus has offered the Brainerd Lakes Area a look into the ever-expanding world of agriculture with their annual Field Day.

“All of our partners, they all come together to learn about new technologies, cutting-edge crop systems, and meet great people, all uplifting ag,” explained CLC President Dr. Hara Charlier.

“And it’s just a great day to learn about all the things going on with agriculture in Minnesota,” added Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Chancellor Dr. Scott Olson.

The day’s events saw CLC give the public an up-close look at their research and technology, and even offered some use of their equipment in the form of tractor rides.

“This is a hands-on day,” explained Dr. Charlier. “People are riding equipment to understand what’s the cutting-edge technology. They’re looking at crops. They’re looking at research plots.”

“We do a lot of research and demonstration here on the farm and it’s a chance to highlight those partnerships,” said Cory Detloff, CLC’s Director of Ag & Energy Center. “Highlight some of the things that we’ve been doing in the research area around the economic viability of farms, environmental sustainability.”

As one might expect, education was a running theme of the day, with several vendors and tours being given out pertaining to agriculture.

“It’s a great day, a chance to showcase the things that we’re doing, a chance to really provide that information for anybody,” said Detloff.

“And we hope, as we always do, to educate people about the great things happening in agriculture. One in 10 jobs are connected to agriculture, so there’s a ton to learn here,” added Dr. Charlier.

Informing the public about jobs and technology in the field of agriculture is, after all, a large part of putting on the Field Day.

“This is a day that’s really about being on the cutting edge of that and helping encourage agriculture careers and helping current farmers do their jobs better,” said Dr. Oslon.

The day also featured several tours of CLC’s Living Legacy Gardens as well as musical performances to celebrate the annual event.