Agtoberfest Turns Foes into Friends

IAA Director Glori Hyman addressing guests during the Agtoberfest tailgate.

Image Credit: Edwin Remsburg

November 10, 2015

Both teams wore red. Huddled together under large tents in the drizzling rain, they were hard to tell apart. It was only upon closer inspection that you could separate the red “M” of the Maryland Terps from the red “W” of the Wisconsin Badgers. Were these archenemies getting ready to fight? No, they were agriculturalists sharing a great afternoon together on the Campus Farm.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) hosted a Homecoming Tailgate on Saturday, Nov. 7. Among the guests were dozens of faculty, staff, and alumni from the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The event provided the perfect backdrop for celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA).

“The Institute of Applied Agriculture provides hands-on education that opens doors to successful careers,” said IAA Director Glori Hyman during brief remarks. Indeed, more than 90% of IAA students have jobs in their fields by the time they graduate from the program. What’s more, almost one third of respondents in a recent IAA alumni survey indicated annual incomes in the six figures. Clearly, IAA students are well-prepared for career success.

That rainy Saturday, IAA students Joe Shaffer, J.T. Hipp, and Luke Santerre were not focused on careers, as they toiled above the hot grill to flip batch after batch of delicious hot dogs and burgers. Also in attendance were IAA alumni David Gagnon (2012) and Eddie Franceschi (1992) happy to see familiar IAA and AGNR faces, and to make new friends from Wisconsin.

The Maryland Terrapins lost 24-31 against the Wisconsin Badgers in the Homecoming game that afternoon. But the real win was the camaraderie built between the two leading universities’ agricultural programs.

Click here to view event photos.

Maryland Terps and Wisconsin Badgers come together for an Alpha Gamma Rho group photo. Image Credit: Edwin Remsburg.