College of Central Florida to Host Farm Field Day

The community is invited to visit the College of Central Florida’s Center for Agricultural Innovation at Vintage Farm campus for a free Field Day on Monday, Nov. 16, noon-4 p.m. This is an open house-type of event where visitors can drop in at any time during those hours. Participants can explore the 103-acre working farm to learn about general local agriculture as well as CF’s agricultural and equine programs.

“We really want to encourage the community to come out to this event and see our beautiful farm,” said Agribusiness Program Manager Jacob Dorland. “This event isn’t just for prospective students. It’s a great outing for families with young kids that want to see the farm, or anyone who’s ever driven by and been curious about what we do here. Our students want to show off what they’ve been learning, and our faculty and staff want to talk to people in the community about agriculture.”

Dorland said this event is part of Marion County’s Farm City Week, which celebrates the partnerships between rural and urban communities that make our food supply safe and plentiful. The week is celebrated as part of the lead up to Thanksgiving.

Interested visitors can also learn about career paths, network with industry organizations and connect with faculty, staff, students and alumni. Faculty members will present live demonstrations with resident livestock and high-tech agriculture drones.

“Field Day is one of our favorite days at the farm. We love to showcase the wonderful educational opportunities we offer,” said Dr. John D. Ash, CF dean of Business, Technology and Agricultural Sciences. “With our cutting-edge Ag Tech programs, including our new Precision Agriculture Technology A.S. degree, world-class Equine Studies faculty, clear career pathways, and even several beloved horses, field day is always an inspiring experience.”

The CF farm campus is located at 4020 S.E. Third Ave. (Highway 475) in Ocala.