UM-Waseca and Southern school plan reunion
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 08/09/2010 3:28 PM
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WASECA, Minn. — The first all-school reunion for faculty and staff of the former University of Minnesota at Waseca and the Southern School of Agriculture is one of the many activities on tap during Farmamerica's Aug. 1 open house.
The Southern School of Agriculture was open from 1953 to 1973 and the U of M in Waseca was open from 1970 to 1992, said Ed Frederick, who served as superintendent of the ag school and chancellor of the U of M in Waseca. Frederick is now the chairman of the Farmamerica board of directors.
When the U of M at Waseca was open, Roy Lukken was the college's farmer in residence and his farm was a resource for the college. Lukken, 92, has since retired and he donated his farm to become what is now Farmamerica, Minnesota's Agricultural Interpretive Center.
U of M Waseca alumni meet every year, Frederick said, and the Farmamerica board has tossed around the idea of hosting a faculty and staff reunion for several years. About a year ago they decided to go for it and began planning for the event. They have received responses from about 60 faculty and staff members from across the nation who plan to attend. The alumni gathering attracts 200 to 300 people each year, he said.
"I think it will be a great event," Frederick said. "It's shaping up very well."
The event begins with a 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All you can eat Dad's Belgian Waffle Breakfast in the Farmamerica Visitors Center. The cost is $7.
All Farmamerica's interpretive sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can tour the Farmamerica for free during the open house. A tram will be running to carry visitors from stop to stop. Volunteers will be at the sites along Farmamerica's time lane to tell visitors more about that time period in agriculture.
"Our only goal is the constant one that Farmamerica has of telling the story of Minnesota agriculture past, present and future," Frederick said.
At 11 a.m., there will be Country Church Services in the Brighton Methodist Church at Farmamerica.
Also at 11 a.m., the UMW and SSA board meeting will be held in the Farmamerica Orientation Room. The faculty, staff and alumni visiting session is noon to 1 p.m. in the Visitor's Center. Then at 1 p.m., all the faculty, staff and alumni will be invited outside for a group photo in front of the Visitors Center. The goal is to get everyone in attendance in the photo, Frederick said.
Following the photo, there will be a UMW/SSA awards program and when that concludes, there will be a faculty and staff program.
Pete Fog, coordinator of the pre-occupational preparation program at UMW, will receive the 2010 Personal Service Award and Bonnie Mohr, artist and former student from Silver Lake, will receive the 2010 Minnesota Ag Award.
Frederick said they don't know how many people will attend the open house and reunion, but about 1,000 people graduated from the SSA and 20,000 people touched UMW during its existence.
Farmamerica is located at 7367 360th Ave., Waseca, Minn. Look for signs on Highway 14.
Cutline:
James Gibson and Jennifer Harguth in the Brighton Methodist Church at Farmamerica. A church service is planned for 11 a.m. Aug. 1 in the church as part of open house festivities at Farmamerica. Gibson is executive director of Farmamerica and Harguth helps with marketing. The church was built in 1881 by Norwegian immigrants. It was donated to Farmamerica in 1984.