CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University’s ag supporters will be out in full force once more on Sept. 10. 

The WT Ag Development Association’s 22nd annual Ag Day festivities will begin at 11 a.m. Sept. 10 in the Bain Event Center at the WT Agricultural Sciences Complex on the Canyon campus. 

“The Texas Panhandle is the agricultural heart of the nation, so there’s no better place in the United States to study agriculture,” said Dr. Lance Kieth, associate dean of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and agricultural sciences department head. “Members of our Ag Development Association are passionate about supporting our efforts in agricultural education and research in food production.” 

The WT Alumni Association will serve coffee and kolaches at 10 a.m. while the student-led Ag Ambassadors organization will provide tours of the ag complex. Lunch begins at 11 a.m. 

The twin highlights of the day are live and silent auctions featuring a significant collection of cruises, exclusive hunting trips, seed and other ag-related items. 

Funds raised at Ag Day support recruitment efforts for the ag department, including scholarships, travel and merchandise. 

In the past 20-plus years, ADA has raised $1,145,060 for the department. Enrollment has risen from a few hundred students to more than 1,000.  

“The ADA works tirelessly all year to plan and gather items for the auction, and most importantly, all of the food, fun and fellowship ultimately benefits our ag department, the entire Panhandle and, truly, the world,” said Dr. Kevin Pond, dean of the Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.  

The steady growth of the ag department and the impact that has on the region and nation is the ultimate goal, said ADA President Landon Canterbury, is to support the department’s continued progression. 

“ADA exists to promote WT Ag by providing to the department, which our members and supporters do exceptionally well each and every year,” said Canterbury, who earned his bachelor’s in ag business and economics in 2014 and his master’s in animal science in 2016. “This support has propelled the department forward with sustained growth for many years.” 

ADA currently is the largest department-affiliated chapter for WT’s Alumni Association. 

WT’s efforts to recruit, retain and reward exceptional students is a centerpiece of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World. 

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised more than $110 million.