CANYON, Texas — The West Texas A&M University Department of Agricultural Sciences is continuing its tour to connect with Buffs around Texas Panhandle.

Representatives from the department, part of WT’s Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, will travel to Hereford with the WT Alumni Association and the Agriculture Development Association.

They’ll host a free lunch for WT ag alumni from noon to 1:30 p.m. May 1 at the Hereford Country Club, 726 Country Club Drive.

Planned attendees include Dr. Lance Kieth, associate dean of the Engler College; Dr. Bob Robinson, professor of agriculture; McKenzie Begert, recruitment coordinator; Gary Culp, a founding ADA member; and Abigail Waters, assistant director of alumni relations and university engagement. Cody Chandler, ADA board member and former president, is master of ceremonies.

The event is free. Lunch is sponsored by Pinnacle Premix. To RSVP, visit bit.ly/wt-ag-hereford.

“This is a great opportunity for us to reconnect with Buffs on their home turf, as we did in March in Muleshoe,” Kieth said. “Everyone benefits when alumni have strong ties back to the University, so we want to make sure our alumni from Castro and Deaf Smith counties know about the amazing work the ADA does with the department and give them a chance to join.”

In the past 20-plus years, ADA has raised nearly $2 million for the department, which is strictly used for recruitment efforts. In that time, enrollment has risen from a few hundred students to more than 1,100. The association annually hosts Ag Day, its major annual fundraiser; this year’s event is set for Sept. 7.

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

“The WT Alumni Association is proud of the work that the Ag Development Association is doing,” said Ronnie Hall, Alumni Association executive director. “They are taking an initiative to further the impact that WT Alumni can make on student lives, especially those in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.”

Additional events are being planned around the Panhandle region.

Strengthening existing and creating new relationships with alumni is a key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $150 million.