Cabinet of Curiosity: Tour the University’s outdoor research facilities in St. Paul
Wed, Jun 21 2023, 10am
Have you ever wondered what happens on the “farm side” of the Twin Cities campus in St. Paul? To catch a glimpse of the specialized research projects, barns, and fields, join us for the next in UMRA’s Cabinets of Curiosity series of visits to fascinating University of Minnesota places. We will be guided by Andrew Scobbie, campus operations manager with the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES). On foot and riding on farm wagons, we will take a close look at “the lay of the land” in that unusual part of campus.
More than 140 years ago, classes in agriculture moved from the campus on the East Bank of the Mississippi to a more expansive space in St. Paul, and eventually became the College of Agriculture. Since then, the now multifaceted College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) has grown more diverse and complex as faculty and students respond to the changing needs of farm enterprises and the food industry and incorporate scientific advances.
Today, with its laboratories and ever-changing collection of plants, livestock, soils, and related projects in biology and chemistry, CFANS, in conjunction with MAES, contributes to teaching and research that enhance the agricultural and natural resources of the state and the nation. Although the swine and poultry facilities are quarantined and off limits to visitors, we will be able to see the cows, learn more about the organic farm maintained by students, and observe forestry and field projects and new facilities including the Bee Lab.
If you are curious, sign up to join this “farm tour” on June 21 starting at 10 a.m. Following the tour, those interested will meet for lunch at a nearby restaurant. More information will be available in early June for those who register.
We are fully subscribed! Contact Kathy Jensen to get on a wait list. And we hope you can join us in a future event!
If you need to cancel, please let Kathy Jensen ([email protected]) know.
Watch for Cabinets of Curiosity outings in the Fall:
- October 3 to the James Ford Bell Library of rare books and maps, and
- November 7 to the Goldstein Museum of Design.
Questions are welcome to Sally Gregory Kohlstedt ([email protected]), Jan Morlock ([email protected]), Cathy Lee Gierke ([email protected]) or Kathy Jensen ([email protected]).
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.