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
Silk Parachute, an anthology of essays and the 40th of 44 published books by author John McPhee, will be the topic of discussion when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CDT on April 26.
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.