The SAU farm is a vital part of the teaching program for the SAU Agriculture Department. It provides a unique opportunity for students majoring in agriculture to take classroom theory and apply the results to hands-on learning and work opportunities, while utilizing laboratory exercises similar to those experienced in the workplace. Many students earn a portion of their collegiate expenses by working on the farm.
The Agriculture Department maintains approximately 800 acres of pasture land at Southern Arkansas University. SAU has the only collegiate dairy in Arkansas or the surrounding area that is used for teaching and hands-on work activities for students. The dairy herd consists of Holstein, Brown Swiss, and Jersey. Coupled with fantastic dairy cattle is an outstanding beef enterprise that is used for genetics, reproductive physiology, and beef production laboratory exercises. This herd consists of Brangus, Angus, and a Hereford bull that we’re hoping to cross breed with the Angus cows to get some baldies (white face calves).
Amy Bradshaw, a horticultural instructor, has approximately 3 acres that she uses for planting a garden during spring. Greenhouses, forage plots, horticulture, agronomy, and forestry plots provide students with real world opportunities in propagation, planting, transplanting, and marketing plants or entering the forestry industry.
We at the SAU Agriculture Department invite you to visit our farm laboratories and observe the livestock operation, the forage and horticulture operations, as well as our rodeo program. Please call 870-235-4340 for information or for a tour.
