As part of Ag Week next week at Purdue University, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will sit down with Purdue President Mitch Daniels for a conversation at 9am in Fowler Hall at Stewart Center.
“The sky will be the limit in terms of questions that we ask,” said Daniels. “I’m sure we’ll discuss the obvious topics of the day about trade and technology, and about the prospects for the American farmer to feed a continually growing world.”
Secretary Perdue will also be creating a video to be shared on the jumbotron at Ross-Ade Stadium in support of the Hammer Down Hunger event Tuesday afternoon where Purdue students will be packing 150,000 meals in honor of Purdue’s 150th birthday this year. Dane Chapman is an Ag Business major at Purdue and the co-chairman of this year’s Hammer Down Hunger event.
“75,000 of those meals will be staying right here in Central Indiana through Indiana Food Finders Food Bank and then 75,000 will be sent across the pond to other places around the world to help fight global food insecurity. Hammer Down Hunger is comprised of 6 students, and ag week as a whole is comprised of 20 College of Ag students that are just really passionate about agriculture and sharing the importance of food in ag and the giant leaps that we’re taking.”
Purdue Ag Dean Karen Plaut told Hoosier Ag Today that the goal of 150,000 is a lofty one.
“Before this they only packed 70,000. Our students are wonderful in every way you look at it. They step up to the plate, they look to the future, they look at how they can help society, and it’s a wonderful experience to be working with these students.”
The discussion with Secretary Perdue is open to the public. Purdue University will also be providing a livestream of the event and we’ll share it to our Facebook page @hoosieragtoday Tuesday morning.