Delaware Valley University’s School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Hosts Harvest Festival

Posted on
A student is taking an apple glazed in caramel from a table full of caramel apples.
Credit: Delaware Valley University. Students attend Harvest Festival on the Quad.

The event brought students, faculty and staff from all majors together for fall fun!

On Wednesday, Oct. 13, Delaware Valley University held its Harvest Festival for current students, faculty and staff. Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS), a student organization on campus, and the University’s School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences organized the event.

The event featured food and drinks, live music, pumpkin carving and painting, outdoor games, club meet and greets, club activities and educational booths.

Students, faculty and staff also gathered on the Quad to enjoy the fall festivities and took hayrides to pick apples and pumpkins on campus.

Larissa Li ’23 and Natasha Robertson ’23, executives in the DelVal MANRRS chapter, initiated the effort to get student clubs, sports teams, staff, and faculty involved in the event.

Many DelVal faculty, staff and students worked together on the event. Horticulture Production Manager Matt Beekman, the DelVal National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) chapter, and other DelVal students grew pumpkins and apples. The Food Science Club then prepared food using the pumpkins and apples that are grown on campus. Burgers and beans for the event were grown at the Roth Center for Sustainable Agriculture by Bryce Cannon, Roth manager, with help from students. Alpha Gamma Rho, a campus agricultural fraternity, grilled grass-fed beef patties. Faculty members including Dr. Susan Testani, Dr. Melissa Wright, and Dr. Sarah Dohle were also involved in the event. Parkhurst Dining Services and Blooming Glen Catering prepared the food. The Plant Breeding Club donated hot sauce made from peppers grown on campus. The EBA Media Club students publicized the event on social media using the hashtag #DelValHarvestFest.

Live performances featured DelVal faculty. Dr. Craig Stutman, Dr. Jessica McCall, Dr. David Timony, and Dr. Matthew Mutchler from the School of Business and Humanities played music at the event with cameos by Library Director Peter Kupersmith and John Urbanchuk, from the agribusiness faculty. Dr. Stutman, Dr. Timony, and Dr. Mutchler played the guitar while Dr. McCall played the steel drums.

“Our goal with this festival is to bring everyone together on campus!” said Dr. Broc Sandelin, dean of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. “We had a great turnout and served over 500 people food.”