Featured Image: (Pacer Graphic/ Adrianna’ Carter)
On Feb. 11 and 12, the UT Martin Agronomy Club hosted its annual Valentine’s Day Plant Sale, bringing students, faculty and community members together to celebrate both agriculture and the season of love.
The event showcased a variety of plants, providing customers with an optimal experience. However, beyond the surface, this year’s sale provided students with hands-on experience in customer service, communication and agricultural outreach skills to better represent themselves, the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and UT Martin as a whole.
The annual plant sale has become a valuable tradition within the Agronomy Club, giving members the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting. With only around 20% of the world being involved in agriculture, an industry that feeds 100% of our world, advocating for the industry that provides food, fiber and fuels is imperative.
For two days, the sale was open across campus, allowing the community, students and club members to purchase last minute Valentine’s Day gifts and give buyers the chance to treat themselves to a wide variety of plants. For many students, however, the plant sale was more than just an opportunity to purchase plants; it was a chance to engage with different areas of the agriculture department and connect with peers across campus while gaining direct skills that correlate with careers in agriculture and related industries.
Kyra Flannery, a freshman UT Martin student majoring in veterinary technology, shared her excitement about attending the event.
“I really enjoyed being able to look at the plants. Being a part of the agriculture department here at UTM, it’s really cool getting to see the other parts of our college showing out with events like this,” said Flannery.
Students working the event also highlighted the professional skills gained through the experience. Grace Howell, a senior UT Martin student studying soil and water conservation, explained that one of her favorite aspects of the plant sale is the opportunity to build communication skills.
“The agriculture industry requires you to have people skills, and being able to improve my communication skills while talking to people about the plants we sell is truly something I enjoy,” said Howell.
The annual Valentine’s Day Plant Sale not only promotes agricultural education but also strengthens connections within the UT Martin community. With events like this, the Agronomy Club plans to continue both cultivating leadership skills among its members and ultimately increase advocacy for the agriculture industry across UT Martin.
