The Area 4 Research Farm and USDA-ARS Northern Great Plains Research Lab has cancelled its annual July Friends & Neighbors Day at Mandan, N.D., because of the pandemic.
The lab's mission is to develop adaptive and integrative practices for sustainable, crop, livestock, and rangeland systems. The lab has been hosting Friends & Neighbors Day for more than 30 years to give people an opportunity to learn about what the lab does and to meet the people who work there. The event often draws nearly 1,000 people.
Friends and Neighbors Day features booths of the lab's own work, as well as booths featuring other USDA agencies, the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and several local businesses. Along with learning about research and resources, Friends and Neighbors Day also features education and children's activities.
The event, held on the facility's 108-year-old, 15-acre research campus, is expected to return in 2021.
