Colorado State University PhD candidate Erin Jackson speaks about irrigation management for vegetables at the Western Agricultural Field Day, last week. As Montana State University’s only agricultural research center focused on horticulture and high-value specialty crops, WARC studies fruits, vegetables and organic production practices. For Dr. Jessica Torrion, superintendent of MSU’s Northwestern Agricultural Research Center, the value of Field Day lies in giving farmers information they can immediately apply. Torrion said events like Field Day also strengthen relationships between researchers and agricultural communities. Dr. Sreekala Bajwa, dean and director of MSU’s College of Agriculture, said the research centers play a critical role in “translating that research into practice.”