FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                        April 2, 2008

YOUNG FARMERS, RANCHERS ATTEND NATIONAL CONFERENCE

            Three members of the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Collegiate Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) organization recently attended the American Farm Bureau Federation YF&R Leadership Conference in Baltimore, Md.

            Attending were Marcy VenJohn, Ingalls, Kan., senior; Duke Nunley, Alva sophomore; and Rachael Paxson, Medicine Lodge, Kan., junior, as well as adviser Steve Sneary, Northwestern farm manager and instructor in agriculture.

            More than 600 agriculturalists from across the nation attended the conference, which included ag networking opportunities, speakers on relevant ag issues and farm tours across the state of Maryland.

            VenJohn, after earning top honors at the state qualifying Discussion Meet, competed in the national contest and advanced to the third (or sweet 16) round. She is the first Northwestern student to advance that far during the last five years.

            “A Discussion Meet is a simulation of a board meeting,” Sneary said. “It is an outstanding public speaking tool and provides a positive impact to train the next generation of agriculturalists to know how to professionally portray facts of farming and ranching. Marcy spent countless hours studying the selected topics and it certainly paid off.”

            Nunley and Paxson were runners-up to VenJohn and attended the conference to gain knowledge for next year’s contest. Each of the students had earned all-expense trips provided by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau through competing in the Northwestern Discussion Meet.

            The group also participated in leadership workshops and toured Gettysburg National Park and Mason Dixon Farms. The Farms house 2,000 dairy animals milked by robots and produce their own electricity through a manure digester.

            The students also toured an orchard that produces “pick your own” fruits.

            “The orchard was just a couple of miles from Camp David,” Sneary said, “so we  had a magnificent view of the presidential retreat.”

            The conference ended with a tour and dinner at the B&O Railway Museum.

            VenJohn, Nunley and Sneary participated in American Farm Bureau’s “Next Farm Idol” contest, entertaining the crowd with renditions of favorite country songs.

            Next year’s conference will be held in Sacramento, Calif. Sneary said anyone interested in joining Northwestern’s Collegiate YF&R organization should contact him at (580) 327-5956 or arsneary@nwosu.edu.

-NW-

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