(Neosho, MO) – The Crowder College Agriculture Division hosted over 100 students from across the state for the Missouri Professional Agriculture Students annual conference, November 7–9 on the Neosho, Missouri campus.
College Agriculture majors from across the state convened for their annual conference to learn, network, and compete with peers. The conference kicked off with a tour of Hump Back Dairy located in Miller, Missouri. With close to 200 milking camel cows, Hump Back Dairy provides high quality camel milk to niche markets across the country in pints, quarts and gallons. Starting with one milking camel 15 years ago, they have developed a fully commercial milking facility.
The participants then competed in Specialist contests, in which their knowledge of various agricultural career paths, such as Agronomy, Livestock, Horticulture, Soils and Equine sciences was tested. The highly coveted College Quiz Bowl also began on day one, in which teams of five students from each college, compete in a quiz bowl contest consisting of questions in anything agricultural.
PAS participants then competed in various professional development contests such as Career Planning, Career Progress and Employment Interview, in each of the career paths as well. These contests evaluate career research, planning and goal setting amongst students. Also, the students went through an Employment Interview process with industry professionals and were evaluated compared to their peers. Prepared speaking, Farm Bureau Issues, Marketing and Promotion, and Agriculture Education events were also held the second day of the conference. Ashlyn Fox, Crowder Ag Education major from Gravette, Arkansas, stated “The Missouri PAS competitions gave me valuable experience within my career field of agricultural education and further prepared me for future success.”
Dr. Chett Daniels, Associate Vice President of Career and Technical Education, Robin Farmer and Duane Kaiser of Farm Bureau, and Jennifer Bloss, Executive Director of National PAS addressed the group throughout the event. Newton and McDonald County Cattlemen’s Association grilled steaks for the final dinner of the conference and members of the musical group Rangeline provided entertainment for the evening.
Crowder College was well represented by ag majors, with 23 of the 23 participants qualifying for the national conference to be held at Sheridan Community College, Sheridan Wyoming, in March.
The following Crowder Aggies competed and placed in the state PAS contests:
Career Planning
- Ag Education Systems – Taaron Drake, 1st place; Ashlyn Fox, 2nd place; Christian Booth, 4th place
- AgBusiness Systems – Anna Sheets, 4th place
- Animal Systems – Iris Charnhorst, 1st place; Maelyn Wright, 2nd place
Career Progress
- Ag Education Systems – Hannah Fehring, 1st place; Hannah Klaiber, 2nd place
- Animal Systems – Buster Spinks, 1st place
Employment Interview
- Agribusiness Sales – Lilly Weber, 3rd place; Anna Sheets, 4th place
- Livestock Production – Buster Spinks, 1st place; Kiley Freeman, 4th place
- Agriculture Education – Hannah Fehring, 1st place; Ashlynn Fox, 2nd place; Mya Lowrey, 3rd place; Hannah Klaiber, 5th place; Taaron Drake, 6th place
Career Specialists
- Agriculture Education – Taaron Drake, 1st place; Ashlyn Fox, 2nd place
- Ag Sales – Christian Booth, 2nd place; Wyatt Shadwick, 3rd place
- Agronomy – Spencer Bowles, 3rd place
- Animal Health – Anna Sheets, 1st place
- Conservation and Natural Resources – Christian Booth, 2nd place; Wyatt Shadwick, 3rd place
- Equine – Buster Spinks, 4th place
- Floriculture – Hannah Kailber, 2nd place; Hannah Fehring, 2nd place
- Landscaping – Hannah Fehring, 3rd place
- Livestock – Orran Cope, 3rd place; Iris Scharnhorst, 3rd place
- Turf Grass – Mya Lowery, 4th place
- Preparing Speaking – Ashlyn Fox, 1st place; Kyle Ferron, 3rd place
- Farm Bureau Discussion Meet – Lilly Weber, 3rd place; Hannah Fehring, 4th place
- College Quiz Bowl – Orran Cope, Wyatt Shadwick, Mya Lowery, Taaron Drake, and Anna Sheets, 2nd place
About Crowder College:
Crowder College was established in April 1963, as the voters of Newton and McDonald counties passed the issue to create a community college (formerly junior college) on the land formerly known as Camp Crowder. Today, the college provides services to a nine-county service region in southwest Missouri with locations in Neosho, Cassville, Joplin, McDonald County, Nevada and Webb City. The student population exists from within the four-state region, and around the globe. With over 80 degree and program options, the college is a great place to train for a career or transfer to a university.
Reference:
Public Information Office
Crowder College
417.451.3223
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