JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A panel of judges selected Sydnee Mason, of Marshall, and Tony Morgan, of Lamar, as 2017 Missouri Farm Bureau Ambassadors during the organization’s 102nd annual meeting Dec. 4 at the Lake of the Ozarks.
The Missouri Farm Bureau ambassador program selects a male and female student, 17-22 years of age, to represent agriculture and Farm Bureau for one year. Each Ambassador receives a $1,250 educational scholarship and travels to Washington, D.C., in March on a Farm Bureau legislative trip. As ambassadors, Mason and Morgan will make selected appearances throughout 2017 promoting agriculture on behalf of Missouri Farm Bureau. They will assist with Farm Bureau events at the Missouri State Fair and elsewhere. The two were picked from a field of 18 contestants selected by county Farm Bureaus.
Mason represented the Saline County Farm Bureau. Her parents are Ken and Kari Mason. She is a student at Marshall High School where she is very involved in FFA. Mason is a 2016 FFA Teach Ag speech winner, presented Models of Excellence awards at the National FFA Convention for three years, and in 2014 placed third in state FFA speaking contests. Although her parents do not farm, both are collegiate rodeo coaches and actively involved in maintaining livestock facilities and caring for cattle, horses and goats.
Morgan represented the Barton County Farm Bureau and is the son of Rick and Melinda Morgan. He is majoring in livestock production at Crowder College, and works on his family’s diversified farm when not in school. They raise and finish-to-market both cattle and hogs, feeding the animals corn, barley and soybeans grown on their farm. Morgan is active in the Crowder Aggie Club, Crowder Cattlemen and Barton County Cattlemen associations.
The contest began Sunday morning as judges interviewed each student. During the Sunday evening program, six finalists presented five-minute speeches and extemporaneously responded to a question before judges selected the winners. The Ambassador program is sponsored by the Missouri Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Committee. Scholarship funds come from the Missouri Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.
