Owen Neely of South Greenfield Selected for the Missouri Agribusiness Academy

Owen Neely of South Greenfield, Mo., was one of 30 high school sophomores recently selected to participate in the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Missouri Agribusiness Academy (MAbA). Neely and the other students selected will spend several days in June in the Mid-Missouri area learning about many of the unique opportunities available in agriculture.

“Giving back to agriculture is important and we’re thrilled to contribute to the future of agriculture through MAbA,” said Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn. “I’m so proud of each of these students and the accomplishments they’ve already achieved as leaders. We hope that MAbA helps each of them add value to those skills and ultimately find their future in an agriculture career.”

Neely is a sophomore at Lockwood High School, where he is an active member of the Lockwood FFA Chapter and Busy Bee 4-H Club. Neely is the son of Angie Whitesell & Jeremy Neely. To download a photo of Neely, click here: https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MOMDA/2021/03/25/file_attachments/1735402/SW%20Owen%20Neely.jpg.

On Monday, June 7, the MAbA class will convene in Jefferson City. After an overview and tour of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the students will travel around Mid-Missouri over the next several days. During the 2021 Missouri Agribusiness Academy, the students will visit agriculture businesses and learn about career opportunities in animal health, production agriculture and more.

Since 1988, the Missouri Agribusiness Academy has awarded more than 990 academy memberships through a competitive application and interview process for high school sophomores interested in pursuing agriculture-related college degrees and careers.

To be eligible for the Missouri Agribusiness Academy, students must come from a farming family or be an active member of the National FFA Organization or 4-H.

For a full list and photos of students participating in the 2021 Missouri Agribusiness Academy, as well as more information on the Department of Agriculture, please visit the Department online at Agriculture.Mo.Gov.