News Release
October 8, 2008

Wyoming Farm Bureau Collegiate Discussion Meet Oct. 23 at UW

Undergraduate agriculture majors at the University of Wyoming and the state’s junior colleges are invited to compete in the fifth annual Collegiate Discussion Meet Oct. 23 in the UW College of Agriculture.

The event is sponsored by the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation’s (WyFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Committee.

“We have been pleased with the growth of the Collegiate Discussion Meet over the last four years,” said Chalsey Kortes, WyFB YF&R state chair. “The competition is a great opportunity for college students to put their knowledge into a competition and also to show them the opportunities available through Wyoming Farm Bureau’s YF&R program.”

 WyFB media relations director Kerin Clark added, “This competition is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each committee member.”

Contestants will be given four pre-determined topics for discussion: transporting agriculture commodities, role of land-grant universities in agriculture, correcting misconceptions and utilizing YF&R leaders in the future.  

Contestants will also give opening and closing statements and are judged on their knowledge and ability to participate in a committee meeting, listen to others and air all points of view.

          All contestants will participate in a preliminary round with the top four advancing to the final round. Participant orientation begins at 2:15 p.m. Oct. 23 in the College of Agriculture.  

The winner will receive a $300 cash prize and travel expenses to compete for college scholarships in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s YF&R Collegiate Discussion Meet Feb. 7-9 in Sacramento, Calif.  The national trip for the Wyoming winner is sponsored in part by the First Interstate Bank-UW Student Union Branch.

The runner-up will receive a $150 cash prize. The third- and fourth-place finalists will each receive a $25 beef gift certificate.

Visit www.wyfb.org for an application, call (866) 272-2197 or e-mail kclark@wyfb.org.  Applications are due Oct. 14.

###

Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

###