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  email: cblara@noble.org

16 Selected for AgVenture ‘99

Sixteen Oklahoma and Texas high school students have been accepted to participate in the 1999 AgVenture program at the Noble Foundation June 1-4, from among the most, and best, applicants ever received for the annual event.

"It was tough," said Grant Huggins, NF wildlife and fisheries specialist and chairman of the AgVenture Committee. "We had a lot of good kids apply, and had to turn away about seventy-five percent of them. That's always difficult."

AgVenture is a hands-on, highly informative summer "camp" in which participants learn about a variety of topics intended to help them in agricultural-related careers. During the four-day event, participants learn about a variety of topics dealing with modern day livestock production and farming, from weather and geography to fencing materials and techniques.

Students selected for this year's AgVenture include Jami Deanann Anderson, Electra, Texas; Justin Anderson, Meeker; Jared Bates, Shawnee; Carla Jo Clark, Thackerville; DonEtta Cothren, Stratford; Matt Elder, Canton; Tammy Ettredge, Pilot Point, Texas; Judith Ann Heronema, Reydon; Abbie Hoffman, Calumet; Jalaina Johnson, Tishomingo; Terron Clark Liles, Anadarko; Jon Derek Mitchell, Duncan; Amanda Penner, Sulphur; Kent Pettijohn, Chickasha; Matthew Christian Steward, Hennessey; and Natalie Wilson, Norman.

There are several unusual characteristics of this group of AgVenture students, Grant said.

For the first time, there were more girls than boys selected for the session, and two freshmen were among the applicants chosen.

Others accepted include five sophomores, seven juniors, and two seniors — 14 of the students hailing from Oklahoma, and two from Texas. Other than seniors, who would not qualify next year, applicants not selected for this session of AgVenture are welcomed to apply again next year, Huggins said.

Among the additional topics covered are prescribed burning, livestock handling facilities and methods, controlled rotational grazing, ag mapping, deer spotlight surveys, intensive veg-etable production, pecan grafting, livestock marketing, ag communications, ag career choices, and livestock health, nutrition and reproduction.

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(FYI — The Noble Foundation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization headquartered in Ardmore, Okla. The Foundation conducts agricultural and plant biology research; provides grants to numerous other charitable and educational organizations; and assists farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative programs.)