On Saturday, Dec. 15, at noon, 222 College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources students will celebrate their graduation at commencement ceremonies in the Hearnes Center.

As part of the event, the graduates and their families will hear from commencement speaker Blake Hurst (pictured left), a CAFNR alumnus and president of Missouri Farm Bureau. Hurst received a B.S. in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri.

Hurst is also a farmer and freelance writer, and his work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The American, Weekly Standard, Wilson’s Quarterly, Reader’s Digest, Today’s Farmer and the Show Me magazine of Missouri Farm Bureau. Missouri Farm Bureau is governed by an elected Board of Directors, all of whom are active farmers. The Board sets the direction of the organization and makes major decisions regarding finances and organizational policies. Founded in 1915, Missouri was the first state Farm Bureau in America, and it remains one of the strongest. Missouri Farm Bureau is a membership-based organization amplifying the voices of Missouri farmers by representing members at the legislatures in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C., as well as through involvement with state and federal regulatory agencies.

For more information about the commencement ceremonies, visit the Mizzou Commencement website.