What a wonderful end to the semester and the year! On Friday, Dec. 13, we celebrated the graduation of 200 CAFNR students. It was an exciting night – I always say graduation day is the best day in the life of a university. Thanks to everyone who helped the evening run so seamlessly. Our speaker, alumna Kristy Weber, was inspiring and shared a wonderful message encouraging graduates to continue to learn, use their voice and lean into their values.

The end of the year also brought annual meetings and conferences – a chance to reflect and look forward. This month I attended the Crop Management Conference and the CAFNR Foundation Board of Trustees and Full Membership Meeting, and annual meetings for MFA Inc. and Missouri Farm Bureau, in addition to our Agricultural Experiment Station superintendents meeting. I presented on the Missouri Food, Beverage and Forest Products Manufacturing Initiative at Farm Bureau, and also shared an update on the initiative with the Missouri Department of Agriculture Workforce Group Dec. 17. At the superintendents’ meeting, I spoke about the exciting progress that has been made in the past year in CAFNR, and shared a similar update with our CAFNR Administrative Leadership Council (CALC) at our annual meeting Dec. 6.

I appreciated attending the Deaton Scholars Fall Graduation and Excellence Celebration and the Alpha Gamma Rho Celebration of Thanks to MU Administrators.

I am glad to be part of the search committee for our Vice Chancellor for Advancement. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have thoughts or nominations regarding our next Vice Chancellor for Advancement!

I hope everyone is getting excited for CAFNR Unlimited this coming February! I bought my first-ever heifer at the Northeast Missouri Show-Me-Select Bred Heifer Sale in Palmyra Dec. 14, and it will be auctioned off at Unlimited as part of the festivities. If you are making plans to join us that night, register now!

We have a lot to look forward to in 2020, as our college celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Thanks for everything you have done to make CAFNR so successful this past year – I am so grateful for all of you!

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

Christopher R. Daubert, Ph.D.
CAFNR Vice Chancellor & Dean

This year, a group of 23 students visited employers in southwest Missouri and northwestern Arkansas, including three food companies, as part of the CAFNR Agribusiness Career Connection Program. This program is designed to connect undergraduate CAFNR students with agribusinesses in the Midwest.

The group departed Sunday, Nov. 24, and traveled to Springfield, Missouri, where they visited the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium and enjoyed dinner and socializing with one another. On Monday, Nov. 25, the group visited Tyson Foods in the morning and learned more about the company and its career opportunities. That afternoon, the group visited Simmons Foods, toured their facilities, and enjoyed dinner with members of their senior leadership team. On Tuesday, Nov. 26, students traveled to Schreiber Foods, enjoyed an extensive tour of their operations, and were given the opportunity to taste various types of cheese samples processed by Schreiber.

Don’t Forget!
Campus is closed for Winter Break Wednesday, Dec. 25, through Wednesday, Jan. 1.