Missouri Agribusiness Academy

About Missouri Agribusiness Academy

Agriculture has a tremendous impact on our nation’s economy, and Missouri is at the heart of this industry. It is important that young people carry on the tradition and heritage of those who have made this state the agricultural leader it is today and develop the skills necessary to continue that legacy in the future.

Since 1988, the Missouri Agribusiness Academy (MAbA) has awarded 900 academy memberships through a competitive application and interview process. 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. The 2018 MAbA class will tour agribusinesses, explore educational opportunities and meet with agricultural leaders in the St. Louis area from June 4 – 8, 2018. The students will end their week with a graduation ceremony at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.

Apply Now!

Are you a high school sophomore interested in becoming a future leader in agriculture and your community? Then the Missouri Agribusiness Academy is for you! MAbA is a youth leadership program designed for thirty high school sophomores to explore career opportunities in agribusiness, government and production agriculture. Written applications accompanied by three letters of recommendation must be postmarked by February 1, 2018. A link to the written application is below.

MAbA Application

About the Application Process

Applicants will be sorted into six geographical regions and five students from each region will attend the Missouri Agribusiness Academy. The applicant’s region is determined by the county of their high school’s physical location. Student’s will be evaluated and compared only to the other applicants in their region.

Missouri Agribusiness Academy District Map

Written applications will be scored by a panel of independent judges. The top ten applicants per region will move into the semi-finals and will be invited to an interview. Students will be emailed about the results of their written application by March 1, 2018. Semi-finalists must attend their regional interview on the date and location listed below. The five applicants with the highest combined written and interview scores from each region will be selected to participate in the Missouri Agribusiness Academy.

Central Region
Tuesday, March 13
Sedalia, Mo.
10:00 a.m.

Northeast Region
Tuesday, March 13
Paris, Mo.
10:00 a.m.

Northwest Region
Tuesday, March 13
Savannah, Mo.
10:00 a.m.

South Central Region
Monday, March 12
Rolla, Mo.
10:00 am.

Southeast Region
Monday, March 12
Cape Girardeau, Mo.
10:00 a.m.

Southwest Region
Monday, March 12
Springfield, Mo.
10:00 a.m.

For questions about the Missouri Agribusiness Academy or application process, contact Lacey Roark at Lacey.Roark@mda.mo.gov or 573-751-4762.

Congratulations to the Missouri Agribusiness Academy Class of 2017!

Additional photos of the selected students and the 2017 tour stops in the Kansas City region are available on the Department’s Flickr stream, online at flickr.com/moagriculture.