Ronald D. Young, Ozark, MO

Ronald Young has a long and distinguished career as an agricultural extension worker. At present he is the Area Dairy Specialist, Missouri Cooperative Extension Service, for four Southwest Missouri Counties. He is respected throughout the dairy industry for his practical experience and knowledge of problems at the farm level.

Ron was born in 1935 at Lebanon, MO and grew up working on the family farm. After high school he enrolled at the University of Missouri and in 1957 received a Bachelor Science Degree with a major in animal science. He furthered his formal training in 1967 with a Masters Degree in Dairy Science. In 1955 Ron and his wife Martha were married. They have two children, Elaine who lives in Ozark and Marilyn (Mrs. LaVan Ruggles) who lives in Independence, MO. The Youngs have two grandchildren. Martha teaches school at Ozark.

Mr. Young volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1957 and had active duty until the spring of 1958. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Missouri National Guard.

Ron began his career after graduating from college by operating his own dairy farm near Lebanon from 1958 through 1968. While engaging in professional work off the farm through the years he still owns and operates this dairy as an absentee owner. He has two fulltime employees, modern facilities, 360 acres owned and 80 rented, 75 cows milking and 94 heifers.

From 1962-1966 Ron worked as a Field Technician for the St. Louis Missouri County Health Department where he supervised research in determining ways to lower radioactive materials in milk. During 1965-69 he was the Agricultural Extension Agent for nine counties in Southwest Missouri. Here he supervised seven small farm assistants working with low income farm families as part of the Office of Economic Opportunity Program. In 1969 he was a graduate assistant in Dairy Science at UMC. In 1970 he assumed his position as an Area Dairy Specialist. He is responsible for the educational activities and services for the dairy industry, involving some 650 dairymen in Christian, Stone, Taney and Webster counties. He also coordinates the DHIA Programs for five Dairy Herd Improvement Associations consisting of 130 herds and 9 DHI supervisors.

Through the years Ron has been called upon to lecture out of state on dairy practices and particularly dairy facilities and energy efficient milk parlors, calf hutches and herd management. He is a member and past president of the Ozark Missouri Rotary Club, National Association of County Agriculture Agents, Missouri Extension Association and Epsilon Sigma Phi. He is an active member of the Ozark First Baptist Church and has served as a youth leader, Sunday School Teacher and Chairman of the Board of Deacons 1982-84.