MFA Incorporated president and CEO Don Copenhaver received an Honorary American FFA degree at the 2003 National FFA Convention in Louisville, Ky. In addition, MFA’s chief executive officer accepted an award from Southwest Missouri State University.

Copenhaver is a long-time supporter of FFA and its mission to educate youth for careers in production agriculture and agribusiness.

“These young men and women are the future of agriculture. They have an infectious optimism and it makes me feel good just to be around them,” Copenhaver said.

The Honorary American FFA Degree recognizes those who have gone beyond the valuable daily contributions to make an extraordinary long-term difference in the lives of students, inspiring confidence in a new generation of agriculturists.

Representing the involvement of MFA in southwest Missouri agriculture, SMSU honored the agricultural cooperative.

MFA received the university’s Agriculture Distinguished Service award for its “long history of service,” said Dr. Anson Elliott, head of the SMSU department of agriculture. “We have interacted with MFA for five decades,” said Elliott. “MFA has hired our graduates, spoken at our events, taught our students and provided funds for SMS activities. There are so many reasons that we can count on MFA.”