ARDMORE — One of the four speakers at an upcoming beef symposium will be an agronomy specialist from Muskogee.

Bob Woods, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service area agronomy specialist, will speak at the 18th annual Southern Plains Beef Symposium from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Ardmore Convention Center being hosted by the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation’s Agricultural Division and Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.

In January 2008, Woods received the Distinguished Educator Award. He has 32 years experience providing quality information on technical research data and turning it into practical recommendations for producers.

The other speakers include:

• Job Springer, agricultural economist with the Noble Foundation, who works closely with producers to help them achieve their agricultural economic goals.

• Yates Adcock, ranch manager for Middle Creek Ranch in Dustin. In 2007, Adcock won the Leonard Wyatt Outstanding Cooperator Award, a prestigious award given by the Noble Foundation. Yates received the Leonard Wyatt award because of Yates long-standing reputation for seeking innovative livestock business practices.

• Scott Brown, program director for the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri, provides U.S. Congress with analysis of livestock and dairy policy changes and has testified before the House and Senate.

Entitled Coping with the Times, Higher Cost and Tighter Margins, this year’s symposium brings together the four speakers, who will discuss how they and other farmers and ranchers are coping with the challenges of increased input costs related to the higher cost of energy.

Registration for the symposium costs $25 per person ($30 at the door) and includes the entire program and a prime rib lunch. For additional information or to register, contact Tracy Cumbie at (580) 224-6411 or by e-mail at tlcumbie@noble.org.