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Agricultural Communication & Journalism Internships

Category: Agronomy

Learning About Wheat – Mary Marsh

Posted on by kjburke
Mary snapping photos in the greenhouse.

This school year, I started a whole new job- I was the communications intern for Kansas Wheat. This job was way different than any of my other jobs. This was my first office job. I heard about this job by word-of-mouth from one of my friends. Other students can apply for this internship by filling out the application, emailing their resume and cover letter to Jordan Hildebrand.

Kansas Wheat Commission has the checkoff program, and two cents from every bushel of wheat sold goes into this program. This funds efforts for communication and lobbying on behalf of the farmer. It is the job of the Kansas Wheat Commission to give a voice to the Kansas wheat farmers.

My job as intern was to report to Jordan Hildebrand and Marsha Boswell. They were great to work for. They wanted to see the interns excel and were willing to help in any way they could. We were in the same building as the Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom which meant more people who could help if I had a question about different programs and ideas.

Coming into this internship, I swore I was not interested in writing. I did not want to be a writer. I was more interested in doing social media, graphic design, and video work. After creating social media content for a few months though, I found that it was not really my forte. I enjoyed seeing my posts getting attention, likes and shares and being creative and quirky was up my alley. On the other hand, we were trying so hard to build a lot of content that many posts were unnecessary. They noticed I was getting bored with content creation, so they let the other intern be in charge of that task. Without having to do the social media content, I was free to work on various writing assignments.

My three favorite writing assignments were “What is Hopping with Wheat Beer”, “Norman Borlaug” and “Heritage versus Modern Wheat”. This gave me a chance to learn more about the science behind beer, what makes a wheat beer, and if wheat would affect flavor, color, or body of the beer. It was a chance for me to learn more about chemical processes behind beer creation and it debunked many previous notions I had about wheat beer! I got to really dive head first and find out about the life and times of Norman Borlaug. As for the heritage versus modern wheat article, I got to learn more about what it is and the differences are. I did not realize how much I love and miss writing. I was really proud of the stories I wrote and submitted. This has given me some direction for what I want to go into after graduation.

The best day at work though was easily the day when I got to take pictures in the greenhouse. I took my personal camera and I went crazy! I took so many pictures of the wheat in different stages of growth. It was fun getting to shoot in a variety of lighting all in one swoop!

Overall, this internship was excellent and I had a great time. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a little bit unsure what direction they want to take with their degree. It was easily one of the best jobs I have ever had. I cannot wait to continue with them next year.

Where the Grain Commodities Align – Tarra Rotstein

Posted on by kjburke

Pasta, leavened and unleavened bread, meat, soy milk, tofu, and ethanol may appear to have nothing in common but all of these products can be produced from four main commodities: wheat, corn, sorghum and soybeans. In summer 2018, I served as the communications intern for the IGP Institute. The IGP Institute is an entity of the Kansas State University Department of Grain Science and Industry. At the Institute they educate professionals in the industry about grains and their different processes to help those professionals run their facilities more efficiently. Through this opportunity I was able to learn about the grain industry and the impact that U.S. grains has world-wide. I was able to work closely with the communications team: Lisa Moser, marketing and communications coordinator, who served as my supervisor; Pat Hackenberg, educational media coordinator; and Kelly Boswell, events coordinator. The IGP Institute is located in Manhattan, Kansas. This allowed me to have extra learning time, because I started the Monday after finals and had my last day the Friday before school started.

I found out about this internship through a friend who had the internship the previous summer and enjoyed it so much. I knew I had to apply for the opportunity.

Each day of my internship gave me the opportunity to learn more. My tasks day-to-day differed, but I had the same tasks each time a course was taking place. Every time a course took place, it meant that I was in charge of capturing the photography and videography for the course, writing a news release, creating a video recap of what happened during the course and interviewing a few participants on camera. This involved planning out my entire week, the Friday or Monday of to ensure I took pictures and videos at the most optimal times, along with coordinating with the course instructor times for interviews and who to interview. I also scheduled a time with the course instructor to record their portion of the video recap for the course.

One of my biggest projects over the summer was redesigning the Department of Grain Science and Industry website. I felt a huge honor in being the one to come up with the plan for redesigning it and when it was approved by the Department Head it felt awesome. I was not interested in web design before entering this internship, and now I am. I have been exposed to web design and have lots of hands-on experience that I can take with me throughout my career.

During my internship I knew there were opportunities to work on video projects and I let my supervisor know I was interested in those. She assigned more projects to me where I worked in videography which was beneficial to my interest and has made me want to continue to pursue those interests.

If there was one thing I learned this summer more than anything, it was that I learned how to learn. In the communications world everything is always changing from social media platform algorithms to updates on Adobe software to working on a new type of computer; there will always be changes that are challenging. I learned how to overcome those changes by learning from others and the internet. If you are ready to learn and want to experience what a ‘real’ job is like, apply! In this position I never felt like just the intern, I was doing projects that needed to be done for the organization and was making a difference.

On the Right Career Path – Kaitlyn Vicker

Posted on by kjburke

My name is Kaitlyn Vicker, and I am a senior in Agricultural Communications and Journalism, with an emphasis in environmental sciences. This past summer, I was the Summer Communications Intern at Kansas Wheat Innovation Center located in Manhattan, Kansas.

The following points are some intern responsibilities:

  • To research, prepare and write press releases and new articles for distribution
  • Conduct interviews and write harvest reports
  • Write blogs for Kansas Wheat websites
  • Assist with editing and design communication tools, including newsletters and websites
  • Answer phones and greet visitors as needed
  • Carry out special plans and projects with various Kansas Wheat staff members in support of the marketing plan
  • Assist with design of the annual recipe book

I learned three things during my internship: relationships are key, the things we are doing matter, and communication. There are multiple familiar faces outside the organization of Kansas Wheat. Getting to know them personally and building those relationships continues business growth and creates new possible connections. We are all advocating for the same idea and purpose at Kansas Wheat: farmers investing in their future through wheat genetics research. The projects you are working on or the articles you are writing might feel like they aren’t impacting the public. I learned the work I was doing was making an impact on the public, not just in the United States, but worldwide. People have an interest in the wheat produced in the United States and possibly Kansas wheat specifically. Putting out correct and accurate information regarding wheat is important to create a consistent message to the public. I also learned communication is important in any work place or environment. In order to effectively and efficiently get projects done, we need to communicate with coworkers to help collaborate on their tasks for the end project. This will not always create an easy road to the finish line, but it could help answer questions and confusion.

My biggest area of growth was the connections I made, as well as discovering a new interest of mine. Since my internship, I have had the opportunity through my classes this fall to have conversations with coworkers of mine from Kansas Wheat, who happen to be K-State AgCom alumni. This experience helped me gain experiences as well as connections. I can reach out to these individuals for advice on agricultural or ag communications questions. They are willing to lend a helping hand by giving me firsthand experience in their career(s) in ag communications and journalism.

This internship taught me three things: I am in the right direction of a career for myself, I learned a new skill in graphic design and there is always room to grow and learn new things. The more and more I get into classes that are geared toward my major, the more I know I am in the right career choice for me. Even though I am not for sure which direction I would like to go, I can be confident in my choice with Ag Communications and Journalism has a job out there that is best suited for me. During this internship, I picked up a new interest or skill in videography. In the same way that “a picture is worth a thousand words”, a video can help capture a moment or connect the viewer to the subject of video in a different way than words or a picture might. This is a skill I am researching more on my own and would love to use it in the future. The last thing I learned was there is always room to learn something new. There is always a different way something can be done or a different way to express an idea. I look forward to all the new ways I will learn in how to communicate with the public in the future.

I would recommend this internship to anyone who is wanting some hands-on experience with agricultural topics and issues. This internship gave me experiences in social media, writing press releases and articles for the website, as well as communication with farmers and co-ops. These experiences are things I will take with me for a long time.

Soil isn’t Dirt: My Internship with the K-State Department of Agronomy – Danielle Comstock

Posted on by kmtully

Agronomy is the study of plants and soils and their environment. Before I began working at the Department of Agronomy, I had no idea how it was different than any other agricultural science. Now, I struggle to put it into words for the opposite reason. Agronomy is too complex, too interesting of a science to put into one definition, and I’m the communications intern.

I first heard about the internship from my advisor, Dr. Lauri Baker, in July 2016. They were looking for an agricultural communications student to be their communications intern to work during the school year. I’ve worked there ever since. I really enjoy the environment at the department. My supervisor is the department head, Dr. Gary Pierzynski. However, I work for anyone in the department that wants help with a communications project. My main task is managing the department’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. I have also helped with making educational videos, designing posters for displays, taking photos out in the field, greenhouses or even of drones flying through the air, writing articles and press releases, working on the departmental website and so much more. One of my favorite things is that I get to work with so many different people.

Caption: Just another day in Agronomy. I got to go out and capture photos of the UAS270 class flying drones as part of the precision agriculture option.

I also love learning more about agronomy each day that I work there. One of my first few weeks there, the eUpdate editor at the time, Steve Watson, asked me to tweet an eUpdate article and to find a generic photo of wheat to go along with it. After about a minute, I had tweeted the article with a close-up photo of what I thought was wheat. After about half an hour and several engagements on the tweet later, Steve turns to me and says “Danielle, that’s not a photo of wheat.” It turns out, the photo that I thought was a pretty photo of wheat was missing the awns, or as I fondly refer to them, the spiky things. He quickly took the tweet down and put up one with a correct photo.

Caption: K-State bred wheat variety Everest with awns. Photo courtesy of agfax.com.

While it was quite embarrassing, that is something I may have never learned if I had not worked at the agronomy department. Also in my time there, I have learned to never, under any circumstances, call soil “dirt.” It is virtually a sin to use such a derogatory word for one of Earth’s most precious and valuable resources.

I really enjoy getting to do so many aspects of communications. It ensures I never get bored with my job. I have been able to gain experience in social media and gathering analytics from various platforms, while the next day you can find me in the field trying to find the best angle to shoot video of a field of whatever crop is growing at that time. I recently just tried my first hand at advertising on social media. Each day is different. I get to work with a variety of audiences as well. The Twitter account mostly targets practicing farmers and agronomic professionals. I work with student recruitment and our other two social media platforms target prospective and current students, which is a whole new age group. I even get to work with kids when we promote and hold the Agronomy Kids’ Field Day. All in all, it’s a valuable experience that would be hard to find anywhere else.

Caption: Manhattan elementary school students learning about soil at the Agronomy Kids’ Field Day.

A final aspect that is truly great about my internship at the agronomy department is that I can present new ideas and the people I work with are always willing to listen to those ideas and help me put them into action. As an example, when I started the job, the department did not have an Instagram page. I presented the idea to my bosses and described the value an Instagram account could hold for gaining students in the program. While they had little knowledge of the social media platform, they trusted me and let me implement the idea. That was just my first day on the job! Often as an intern and student, it becomes easy to feel undervalued. I appreciate that the people I work with treat me as a colleague, and not just as a student. I have been working at the department for two years now and hope to work there until I graduate. I learn something new each day, whether it be about agronomy or about being the best person I can be. I would recommend this job to anyone, not simply because it’s a good, paying job, but also because the people and experiences are almost impossible to beat.

Hay & Forage Grower Magazine – Lauren Peterson

Posted on by kmtully

After months of stressing about finding an internship and scanning though the ACJ group emails, my advisor sent out an email regarding the Hay & Forage Grower opportunity. Hay & Forage Grower is a monthly magazine owned by Hoard’s Dairyman and based out of their office in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Prior to this internship, I knew next to nothing about forages and had only one semester of ACJ classes under my belt when the H&F editor took a chance and hired me for the summer.

This internship was eye opening to say the least. Beginning mid-May, I spent the summer learning everything about magazine production, from interviewing and writing feature articles to capturing stock photos. Because we only really had two people on staff besides myself (an editor and advertising coordinator), I was able to learn a wide variety of skills. I learned a lot about copy editing and how to set up a good feature article through reading other’s work. My biggest area of growth was probably in photography. While I wouldn’t call myself a photographer, I was able to get a lot of practice, and the Dairyman’s art director really helped me understand the basics of lighting and exposure.

My main tasks were writing two Forage Flashes (shorter articles that would appear online and in the newsletter) a week, copyediting all material for both our magazine and the Dairyman, contributing stock photos, updating press releases on the magazine’s website, creating the weekly newsletter and daily social media posts on four platforms. In addition, I also contributed to the magazine by writing feature articles, compiling other author’s work and findings into articles and writing summery articles of the newest relevant research.

One of my favorite aspects of this internship was all of the travel. My first two weeks were partially spent traveling around Wisconsin with my editor to get pictures of a producer at different stages of his baling process. In my few short months I also traveled to western Illinois for the Illinois Forage Expo, flew to Louisville, Kentucky to interview a beef producer in southern Indiana and was sent to Yuma, Arizona to attended a press day for the newest in AGCO baling technology and machinery. My favorite, however, was a photo trip across Michigan with the editors of both magazines to collect stock photos and get stories for upcoming issues. We spent four days traveling across the state to visit over a dozen dairies and grass fed beef operations.

I would definitely recommend this internship to anyone interested in writing for an agricultural magazine. Knowledge of forages was not necessary to get the job although I did end up learning a lot about forages and dairies in the process. I worked closely with the staff of both magazines and everyone was very involved in helping me learn and further my professional development. Every year both Hay & Forage Grower and Hoard’s Dairyman have an internship opportunity and students can send their application materials to Mike Rankin or Abby Bauer.

Mid Kansas Cooperative – Braidyn Rucker

Posted on by Courtney Boman

Merriam-Webster defines the word Co-op as, a business or organization that is owned and operated by the people who work there or the people who use its services. I jumped into the true meaning of being part of the cooperative system this summer.

This was my third summer working for Mid Kansas Cooperative (MKC), but my first in the internship program. Based out of the Haven, Kansas location I spent most of my time under the direction of many leaders within one of the most progressive cooperative not only in the state but in the nation as well.

Going into the internship, I thought I knew exactly what to expect. The keyword here was thought. Throughout the summer I was pushed to think outside the box and to go beyond my comfort zone.  I was introduced to areas within agriculture I never dreamed of entering and now never want to leave.

Coming from an animal science background, I was nervous about spending time in agronomy. Having had very little experience working with crops and chemicals before, I was forced to ask questions, and communicate with my mentors often to make sure that the tasks were getting done correctly and in a timely manner.

I started out nervous, not knowing much about the basics within the area of agriculture in which I had been placed. I was however blessed to have mentors and leaders in the agronomy and agricultural industry who were patient, took the time to teach, and explained their knowledge and experiences to help me have an overall better understanding.

As I hit the midway mark of my internship, I continued on the agronomy path and strived to achieve as much information about crop production, the products that helped increase growth and yield, along with the skills needed to make the growing season successful. Along with these duties, I was honored with the opportunity to connect with other producers and employees within MKC and share my experiences through the company’s social media page.

Along with gaining a broader knowledge in agronomy, I increased my customer service skill set and worked in collaboration with the Groveland MKC intern Cody Seiler on a customer service survey.

This project was the base of the whole summer and was created by the two of us and presented to the CEO, the board of directors, and managers. This survey brought many trials but allowed us to interview many influential producers all over the south central and southern region of Kansas.

Although the project was challenging, we were able to bring information to the producer about the progressiveness of our cooperative system, while receiving feedback to bring back to the leaders that run the company.  Across the board, producers were excited to talk us, and about the cooperative system in which they trusted and used so often for their agricultural services.

I am so incredibly thankful to have been a part of the MKC intern program. It was wonderful to be a part of a company that takes such pride in taking care of their employees and ensures that each one is allowed the numerous opportunities, each day to grow in knowledge and be to be successful.

As I look forward to the future I am excited for the opportunities that a career in the cooperative system could bring. Working with producers in this great state is something I live for, a hope to continue to do after graduation. Overall, I was blessed for the internship in which I had this summer, the company I worked for and the individuals in which I met along the way, and for that, I will be forever thankful.