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Agricultural Communication & Journalism Internships

Category: Marketing

Harvest and Grain-Working for a Co-op – Mikey Hughes

Posted on by kjburke

I spent every summer of my childhood on my family’s harvest crew. In mid-May, we would load up our belongings and head toward Texas, spend the summer cutting crops throughout the Midwest, then come back home right after school started. I never got to spend my summer at the pool with my friends, but I wouldn’t change anything about my upbringing. I remember the co-op as an essential part of my family’s business. Traveling to the co-op not only meant receiving some candy, but also dropping off the grain and earning money the farmer had worked all year to collect.

My name is Mikey Hughes. I served as a communications intern for Mid Kansas Cooperative in summer 2018. I am currently continuing my education at K-State as a junior in agricultural communications and journalism.

I began my internship with MKC in February as a member of the Collegiate Career Development Program in Manhattan, Kansas, but I worked in Moundridge, Kansas for the summer. My internship extended past the summer and I am yet again a member of the CCD.

Since joining MKC, my knowledge of the cooperative system has greatly expanded. One of the best parts of working for MKC has been experiencing the value this company places on interns, employees, member-owners and the surrounding communities.

During the summer, I worked on most of the communications materials produced by MKC, both internally and externally. My regular tasks included: writing a producing a monthly employee newsletter, writing bi-weekly articles, managing content on social media, designing graphics as needed, managing content on the website and taking photographs for use in publications.

My final project this summer was writing and directing a short commercial for MKC. My plan included producing a compelling, short commercial that will represent the company for several years that can be used for many different outlets. You can find the finished product, and much of my other work on MKC’s Facebook page.

I have enjoyed working in many areas across the communications field. As an agricultural communicator, I am well-aware that my future role will likely be as diverse as my internship was. I learned how to write for the audience I am targeting, run analytics on social media and develop strategic communications plans for the project I am working on. Those skills are just a few of the concepts I will transfer to my future career.

MKC’s internship was a taste of what my future career will look like. If you’re seeking an internship that provides actual experience and treats you like a member of the team, this one is for you. I went into work every day this summer knowing that my job was valued and necessary for the success of the company. I cannot think of an internship that places so much responsibility on the intern and I am thankful for the opportunity to work for a company like MKC.

Bittersweet Endings – Janelle Marney

Posted on by kjburke

Although my journey with Central Valley Ag as a Marketing Intern may have been short-term, the experiences and skills I gained will last a lifetime. Starting off the summer away from home and Manhattan I can honestly say I was nervous but also really excited for what was in store. Right out of the gate, I was working behind the scenes on the production of Allen Eilert’s #WEARECVA video and helped take still shots throughout the process. Soon after, the other marketing intern and I were off to Courtland, KS and Hampton, NE producing videos of our own! The learning and engagement never ended throughout my summer. I had experiences that I can say were both good and bad but, nothing that I couldn’t take on.

One of these challenges was flying the drone while shooting for our videos. As non-difficult this task may sound, it was a bit more challenging than even I expected. I had to learn how to change the settings on the drone’s camera in order to match the settings on our video cameras. Another challenge I had with the drone was with the flying. Depending on if the day was windy, at times you would have to compensate more while flying forward and could then see the blades in the video film, making it unusable. However, I did get better with practice and although some of my first experiences weren’t the best, they did get better and I became quite a “pro” with it.

One of my favorite parts of this summer was engaging with the other interns and coworkers at our CVA locations. I enjoyed learning more about each person I met and learning about what they do. I feel like this helped me gauge what people would like to see in the work that we produce. For example, what they would want to see on social media from CVA.

I had many great experiences with CVA. I feel bittersweet about my internship ending. I enjoyed my time and the projects I worked on. But I also am excited to be back at Kansas State University and furthering my education. Simone Biles once said, “At the end of the day, if I can say I had fun, it was a good day.” For me, every day was a good day regardless of the challenges I had to face because I know at the end of each of the 82 days, I became a better marketer and a better communicator.

Merging Ag Communications and Ag Education – Bryanna Cook

Posted on by kjburke

In the Summer of 2018, I had the opportunity to intern with Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (KFAC) in Manhattan, Kansas. My adviser passed along information to me that they were hiring a Communications and Database intern. I was excited to apply for this opportunity as I had not yet had an internship. This was also a great opportunity to build my portfolio which was pretty bare at that time. Broadening my knowledge of how nonprofits work was another benefit of this position.

KFAC’s mission is connecting classrooms to Kansas agriculture. They are able to do this by providing free lesson plans for teachers, resources such as the Kansas Kids Connection magazines, professional development opportunities and much more. This would not be possible without the support from their donors, as well as grants.

From the beginning of my internship, I could tell that KFAC wanted to change their brand style. To start this process, we used colors from our current logo. We had recently started to build a new website, which had been a project even before they hired me. On our new website, we needed to update all of our lesson plans and resources for teachers. We also wanted more analytics to show who was downloading our lesson plans and which ones were actually getting downloaded. With this new website, we were able to do just that.

I was assigned to make new templates for all of our materials to match the look of the new website. I started with making a new lesson plan template and updating more than 45 lesson plans in this template. I then moved on to our companion resources, which all had to be updated a bit differently, but with a cohesive brand. This was not a simple task since there were so many of them, but with time and patience I was able to complete each task.

Another big task was our Foundation on the First, which is a monthly newsletter that we send out to donors and teachers to stay up to date on what KFAC is doing. We wanted to put news, our teacher feature, a donor feature and a lesson plan feature into the newsletter.

After our website was complete, we decided we needed new marketing resources for when we travel. We needed three brochures; one for our Agri-Tag, an about us card and a support brochure. It was up to me to design these, and I really wanted to make sure they matched KFAC’s brand. Making each of these brochures took time and they each needed their own look so they are easily identifiable but also separate from each other. We also made new business cards that matched our new brand colors as well.

During my internship, I got to use skills that I was taught in AgCom courses that I had never been able to use before. One of my big projects was to create a logo for our school year theme, “Plants on the Planet.” For our school year theme, we are able to take lesson plans and resources that fit the theme and put them all together for teachers. For my logo design, I had to draw the Earth in Illustrator as well as crops like grain sorghum, milo, corn and sunflowers. Once each part of the logo was done, I was able to bring them into Indesign for the finished product.

Interning at KFAC has been a learning experience for me, not just as a communicator but as a professional. The freedom I have been given to create real materials on my own has been a great asset to prepare me for my future career. My boss, a K-State agcom alumna, has helped me with projects while working in Adobe, resumes and even cover letters. This has made my internship so much more memorable than it already is and I know that I will be ready for my future when I graduate.

Kansas FFA Foundation- Kelli Schrag

Posted on by kmtully

I interned at the Kansas FFA Foundation as the Events and Donor Outreach Coordinator. My duties included creating social media campaigns, contacting current and potential donors and designing graphics for mailers. Through this internship, I learned the importance of professionalism, as I’m not only representing myself but the Foundation and Kansas FFA members. I also learned how to write in a manner that suggests interaction and donation from the reader. My biggest area of growth was definitely my graphic design skills. In the past, there were two interns at the Foundation with one being specific to graphic design. However, this year all responsibilities were shifted to my position. My favorite part of the internship was the environment that I worked in. My desk was next to the Kansas Farm Bureau interns and the vibe was always positive in our row. My least favorite part of the internship was calling potential donors and asking for their partnership in a certain scholarship or sponsorship opportunity. I was always nervous whenever I called and that really didn’t change no matter how many calls I made. Still, it was a good skill to practice and it will help me in my future job. Much of what I did during this internship is applicable to my career goals. My goal is to work in a communications or marketing department for a livestock association. Learning how to write an effective campaign, developing my design skills and practicing my communication skills will all be beneficial for this line of work.

I learned about this internship through the department listserv. There aren’t set dates of the internship- I was hired my freshman year and am currently still working for the Foundation. Because so much training is required for the position, the goal is for an intern to work for the Foundation for the majority of their college career. Once the intern position is open, applications can be sent to Beth Gaines, the Foundation Executive Director. Applications consist of a resume, work samples and references. I would recommend this internship to underclassmen looking for a growth opportunity in the communications field. Creativity, a strong work ethic and a positive personality are great attributes for this position.

Ringel Farms- Sarah Krehbiel

Posted on by kmtully

I interned with Ringel Farms out of Alma, Kansas this past summer. They grow grass fed beef, pastured pork, and chickens. They marketed their products at the Downtown Topeka Farmers Markets throughout the spring and summer. They also have a website. My duties were to create a brochure about their farm and products, create a monthly (which ended up being bimonthly) newsletter, keep their Facebook page up to date, and various other promotional posters. I learned about this internship through an email from the ACJ department. To apply next year, there will be an email sent out through the department next spring.

My favorite part about this internship was attending farmers markets and interacting with the consumers. My least favorite part of this internship was that it was unpaid, however the internship was remote, so I was able to live at home and work with them via email and phone calls.

I learned that you have to be extremely clear and concise when promoting agriculture to the public. My biggest growth is being able to better convey a clear, concise and truthful message about agriculture to consumers, farmers, and ranchers.

I plan to have a pick-your-own vegetable farm with my sister next summer. Our main goal is to educate the public about agriculture and where their food comes from and how it is raised. This internship has showed me how to better educate the public and even farmers and ranchers, on agriculture and promoting agriculture. It has showed me just how important it is to educate the public!

This internship is not just for any individual. Ringel Farms is looking for an individual that can help them better implement agricultural communications to promote and disseminate their products. At the end of the internship, I realize more than before, how very important it is to convey a truthful message about agriculture not only to the public but also to the farmers and ranchers.

My Summer Working for Monsanto- Danielle Comstock

Posted on by kmtully

Oh, the sweet silence of the office at 7 a.m. This is my favorite time at work because it is the time that I leisurely check my email, sip on my coffee, and mentally prepare what I need to accomplish for the day. However, today I am reflecting on my summer at Monsanto because today is my last day.

I first heard about this opportunity when my little, Kaylyn, sent me a screenshot of the job posting. “Corporate Employee Communications Intern,” it said. I’m not going to lie, my heart dropped a little when I read the job description and found out that the internship was doing internal communications. I said “Thanks, but no thanks,” and moved on with the job search. But something kept tugging at me to give it a second thought. Internal communications was something I’d never considered, but it would be a great opportunity to challenge myself and grow professionally.

I opened my laptop and applied. Weeks later, Dierdra Yates, my future manager, offered me the job.  She gave me three days to accept, but me, being the eager student I am, asked if I could accept the job right then. After Dierdra said “of course” she gave me all the specifics of the job. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t listening. I was already out the door and walking to go tell my best friend the good news when she got out of class.

I began the internship on May 15, where most of the interns gathered in a room for our orientation. There, I met some really cool people. Monsanto hired interns from many different backgrounds. Some who came from farms, and some who didn’t know the difference between a corn plant and a soybean plant. There were interns from all over the globe, and interns who I consider to be way smarter than me. There were science and research interns, finance interns, even legal interns. And then there was me, one of the communications interns.

At orientation, University Relations encouraged us to begin networking right away. One of my favorite things about Monsanto is that no one is too good to talk to you. I met with several people from all over the company. It didn’t matter to them that I was only an intern. Everyone was willing to share their knowledge and experience with me. Whether they gave me an hour or 15 minutes, they took time out of their schedule to learn about my career goals and offer their insight.

During my internship, my two main responsibilities were to manage the weekly St. Louis Scoop newsletter that went out to the 4,000+ employees in St. Louis, and help with planning and promoting for the company Ambassador program.

The Ambassador program trains employees to have meaningful and informed conversations about Monsanto and modern agriculture. Working with the Ambassador program was a great experience because, if you haven’t heard, Bayer is in the process of acquiring Monsanto. A lot of employees were asking the question “Why do we need to talk to people about Monsanto if Monsanto isn’t going to be a thing anymore?” The thing is, agriculture is going through a lot of changes right now, and the Bayer deal is just one of them. It was my team’s job to show ambassadors why we needed them now more than ever.

My main project with the program was to create and implement a campaign to recruit employees to the program. My team also just created a survey for members to fill out that would help them personalize the program to each individual ambassador, which I also promoted. With this project, I learned how to create a campaign using goals, strategies, and tactics.

Kristen, the person I worked most closely with on the team, challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone while we were running the campaign. When we were promoting at the Chesterfield campus, we were having a hard time getting people to stop at our booth. Kristen made me leave the booth, *gasp* and go talk to people while they were eating lunch. *bigger gasp* I felt terribly awkward the entire time but it worked! After employees finished their lunch, they came to our booth.

We didn’t meet all our goals for the project, but that is another thing I learned. It’s okay to not meet every goal you set. When you don’t meet a goal, it gives you an opportunity to learn from it and try again with new strategies. I have struggled with this personally my whole life. It becomes easy to feel less of yourself and grow weary when you fail. But the path to success isn’t all green arrows. As our CEO, Hugh Grant, might say, red arrows are okay sometimes. They motivate us to improve.

Monsanto evaluates all employees on five core competencies: Relationships and Networks, Courage and Candor, Agility, Initiative and Foresight, and Results Orientation. Three times this summer, we were asked to evaluate ourselves on these competencies. At the beginning, where we identified which ones were our weaknesses and strengths; halfway through, where we reflected on how we had progressed on each one; and last week, our final evaluation of how we had grown in each competency. While Dierdra and Kristen told me that I possessed courage and candor on my first day, I know differently.

When UR told us that we would be evaluated on these, I knew my weakest one would be courage and candor. I often am self-conscious and afraid to share my ideas. So, during orientation, I made it my goal to be courageous and confident this summer. At the beginning, it was definitely me putting on a lion’s mask and pretending with all that I had. However, now, I feel confident and courageous. This is where I grew the most this summer and I can’t wait to carry it with me in my future.

In closing, Monsanto has been an amazing company to work for. Not only because I am passionate about everything the company stands for, but also because the people here are amazing. They are all caring, whole-hearted, passionate people who work diligently to pursue agricultural innovation and each person knows the value of investing in people. I am so grateful for the people who chose to invest in me this summer. I would recommend this internship to anyone, and you can apply for this internship and many more here when they start recruiting!

With that, I’m off to my last newsroom meeting. *sobs quietly*

Orca Communications Intern – Ashley Tercero

Posted on by Courtney Boman

7 Things I Learned Being an Intern

1. You won’t get along with everyone

I worked with a lot of different personalities and most of my conversations were either over the phone or over email. I learned rather quickly that everyone had different email etiquette and phone etiquette. I am use to emailing in a way that nothing can be misconstrued so when I would receive certain emails my mind would automatically think someone was mad at me or that I had done something wrong and I then had to take a step back and re-read the message and realize it wasn’t what I first thought. But with that some people did not like the way that I sent emails or that I communicated because it was very different from one another. And while I wanted to plant my feet in the mud and say this is who I am and how I communicate that wasn’t the right thing to do and I had to remember that it wasn’t personal but personality of professional. I then knew to transform the way I would talk to certain people to allow them to know that I was trying my hardest.

2. The age gap is real

Orca had not taken on an intern in a long time. When they began to transition to all online employees they stopped using the office thus, didn’t feel the need for interns. I had thought that I would talk to people that were at least somewhat close to my age but boy was I wrong. Almost everyone in the company was close to twice my age if not older. I learned a lot about how to communicate electronically with all my co-workers as they were not the texting kind so many emails were sent throughout my experience. Phone calls were also made multiple times a week, where I am more use to texting and some emailing, phone calls were the way that they preferred to do business. With the age gap was a social media gap as well and the learning curve there was hard. They have integrated some social media but have not found how truly important it is in this day and age.

3. Not everyone is tech savvy

Being a millennial I have had the opportunity to watch technology change and also had it in my hands for most of my life. I am always excited to try and work with the newest gadgets that are out and try to have the newest ones whenever I have the opportunity. When it came to downloading some of the software that everyone was using it was hard, they all had Dells that were pretty old. So some of the software my updated computer wouldn’t work with and then wouldn’t work with what they were doing. Many times the tech person for the company also struggled to do things that I could do within a few minutes. They are also very old school in that the tech person did all the design work as he was the only one that knew how to work certain programs. This is somewhere I would have loved to have had the opportunity to show off some of my skills but never got the chance to because “communication” is not synonymous with technology in the minds of older generations.

4. Flexibility is key

Being willing to do whatever is thrown at you is key. Most of my internship I did the same things on a daily basis, but when I would get a call that they needed me to do something else I always was up for the challenge and do the best I could with it. The different random projects I would get thrown at me were the ones when I really got to show off my skills and put my own twist on it. I was willing to work hours that were conducive to different time zones, sometimes that meant waking up on east coast time when I was on the west coast and then having work done on pacific time.

5. Don’t be afraid to speak up

During the beginning of my internship I was doing a lot of random work. There wasn’t a lot of organization to it and for a while I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing and wasn’t really learning anything. It took a lot of courage but I spoke to my manager and let her know that I wasn’t happy in the spot they had me and she immediately changed what I was doing and told me over and over again thank you for speaking up so that we could put you somewhere where I was useful as well as learning as much as I possibly can. I was so scared that I was going to rock the boat if I said anything and it ended up being the best thing I could have done for my internship. Of course do it with tact and make sure to not complain all the time but, if you aren’t happy then talk to you intern manager, they are there to help you learn and want to see you succeed.

6. I can bring agriculture into a non-agriculture company

My first project with orca was to try and find agriculture companies that they could work with and research what kind of PR was popular among agriculture companies. I began to search for young companies that had not had any exposure yet and fund so many wonderful companies. Some of my co-workers were shocked at just how many companies were out there and the different products they carried or the different business sectors they were in. Unfortunately, the account manager left the company but, I was able to help secure a few companies that are with them now and bring agriculture to Orca.

7. Sometime you have to do the work no one else wants to do

An important part of being an intern is understanding that not everything you do is going to be fun or what you want to do. What helped me the most when doing things that weren’t that exciting to me is remembering that you’re helping someone and you are proving to others that you are capable of doing any work they throw at you. If you are willing to do the grunt work the tasks you will be given will get better and better until you get to be working on things you really enjoy.

A Summer at Look East – Topanga McBride

Posted on by Courtney Boman

This summer, I had the privilege of interning at Look East, a public relations firm right outside of Kansas City. Unlike other PR firms, Look East’s clients are agribusinesses and agricultural organizations. One of their biggest clients is The Center for Food Integrity. From the end of May to the beginning of August, I spent every day doing something new.

My summer was a success because of my mentors and advisors at Look East. I started off with a list of goals to accomplish and by the end of the summer, I had achieved them all. I gained experience in multiple outlets of media, published my writing and even tried ghost writing, and gained a completely new appreciation for analytics and strategy. I tracked The Center for Food Integrity in the media all summer long through Cision. While design was not my strong skill, I was able to work on it and create some great infographics. My co-intern and I even ran an agriculture advocacy training program for other college students.

My biggest area of growth was not necessarily a skill but in my ability to hold myself up in a professional setting. Prior to this internship, I had little experience in a professional setting. By spending my summer at Look East with great role models, I was able to get great advice for my professional life.

My internship, like all, had its ups and downs. My proudest moment was writing an op-ed that was published in The Huffington Post. It took many edits to get it there, but it took that kind of work to get it published. I was trusted to represent The Center for Food Integrity, regardless of my position. I loved the internship, and I only wish that there wasn’t as much downtime. My co-intern and I got through some work faster than anticipated and found ourselves searching for more work to do.

My experience at Look East has actually helped me get a media relations internship at Monsanto. Outside of my immediate plans, this experience has helped me realize what sort of path I want to take in agricultural communications. I enjoyed The Center for Food Integrity work the most because I felt more connected to the client. Going forward, I think I am best suited for more of a corporate communications role where I work for the organization I am representing.

I was lucky enough to find this experience through an email from Dr. Kris Boone. If you are looking for an opportunity to gain very diverse experiences and have plenty of support from a great staff, Look East would be a great fit for you, especially if you enjoy educating the general public about agriculture.

Look East is looking for more interns this summer. If you’re interested, you can apply at: http://lookeast.com/position/2017-public-relations-internship/.

Kansas FFA Foundation – Chance Hunley

Posted on by Courtney Boman

This past summer, I worked as the Events and Marketing Coordinator for the Kansas FFA Foundation in Manhattan, Kansas.

In my position, I worked on a wide range of tasks, from event logistics during the Kansas FFA State Convention to social media and public relations. For most of the summer I worked to develop materials that could be provided to donors and supporters of the Kansas FFA that showcased FFA members and their accomplishments.

During my internship, I learned and became proficient in several Adobe Creative Cloud programs, including Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects. These allowed me to create graphics for social media, handouts and flyers for donors, and highlight videos for the various programs that the foundation supports. I also learned about the inner workings of the foundation, and the basic framework of a nonprofit organization.

My favorite work this summer was the ability to create videos using Adobe Premiere and After Effects. The videos included highlights of how the Kansas FFA has grown in the past year, as well as a recap video of the Kansas FFA State Convention. The highlight video was played during one of the convention’s sessions, so that was a very gratifying moment. These projects did take a while in terms of fine tuning and processing, which was probably my least favorite part of the summer, but the time passed quickly and also let me get to know those that worked around me even better. The skills that I picked up this summer have allowed me to grow my portfolio, as well as allowing me to be more confident and comfortable with future projects that involve creating media.

My internship became my part-time job during the school year after the summer concluded, so the dates of the summer internship were May 16 to Aug. 19. I heard about the internship through two ways: I was friends with the previous intern who was graduating, and a notice for the position went out over the ag communications listserv. Upon my graduation in May there will most likely be an open position, and those that are interested can contact Jodi Mason, the executive director of the foundation, about any potential opportunities. I would recommend this internship to anyone who had a strong connection to the FFA and has an interest in being involved in a behind-the-scenes way, likes social media management and/or wants to see how a nonprofit organization operates and grows.

United Braford Breeders – Kaitlyn Alanis

Posted on by Courtney Boman

Just as all responsible agricultural communication students should do, I began searching for the perfect internship just as my sophomore year had begun. I was committed to my internship by early March, my housing arrangements were finalized by April and I had an internship start day of mid-June. Everything was going according to plan, or so I thought.

Since I had a few weeks before my internship officially started, I decided I would go back home to California and visit family. As fate would have it, I broke my ankle a mere two hours before getting to the airport, and my first stop home was the beloved emergency room.

This put quite the wrench in my summer plans, and due to not being able to drive, I was no longer eligible for my internship that I was counting down the days for.

I am sure you can imagine the stress I was in trying to find a new internship that typically takes months to find.

I turned to my trusty friend, Facebook, for some help. After posting my situation to two professional agriculture groups on Facebook, I received over 15 messages from different organizations willing to help me out. This was a solid reminder on just how grateful I am for the agriculture community; there is always someone willing to lend a helping hand.

I ended up interning with United Braford Breeders (UBB) as a remote communications intern under the direction of UBB Executive Director, Hannah Wine.  I could not be more grateful for how my summer internship went, even under what had originally seemed as unfortunate circumstances.

My internship consisted of writing news and feature stories for the UBB magazine, Braford News, designing advertisements and tradeshow materials, creating a media kit and developing content and design elements for promotional and marketing materials.

Since this was a remote internship, I was worried I may lose out on the valuable feedback and critiques that come from working in a professional office setting. However, this could not have been less true, and I would strongly recommend this internship to anyone. This was actually UBB’s first try at hosting a communications intern, and it went so well they will be continuing the internship program this fall.

Working for Hannah was a true pleasure, and I learned more than I could have ever hoped for.  While building a work portfolio I learned about developing feature stories, designing advertisements and structuring newsletters to the way people read best.

If I had to pick the most valuable piece of information I learned this summer, it would be to be flexible. Be flexible when you break an ankle, be flexible when you don’t get your dream internship, be flexible when the editors don’t like the format of your first design piece; just be flexible. It all happens for a reason, you just have to learn from it.

I would have never thought working remotely would turn into what I now call a perfect summer internship. As luck would have it, I am almost grateful to have broken my ankle because without it I would not have had the opportunity to work for United Braford Breeders this summer.

Wilson/Kedley Cattle Company – Deven King

Posted on by chantelles

The Best of Both Worlds

I didn’t have the typical internship by any means. In fact the job just kind of fell in my hands when I got the phone call from the Wilsons, however, as the saying goes sometimes the best things in life are unexpected. I spent the summer working for Wilson/Kedley Cattle Company. By far the most beautiful cattle facilities I’d ever seen, a show barn kid like myself would have killed to grow up around an incredible set of cows. It sound like a lot of cattle work doesn’t it? That’s what I thought too, but that isn’t what the owners had in mind. To my surprise I quickly found I would get the opportunity to work with individuals in every aspect of the cattle industry.

Charlie Wilson, Owner, was the one who approached me with the idea. He was aware that I had recently switched majors and transferred to Kansas State. This was exciting for him as he felt my ability to write could be a huge asset for marketing the company and primarily the cattle. I was there to help picture all the cattle and pick the pictures we’d use. I decided which magazines we would advertise with and handled contacting people about designing the ad layouts. With my previous experience with the Black Hawk Livestock judging team, I was the perfect one to write about cattle descriptions and even take phone calls to describe cattle to potential buyers. While this doesn’t sound much more complicated then what your average cattle company sales team would do I got to manage a lot of other things too.

As a way of thanking customers both past and present I got to work on redesigning the company logo and then work with Purina on getting the cost of the hats sponsored. By agreeing to put there logo on the back we worked out a deal where they would pay for a certain percentage of whatever we ordered. While working with Purina on the hat deal I also got them to agree to host a fitting and feeding clinic that we would host at the Wilson facilities. They sent a representative out who discussed feeding techniques and what each product was meant to do while Charlie Wilson went over and displayed how to properly wash, clip, and fit a show animal. The turnout was tremendous. I invited 50 local people through Charlie’s Facebook page I was running, and just over 40 showed up. Once rumor got around about how educational and beneficial the evening was, the local county fair approached me about organizing the event again at the county fair.

This would prove to be a bit more of a challenge. Purina and Charlie agreed to the idea immediately agreed to idea but I would have to battle the hardships of the county fair board and how there sponsorships worked. If Charlie and the rest of Wilson/Kedley wanted to use this as a marketing strategy there were certain rules that had to followed so that Purina could also be there and the fair board could still advertise it. This taught me a lot about the inside relationships between a company and how money works when dealing with multiple companies on the same sponsorship, especially when considering insurance policies.

During my time in senior college I have focused on numerous animal science classes as well. Working at Wilson/Kedley gave me a chance to use not only what I’d learned from a communications major standpoint but also from animal science. In fact the first night I was here I was so excited I got to watch a C-section performed on a mature cow. In time I would get to give vaccines and keep records that would be given to buyers after their purchase. I also came up with rations and feeding plans with our local Purina dealer.

Although these are only a few of my experiences, I feel my time at Wilson/Kedley was extremely beneficial. Not only did I get to run their social media outlets and promote some of the best cattle you can find but I also learned about business relations and how giving back to people is ultimately the best way to promote a company. I loved my hands on time with the cattle and the chance to apply what I had learned growing up and in animal science. The people amount of people I have met had a huge impact on how I look at the industry and how I will communicate in future employment situations. I’m proud to still be working with Wilson/Kedley on all their social media and marketing needs. I would strongly encourage anyone to take an internship such as this one. It did not apply strictly to just communications but I think that’s what makes it so special, now I can convey what I know about other aspects of the agricultural industry with confidence because I’ve dealt with it firsthand not only on a personal level at home but with a different operation.

Kansas Department of Agriculture – Leigh Ann Maurath

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Gov Brownback & Leigh Ann

WIBW & LeighAnn

My summer was filled with engaging conversations, caring individuals, an expanded understanding of Kansas agriculture, opportunities for growth and some of the best memories.

I interned with the Kansas Department of Agriculture through the Governor’s Office Internship program this summer. I was part of the marketing team and worked closely with the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s From the Land of Kansas Program. The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s headquarters are in Manhattan.

The From the Land of Kansas trademark program’s goal is to support businesses that grow, produce, process or manufacture products in Kansas. I learned there are many different ways they aim to help businesses achieve their goals. Growing up on a primarily row crop operation in western Kansas, I gained a better understanding of Kansas agriculture outside of row crops.

I heard about the internship from a friend who had interned at KDA the previous summer.

One of my favorite projects this summer was to write stories and craft social media campaigns for members of the program for our blog and social media outlets. I traveled to many different parts of Kansas to interview different companies. I learned how to make cheese from start to finish. I learned how one family is using their pumpkin patch to tell the story of agriculture. I learned about the buffalo producers in Kansas. I learned what the life of a vegetable producer looks like. I learned how a barbecue company sets out to be remarkable in all they do. And I was reminded through each visit, just how proud I am to call Kansas my home. The From the Land of Kansas program offers a helping hand to the people who make this state a great place to live and work.

This summer I refined my writing skills and ability to communicate with consumers through forming social media posts and campaigns. I learned what an eight-hour office day looks like and how to manage real world project assignments. I am thankful I worked with some phenomenal people who know the agriculture industry, are willing to answer questions and are filled with a desire to impact the industry.

I would recommend this internship to anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of Kansas agriculture, enjoys sharing the story of Kansas agriculture, and wants a very hands on internship. With each internship I’ve had, I learn a little bit more about what I want to end up doing when I graduate college. Someone told me this summer that you learn what you really like and what you really don’t like during internships. And someday, you’ll have a job that you really love full of the things you really like.

This summer, I got one step closer to that dream job.

To apply, check out the online application process at: https://governor.ks.gov/serving-kansans/internship.

American Angus Association – Sarah Harris

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I interned this summer with the American Angus Association as the communications and public relations intern. The application process was very fast paced and I was not sure what to expect when I got to Saint Joseph for the first day.

The original deadline to apply for this internship was March 1, and though I had thought about applying I did not get an application turned in. Luckily, a few weeks after the deadline Dr. Ellis forwarded an email from Jena McRell at the American Angus Association looking for more applicants for the position. I jumped at the missed opportunity and sent in my resume, cover letter, and two writing samples on March 23. I was amazed to get a reply the next morning — then set up a phone interview for March 25. I traveled to the Association headquarters in Saint Joseph, Missouri for an interview on April 2.

A few days after the interview in Missouri I was offered the position and accepted. A few short weeks later, I packed up and headed to Saint Joseph for the summer. My internship lasted from May 18 to August 13, and was packed with a ton of experiences in a very short time.

Day one I was given a handful of assignments to start working on including putting together a media kit for the National Junior Angus Show, media releases to write and some design projects. It was almost overwhelming. I had never written a news release and I got lost looking for the office where I was conducting an interview; however, I did learn the layout of the Association building very quickly.

The American Angus Association was host to six interns this summer in different areas of focus — The Angus Journal, Angus Genetics Inc., events and activities, and Angus Media. I feel like I had one of the best experiences, as I was able to work in every area rather than just one. Going into the summer I was not sure what I wanted to do with my degree in when I graduate in December, but my experiences with the American Angus Association have given me a better direction.

My favorite part of the summer was by far working with the production team for The Angus Report. I got to experience everything from running the teleprompter to writing scripts for the show. It was very fulfilling to see videos that I had shot and interviews that I had cut be used for an actual television show.

Throughout the duration of my internship there was never a dull moment and the workload never slowed down, which made the summer fly by. The National Junior Angus Show in July was another one of my favorite parts of the experience. A majority of the work I had done in the summer was leading up to the show and it was inspiring to see everything come together. In addition to seeing my designs displayed around the show ring, barns and printed in the show book, I was able to get a years worth of experience in one week. While at the show in Tulsa, Okla., I gained experience with social media coverage, news releases on winners and events, video interviews to be used for The Angus Report television show, photography, and writing personal interest stories.

I would recommend this internship to everyone — especially those who are not sure of what path in communications they want to go down. This internship gives you experience in writing, design, photography, videography and social media management along with a chance to travel to shows, farms and ranches. I learned so much and cannot express how blessed I was to have this experience with the American Angus Association.

American AgCredit – Jackie Newland

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This summer I had the opportunity to be the communications and marketing intern for American AgCredit. I was located in their Heartland Region in Wichita, Kansas. American AgCredit is an Ag lending bank and part of the Farm Credit system. My internship started on June 1st and ended on August 14th. While I was there, I was given a variety of tasks. These tasks would range from everyday office work to helping create a marketing plan for the upcoming year. I was also in charge of finalizing ads to be sent out to local fairs, coordinating various events, and speaking with numerous customers in both person and over the phone.

I first heard about this internship at K-State’s All University Career Fair. My situation was unique because I did not meet the requirements for this job, and I also did not originally apply for this job. Usually, American AgCredit is looking for individuals with a major in agricultural finance or agricultural economics. I had stopped by their booth at the career fair and just started talking to the lady representing it. Little did I know, that lady, Jennie Bracken, would be my future boss. I had apparently made a good impression because about a week later I received an email about participating in a behavioral based interview with them. After that, I did a formal interview and actually filled out the job application. Less than a week after my formal interview, I was offered the position. It just goes to show that you never know who you are going to meet, so always make a good first impression.

My internship definitely helped me learn more about my working style. I learned that I like to be given tasks, but then be left with my own creative freedom. As long as I have a general outline, I like to then make a project my own. I also learned that it is okay to ask questions. As an intern, asking questions is one of the biggest components of your job; if you aren’t asking questions, you aren’t learning.

The best part of my internship was the amount of traveling that I was able to do. My second week into the internship, I was flown to our headquarters in Santa Rosa, California for intern training. While there, I was able to experience a large variety of agriculture, from vegetables, to almonds (which they pronounce as “aamends,” extra emphasis on the ‘a’), to vineyards, and more. I was given more information during those two weeks than I ever thought was possible. After that I traveled to Greeley, Colorado where another branch of American AgCredit’s is located. It was an unforgettable experience to learn how diverse this company is.

My least favorite part of the experience was probably when it ended. I had gotten so used to 40 hour work weeks within those few months that I was not ready to enter back in to a full course load. All good things come to an end though, and I am just thankful for the time that I had there. Getting used to that type of routine and number of hours has helped me prepare for what life will be like after college.

This job has certainly given me skills that I will utilize no matter where I am. I have expanded my knowledge of marketing, which is an area that I had previously not had a lot of experience in. I have learned how to be more independent and accountable for my work. I have also learned how to work under strict deadlines. Above all, I was shown how far doing your best and submitting good work can go in a person’s life. Overall this internship has given me the tools to be successful in my future endeavors.

If you are interested in applying for this internship I recommend applying on their website at: https://agloan.csod.com/ats/careersite/search.aspx?site=6&c=agloan.

I would recommend this internship to anyone within agricultural communications. It helps if you also have an interest in agriculture lending or appraisal. I would also recommend this internship to anyone with a background in agricultural economics, agricultural finance or business. Each year the company takes two interns, and one of those interns could be you.

Encirca Services, DuPont Pioneer – Celine Beggs

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I truly believe precision agriculture and big data will are the future of production agriculture. I have always been fascinated with the many different areas of precision agriculture, so it was only fitting that I was able to complete an internship with the Encirca Services team at DuPont Pioneer in Johnston, Iowa.

Encirca Services is a suite of services created by DuPont Pioneer. There are several different services that a grower can utilize in their everyday operations. Encirca Services encompasses a large rural weather network, variable seeding and nitrogen prescription, and a huge collection of field notes.

Through my internship as the Encirca Services Marketing Intern, I was able to complete many different projects that all helped me learn about the industry as well as gain professional experience. I worked on a pleather of projects that ranged from legal to research to marketing and advertising.

In the beginning, I had three main goals. First, I was asked to contact DuPont Pioneer Seed Representatives to promote the Encirca View Premium Weather Station from DTN/The Progressive Farmer. I was excited to help contribute to the growth of the largest rural weather network as I contacted and sold 150+ stations. Next, I was asked to create a social media campaign using some of the new marketing terms created by the advertising agency and the marketing team. Finally, I was tasked to create a weekly metric report that showed the growth of notes taken per business unit. I had little experience with Microsoft Excel until I started this project, but I eventually became proficient with the program.

Although I had three main projects, I was able to step outside of these areas and complete some smaller projects. One project was to create legal documents for the Encirca Services CSAs. Another project I was asked to help with was to take on a small role in an administrational position for a research project. I was also asked to help represent our service at the InfoAg 2015 Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. I was able to pitch our product to many of the precision agriculture industries best.

I learned about the internship programs offered by DuPont Pioneer through K-State’s All University Career Fair. The representatives did not promote a specific position as they promoted all internships across many different areas. After discussing the opportunities offered by DuPont Pioneer with a friend who previously interned with the company was it that I learned about the Encirca Services Marketing Internship position.

I would recommend this internship to someone who is interested in precision agriculture and wants to gain a broad view of a marketing position. I was lucky to see all of the different aspects that make up a marketer. An interested individual needs to be self motivated and is always willing to ask for help if the get stuck.

All of the internships for DuPont Pioneer can be found here: https://www.pioneer.com/home/site/about/careers/student-center/internships/.

Kansas Department of Agriculture – Dandi Thomas

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This summer I interned at the Kansas Department of Agriculture as a Communications Intern. I was located in Manhattan, Kansas in the Manhattan office, which allowed me to stay in Manhattan for the summer. I started my internship at the beginning of May and am still holding the position.

I learned about this internship through the agricultural communications and journalism listserv and applied through the Governor’s Internship Program at the beginning of May. I applied for the summer internship, but they also have fall and spring internships as well.

Through college I had the opportunity to have several jobs, each one more pertinent to my major than the next. When I applied for this internship, I felt like it could suit me extremely well and get me moving in the direction I wanted to with my career and resume, more so than the campus jobs I had had in the past.

My internship was directly under Megan Macy, the Director of PR for the agency. My duties included graphic design, website design, social media management and content creation, as well as other communication duties.

In the beginning, I was assigned various projects for other departments at KDA and was told to work with their department heads. This proved to be very challenging for me. Though updating the documents and creating their web pages was fairly easy, teaching and helping the other departments about what communications does was very difficult. I found myself having to explain things many times and had to redo several pages because the communication between the department and myself was clouded and unclear. This first few weeks of my internship taught me a very useful lesson about working with people outside of communications, and how to help them create their vision even if they don’t know how to communicate what they want at first. This lesson will forever stay in my mind, helping me be more dynamic in the workplace.

Through the rest of my internship, I was given a few projects but was given the reins to make those projects what I wanted them to be. My passion is graphic design, so most of my projects were focused around becoming a better designer and creating pieces that can be transformed into other multi-media designs.

Another great experience I was able to have with KDA was the gathering of marketing materials for other departments. I was able to set up appointments with animal breeders and shelters across the state, and travel with Megan to take photographs of animals and facilities. This was a good experience to help me strengthen my photography skills and work with others while shooting photos.

To this date, I have created and worked on over 50 projects for the Kansas Department of Agriculture and have enjoyed the experience thoroughly. The networking connections and experiences that I have been able to have through this internship will be exponentially important to my career.

I would recommend this internship to anyone interested in creating great portfolio pieces and gain experience in social media, designing, and marketing.

Charleston|Orwig – Kate Hagens

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This past summer I was hired by the agency, Charleston|Orwig as their social media manager intern in Austin, Texas. They are housed in Wisconsin with over 60 employees, but have their social media office located in Texas.

Charleston|Orwig is agricultural client based agency with their focus on the food system. They serve clients with projects such as integrated marketing plans to reputation management.

The Austin office was made up of three people, including myself. There was constant meetings via Skype and phone with other teams, such as the creative team.

Some of my duties as the social media manager included constant control of the agency’s social media handles, creating and designing posts, recording monthly analytics and creating an online campaign for Charleston|Orwig’s social media.

On a day-to-day basis, I reported to the office at 8:30 a.m. (after siting in morning traffic for 45 minutes to travel 9 miles). When there my routine included morning meetings, updating social media accounts, scheduling posts, blog writing and staying in the know of the latest news and information.

Working in a small office where you didn’t the opportunity to get up and walk down the hall to a meeting or to someone else’s office, I found myself quite restless. I took walks and even sat my laptop on boxes so I was able to stand. It’s something you don’t consider until you work in a one-room office space.

I have had past experience in agricultural writing, farm broadcasting and photography. I wanted to seek agency experience to understand the marketing side of companies. So why did a girl who had the comforts of Kansas ranch life give up her summer for bad traffic and a city known for its weirdness? Because I find it important to learn about personal strength and self-interest.

Where ever life may take you, I encourage everyone at some point and time to try sometime outside of their comfort box. If anything, this internship has prepared me for future employment and taught survival skills. They don’t offer college classes on how to check your oil and being financially independent.

Van Wall Group- Brooke Harshaw

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I interned at the Van Wall Group Headquarters in Perry, Iowa from July 1 through August 15 of 2014.

I found out about this internship through a friend of my aunt’s. Her husband’s family owns Van Wall, and because I am a John Deere fan in a communications major, she reached out to me about potentially interning there.

I was expected to function as part of the marketing team, which included design work; writing copy for radio, web, and print advertising; coming up with ideas and problem solving for set up/take down for the Farm Progress Show and the Iowa State Fair. I learned that the marketing team does A LOT – from figuring out what we’ll be doing for employee and customer Christmas presents to putting together their Fall Catalog, working on videos, website, and more, they’re involved with just about everything that happens in the business.

Skills-wise, I think my biggest area of improvement was in using the Creative Cloud programs. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t use Photoshop, and most days I used Illustrator and InDesign, too. In other areas, I think my ability to prioritize and be flexible also improved tremendously.

My favorite parts of the internship were when I was doing things like cleaning out the toy trailer and re-organizing it, as well as when I got to see my finished projects! I’m a very hands-on, physically active person, so the few days that I got to go down and work on cleaning out the trailer full of toys, I was a pretty happy camper. However, I also really like to see finished products, therefore when the days when I finished a big or new project that I’d been working on (radio scripts and the Fall Catalog), I was ecstatic. It was really fun learning new things and working with a team that not only took the time to help me, but cared and appreciated my work. As I said before, I really enjoy physical work, so the least favorite part of my internship was sitting at a desk for an extended period of time.

Like most students, I’m not exactly sure where the road of agricultural communications will take me, but I definitely expect to use the CS6 and face-to-face communications skills that I learned from this internship in my future career.

I think this would be an excellent internship for self-motivated students looking to be thrown into the industry. They will need to have the CS6 or Creative Cloud skills to be able to put together a magazine-type publication.  They will also need to be willing to travel to Iowa for the summer.  If you feel like you’re one of those students who is self-motivated, willing to move, and be thrown into the industry, you can apply by emailing my supervisor, Matt Van Houweling at matt.vanhouweling@vanwall.com.

Purple Wave Auction- Bridget Hoover

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When beginning my freshman year at Kansas State University, I knew that agricultural communications and journalism was the major I wanted to pursue. It combined two things that I loved; agriculture and journalism.

During my sophomore year at K-State I decided to volunteer my time to Purple Wave Auction. Purple Wave hired me as part-time marketing administrative assistant during the fall and spring and as a full-time assistant during the summer. I’ve been working with Purple Wave for just over two years.

Purple Wave sells used agriculture and construction equipment as well as fleet vehicles and trailers.  I started my internship in May and continued through late August. My specific duties this summer included: syndication of items, management of 10 territory manager credit cards, sales tax for auctions and various tasks as assigned from marketing or accounting.

My biggest area of growth this past summer would definitely be in the accounting department. I learned a lot about setting sales tax, writing checks and using QuickBooks management system. I was definitely able to apply some of the terminology from my accounting course at K-State to what I was learning in the accounting department at work including terms such as net 10 and net 30.

My favorite part of my internship this summer was learning to set sales tax. For each location that we have items selling in we must set the sales tax according to where the item is located. I enjoyed learning about tax rules for each state and where tax rates were most expensive.

I can definitely take what I have learned at Purple Wave and apply it to any future career I may have. I have experienced accounting and learned a lot about sales tax, which could definitely benefit me in the future in other jobs. I think what I have gained knowledge from in the marketing department regarding terminology; customer relationship management and Google Analytics will aid me in any job, especially because most businesses have a marketing department associated with them.

I really enjoy working at Purple Wave Auction and plan on being full-time after graduating in December. I have learned so much from other employees and have had the opportunity to see how the business world works. I can’t thank my managers enough for allowing me this opportunity while in college.

DuPont Pioneer- Marie Annexstad

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This summer I worked for DuPont Pioneer as a Marketing Communications intern. My position was located in the Northern Business Unit office which is in Mankato, Minnesota and allowed me to live in my home state for the summer. I started in the middle of May and completed my internship at the end of August.

I found out about this job position through the Kansas State University Career Fair.

An internship’s outcome depends on what you make of the opportunities you have been presented with. When I began this position I had a set of tasks which I had to complete. While I was setting my goals along with my supervisor I asked if she would consider allowing me to take on a standing initiative in the business unit and create a marketing plan for it. She agreed and handed me the reins of the launch of GrowingPoint agronomy in the business unit.

Pioneer’s presence at trade shows provided opportunities to promote GrowingPoint using the already established channels. We ran a strong social media push beginning with our first trade show during the first week in August continuing through our last trade show that ended in the middle of September. Other methods of promotion included print, digital, and radio media. Creating this marketing plan was the favorite part of my internship.

In the beginning, I was immediately put to work on the design and launch of a brand new initiative. This initiative was the creation of digital sell sheets, for our business unit. I found this assignment to be the most difficult part of my internship as a lot of data had to be organized in Excel. I did, however, become proficient in using Excel more efficiently. Sell sheets have links to Pioneer.com product profile pages that display large amounts of agronomic information which assists sales representatives and growers to make informed decisions on the right products for their operations.

Next, it was my responsibility to choose an app which would be the best format to display the sell sheets in. Through much research I found the app Adobe Reader to be the most useful. I developed and presented a tutorial that would help guide sales representatives step-by-step through the process of how to use sell sheets effectively with customers throughout the business unit.

In addition, I was fortunate to have been given the job of organizing and planning trade shows. During the summer the Northern Business Unit attends four major summer trade shows: Minnesota Farm Fest, Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, Dakota Fest, and Big Iron. Planning of each show included opportunities to lead conference calls with different committees to make sure logistics were in order including graphics, giveaways, landscaping, promotional material, and workers. Each show hosted a different array of people, and required different tactics to market Pioneer® products. I traveled to and attended all of the trade shows and coordinated Pioneer’s presence at each show on-site.

I enjoyed being given the responsibility to design various graphics to market Pioneer’s new initiatives Pioneer GrowingPoint Agronomy and Encirca Services.

I also assisted with creating materials to help sales representatives with their responsibilities. These included corn and soy print sell sheets, forage print sell sheets, and handouts on various topics. Encirca Services was a new initiative for Pioneer this year, so I created a tutorial for sales representatives to aid them in understanding of the process of how to make an Encirca Note.

My experience with Pioneer as an intern this summer helped me to develop professionally. I was expected to work independently. As a result I learned to prioritize as I juggled many responsibilities. I learned to communicate efficiently and effectively with my superiors. The work environment was intense and professional. I learned to conduct myself in a similar manner. Overall, this was the best internship experience I have had thus far. I am confident that the after I graduate from college I will be pursuing a career in marketing and communications in a work environment similar to Pioneer.

I recommend this internship to anyone who loves design, event planning, and marketing. It was a great place for me to grow and develop professionally. To apply, visit the DuPont Pioneer Career Development Center.