Agricultural Communication & Journalism Internships

AG am in Kansas, produced by Farming Unlimited, Inc., is a daily broadcast television program focusing on all aspects of agriculture in the state of Kansas. Based out of Topeka, the company works with different organizations and individuals to showcase and promote agriculture.

This summer I had the opportunity to be an intern for AG am in Kansas. My job duties were to produce, host and edit television segments. I began my internship in late May and finished in early August.

During my first few days of the internship, I was asked to format a plan outlining what I wanted to accomplish this summer. Not everyone gets a chance to be on television, so I wanted to use this opportunity to inform viewers about agriculture. My goals consisted of debunking myths revolving around the agriculture industry. I also wanted to explain the importance of these agricultural processes that range from using fertilizers to using gestation crates.

I started a list of topics that I wanted to cover and individuals that I would interview. I then reached out to them to schedule a date and a location for the interview. The last step was to form questions that I would ask during the interview.

During the actual on camera interview, I not only had to conduct the interview but I also needed to make sure all of the settings were correct on the video camera in terms of lighting and audio. Often I was by myself as both the cameraman and interviewer. After conducting the interview, I needed to continue taping video footage for all of the B-Roll footage that I needed to complete the segment.

The final stage of production consisted of editing. AG am in Kansas uses the Final Cut Pro editing system. Of all the stages of production, editing is what I found the most challenging to learn. My duties were to take all of my video clips and make them into one flawless video segment.

This internship fit my goals in agriculture communication extremely well. Growing up on a cattle operation, I’m very passionate about the agriculture industry. However, in today’s society it is becoming more and more evident that people are having a harder time connecting indirectly with what feeds and clothes their world. This internship gave me an opportunity to explain different livestock and farming practicing to our television viewers.

My experience as an intern for AG am in Kansas helped me to develop professionally. The skills and lessons I learned will continue to be with me in every aspect of my life. I gained communication, technology, people, and video production skills. Each day I could say a learned something new. From this experience, I am confident that after graduation I will incorporate communications into my future career.

I would highly recommend this internship to anyone who loves interacting with people, being in front of a camera and above all loves agriculture. Your skills will be put to the test everyday but the opportunities are endless! To apply for an internship for AG am in Kansas contact Heather Newell at heather@trinitymarketinggroup.net.

Wilson/Kedley Cattle Company – Deven King

Posted on September 20, 2016September 20, 2016 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

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

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

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

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

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

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 1^st and ended on August 14^th. 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.

Kansas Department of Agriculture – Emily Writer

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

This past summer, following my junior year at K-State, I worked at the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) as a communications intern in Manhattan, Kansas.

KDA is a state agency that strives to serve farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses through its programs and divisions. Being on the communications team gave me the opportunity to develop my skills and expand my knowledge by working on a variety of projects.

When I started my internship, I had experience using the Adobe Creative Suite, some knowledge of how to write press releases, and no experience managing social media accounts for anyone but myself. Now that I have spent four months working for KDA, I am very comfortable using Adobe, can easily put together a press release, and I am still responsible for creating social media content.

The thing I respected most about being an intern is that from day one, my boss put trust in me and handed me responsibilities, including social media. While this definitely made me nervous, it forced me out of my comfort zone and became one of the most rewarding parts of my job. There’s nothing that beats the feeling of seeing your work shared because only you know the time and energy that went into creating it.

In addition to creating social media content, I also wrote press releases and designed handouts to be used by various programs. Like social media, these tasks allowed me to gain a lot of experience and helped me develop my skills even further.

Being an intern at KDA has been a great experience and I have learned so much, not only about agriculture and communicating, but also about myself. I’ve learned to trust in myself and my abilities, and I’ve learned that I am capable. Sure, I made mistakes, but I was able to learn from them, and that’s what’s important.

If you’re interested in working in a fun environment with people who are passionate about agriculture and will push you out of your comfort zone to help you become a better communicator, then you should consider applying to be an intern at KDA. Internships are available year round and KDA is a great place to work during both the summer and the school year as it is conveniently located close to campus.

The internship is offered through the Governor’s Office Internship Program, which you can learn more about here.

Encirca Services, DuPont Pioneer – Celine Beggs

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

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/.

Ranch House Designs, Inc. – Melissa Grimmel

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

What do you do when you’re offered an internship with the company you’ve always dreamed of working for? You kindly accept, click “end” on the Skype call, and jump on your feet to clap and scream with excitement.

I found out about the Ranch House Designs, Inc. Summer Internship from their website at www.ranchhousedesigns.com. They also offer fall and spring internships, which consist of social media work, writing and helping with various tasks in the office.

After applying in December 2014, the CEO of RHD, Rachel Cutrer, contacted me to set up a Skype interview. She had noticed my freelance graphic design work through my Facebook, and instead created and offered me another internship to help with graphic design projects. This is a perfect example of the importance of being open minded during interviews – something even better can come out of them! From December to June, I completed my duties as a Design Associate from Kansas.

Once summer break began, I traveled to the RHD office located in Wharton, Texas, which is an hour southwest of Houston…depending on traffic. RHD is a full service marketing and communications agency that serves thousands of clients. Their roots were founded in the agricultural and livestock sector, and they have established a reputation as the leading livestock communications firm worldwide. Today, the agency represents clients from all sectors and industries.

To complete my tasks, I used the Adobe Creative Suite to design promotional materials including logos, print advertisements, business cards, and more for clients primarily in the livestock and agricultural industries. During weeks with heavy workflow, I also worked with clients in other industries.

Being a graphic designer, you learn to read and accept harsh feedback from clients. You get clients that love the logo just as much as you do, are extremely detailed in their feedback and are exceptionally nice. On the downside, you also get the clients that hate the logo you send, are extremely rude in their feedback and do not want to give you a second chance. I have grown thick skin through this internship. Harsh feedback does not hurt my feelings, but it motivates me to create something amazing in the next proof.

RHD has two full-time graphic designers in the office. Being able to work next to them, ask questions, and receive tips and tricks from them improved my work tremendously. They are some of the top designers in the industry, so it was truly an honor to work beside them and receive helpful advice.

RHD was an amazing place to work, with even more amazing coworkers. I did not witness any competition – every coworker is there to encourage and inspire each other. I would recommend this internship to someone who has an interest in graphic design, social media, and the livestock and agricultural industries.

At first, I was nervous to move to South Texas to say the least. At 8 a.m., I would open the front door and my glasses would instantly fog up from the sticky humidity, I had snakes and lizards as pets in my backyard, and I was 23 hours from home where I spent every summer in the past. Instead of dwelling on being far away, I took advantage of this and did a lot of traveling on the weekends. I traveled to Corpus Christi Beach, San Antonio to see the Alamo and River Walk, Houston to eat amazing Mexican food, went shopping at boutiques I usually shop at via online, and even toured V8 Ranch. I loved learning about Texas and visiting places I’ve never been to before.

It is critical to take advantage of the area you live in and to make the best of it. You may miss out on things you do every other summer, but the adventure is well worth it. Go outside of your comfort zone. Brush away the nerves, take a deep breath and just do it! “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

Kansas Soybean Association – Dana Schultz

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

As the summer after my sophomore year quickly approached, I realized my resume was seriously lacking in professional experiences. I needed a summer internship, but I was a little behind. Everyone else was already applying and interviewing for prospective positions. I scoured every website for potential summer internship. I found one on the Career Employment Services website in Topeka, Kansas for the Kansas Soybean Association and Commission. My family grows soybeans and I had a little bit of knowledge on commodity organizations. The post simply stated it was a summer internship with a variety of responsibilities and duties. During the interview, they decided I was the right fit for the position and we set a date for me to start.

One of my major projects was designing and collecting data for the Kansas Congressional Districts report. I used the United States Department of Agriculture’s website to gather statistics about agriculture. These statistics focused on quantity and dollar amounts of crops and livestock raised in the United States. The report was organized to show total production amounts in Kansas, total production amounts for Kansas counties, and where Kansas ranked among other states. The crops recognized were soybeans, corn, wheat, sorghum and sunflowers, and the animal products included beef, pork, milk, wool, and honey. Once I had all the information, I designed graphics and illustrations to display this information. Once designed and thoroughly proofed, I presented the printed and electronic version to Kansas Senators and Representatives in Washington D.C. during the National Biodiesel Conference.

I was also in charge of planning the annual Corporate Tour. Each year, the Commission and Association board members travel to a different part of Kansas to tour local agriculture business and meet area members for a few days. During my internship, McPherson, Kansas, was the destination. I was in charge of contacting caterers, meeting venues, restaurants, businesses, and potential guests. I had to keep accurate records of all communication that took place and report all the options for everyone in the office to vote on. Once the itinerary was finalized, I designed and mailed invitations and personally contacted board members to gather a number of attendees. The trip included a tour of Lindsborg, Kansas, a tour of AgCo in Hesston, Kansas, a tour of McPherson’s oil refinery, a tour of PrairieLand Partners, a tour of the Hesston, Kansas lawn mower factory, a meeting at the McPherson Opera House, meals catered during lunch and dinners at local restaurants.

Among other smaller office duties, I created and mailed the annual Biodiesel Survey, traveled to farm shows to promote soy products, updated the membership data used in presentations, presented a soy products presentation to the Emerging Leaders Academy, and attended various conferences for soy products and biodiesel.

My internship started in May of 2014 and ended in August of 2014. This internship was a great opportunity to meet industry professionals, travel, boost communication skills and sharpen professional abilities. The people I worked with were great at finding the balance between a learning college student and a business professional. They were flexible with me and constantly pushed me to do my absolute best. I learned how to better connect my presentations and designs to the audience and to keep accurate records of communications while planning an event. This is a great internship for anyone who isn’t quite sure where they want to go in the industry. The supervisors easily tailor the internship to build your experience to fit your goals.

To apply for the Kansas Soybean Commission internship, visit http://kansassoybeans.org/forms/ or contact Kenlon Johannes at Johannes@kansassoybeans.org.

United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development – Jacob Pletcher

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

I interned with the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development May 18 through September 30, 2015. Luckily the USDA RD is very flexible with their Pathway Interns, so I had the opportunity to continue my internship during the first month and a half of school.

I learned about this internship through my wonderful mother who works on the business and industry side of USDA RD. The internship fit extremely well into what I wanted to do during the summer and it was geared mostly towards writing rather than design, which is what I was looking for. Another appealing part of the internship was the location: Topeka, Kansas. With the internship being located in Topeka, I was able to commute back and forth from my hometown with both of my parents, which was a blessing and a curse.

During the internship I was able to hone my writing skills with the help of a very understanding supervisor that was willing to give me thorough feedback. I did not know how to write a press release or how to send out a newsletter. However, with the help of my supervisor, I was able to learn and develop vital skills that a communicator needs.

A typical day at the office for me started around 7:30 a.m. where I would mostly write press releases, create inner office and statewide newsletters, design invitations for upcoming USDA workshops, and work on the Kansas USDA RD page. Office interaction was limited, but when the office was able to get together, we had a fun time. All four of the interns planned a social interaction event where we cooked food and played a life-size game of clue. This was a great way to interact with people in the office that I never had a chance to intermingle with.

My favorite part of my internship would definitely have to be the trips I made to grant/loan recipient sites to do success stories. All of the businesses or individuals that receive grants or loans were so grateful for the financing that they received and they opened their doors to pictures and my questions without hesitation. The personal interaction with these people made it easy to write about and highlight their operations.

I would recommend this internship to anyone who is wanting a communications experience that has more writing than design opportunities. I do not know if this internship will be available again next year. Since USDA RD is a federal agency, this internship heavily depends on the budget for the fiscal year. If you are curious about the availability of an internship with USDA RD, please contact Jessica Bowser at 785-271-2701 or Jessica.Bowser@ks.usda.gov.

Kansas Department of Agriculture – Dandi Thomas

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

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

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

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.

The Nutrients for Life Foundation – Emily Velisek

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

Everyone at school thought it was awesome that I would be working in D.C. all summer, but for me it was almost what made me not want to take this internship.

This summer I was lucky enough to work for The Nutrients for Life Foundation (NFL). This is a not-for-profit organization that is within The Fertilizer Institute, which is the lobbyist group for fertilizer.

Since I lived in Maryland my whole life, D.C. was not as exciting to me as other students thought when I told them that is where I would be working for my summer.

I guess I did not realize how long it had actually been since I had made the trip down to D.C.. The first few weeks were great because I had the chance to go walk around during my lunch and remember so much from when I was a kid! By the end though I definitely remembered why I did not enjoy D.C.. A lot of it had to do with the commute, but also with how crowed it gets during the summer.

Anyways, once I realized that, I spent more time in the office. I started my internship on May 18^th and ended on August 14^th. Those 14 weeks flew by and before I knew it, my summer was over.

I could not be more grateful for this internship and lucky that my neighbor helped me get it. I learned a lot about fertilizer and soil, which is a different side of agriculture than what I am used to. I grew up on an Angus cattle farm and showed cattle all my life, so getting to see a different area of agriculture was great for me and I found it very interesting.

I started my internship off by getting asked if I support fertilizer. Not a typical question you get in an interview for a summer internship but I was happy to answer. I am lucky enough to have family that farms about 4,500 acres and have two uncles that work at one of the largest fertilizer companies in Maryland. So my answer was pretty easy: “Yes, I support fertilizer.”

From there I got a project assigned to me for the International Year of Soils, which just happened to be 2015! I started out by doing a lot of research on soil and learning as much as I could. After that I got to work, starting with writing an article for NFL’s Fall 2015 magazine. Once I finished that, I sent it to two of my superiors to edit. While they were editing that I started to work on a blog post and then a blurb for their newsletter. From that I went on to two of the harder parts of my project, making a Facebook cover photo and a video. The cover photo did not seem to take me too long but the video was a challenge. I got the video finished but it did not turn out exactly how I would have liked it.

Some of my other responsibilities were to clean out the database, which may have been the worst thing ever but I know it really helped them. I also did a few things in Excel for people that work at The Fertilizer Institute, which was nice since I knew how to use Excel and could get those done relatively fast.

Kansas Department of Agriculture – Audrey Green

Posted on September 20, 2016 by chantelles

Why is there so much construction north of the Kansas State University Campus? What could that new, huge building possibly be? The Kansas Department of Agriculture has relocated to Manhattan, providing new opportunities for Kansas agriculturalists and Kansas State University students.

Spending my time in the innovative new building, the fall and spring semesters of my sophomore year I served as a Kansas Department of Agriculture Communications Intern. This internship came to me by way of Dr. Ellis, an Agriculture Communications professor at Kansas State University. After exhibiting interest in the position and receiving an interview, I began my internship at the beginning of September 2014.

“Back to the basics.” The foundation of this internship was to take the basic skills of communications and polish them. I began writing press releases almost immediately and was given feedback to improve my writing skills. Arriving at KDA, I had very limited knowledge of design software. Now, my design repertoire has grown immensely and I feel comfortable in the Adobe Creative Suite applications.

Playing a key role in the organization of Kansas Agriculture Month was by far my favorite part of this internship. A goal I had set for myself before coming to KDA was to network with as many Agriculture Communicators as possible. Meeting with the Agriculture Communicators and Educators group to plan Kansas Agriculture Month fulfilled that goal. With only a few planning meetings, the diverse group was able to advocate for agriculture throughout the month of March. Some of the highlights included: hosting the Neighbor to Neighbor Food Drive at Dillon’s stores, delivering cookies with customized agriculture statistics to members of the Kansas Legislature, conducting a photography workshop for Kansas agriculture photographers with National Geographic Photographer Jim Richardson and an evening lecture with Jim Richardson that was followed by an in depth agriculture panel.

Planning Kansas Agriculture Month was an eye opening experience. I was able to step into the shoes of an Agriculture Communicator in the real world. Learning responsibility, time management and effective communication, this event helped prepare me a future after graduation.

If I had to choose a least favorite part of my internship at KDA, I would have to rack my brain. Each and every day was filled with new twists and turns, giving a glimpse of what a communications specialist would do. The days I was not as busy, or did not have as many projects to work on, were my least favorite days. In saying that, sometimes a break is nothing to complain about!

Students can be selected for this internship, or other internships at KDA, by applying through the Governor’s Office Internship Program. The program is designed to give high-quality college students real world experience. A link to the program can be found here: https://governor.ks.gov/serving-kansans/internship.

Who would I recommend this internship to? Any student who is passionate about agriculture, driven and willing to put in hard work would be an excellent fit for this position.

KDA has a professional yet fun working environment, and its location is superb for Kansas State University students. Although avoiding the road construction on Manhattan Avenue can be a pain, the valuable experience I received from this internship made the bright orange cones seem much less troublesome.

Monsanto Field Sales Internship- Nathan Lauden

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

My dad always told me “You can do anything for a summer. Take advantage of some crazy internships if they let you!” I have taken this advice to heart and this past summer it played out in full!

This past summer I had the opportunity to be a part of the DEKALB/Asgrow team in Western Wisconsin as a Field Sales Intern for Monsanto. It was filled with challenges, plenty of learning opportunities and a whole host of new and exciting adventures as I went through my 3 months with the company.

I found out about my internship through visiting the all-university career fair that K-State Career and Employment Services offers every fall. It is packed with 250+ employers in Bramlage Coliseum with companies looking for interns to full-time employees, engineering to family studies and everything in between. Monsanto was one of the companies looking for interns at the fair and after speaking to their recruiter I quickly found myself having a great conversation about my background with 4-H and FFA and skills that I had learned through those organizations. This conversation ended up with being invited for an on-campus interview the following day with a different recruiter.

Following the on-campus interview I was told to await a response and it came the last week in October. I was asked to be a part of a group of 40 Field Sales Interns that came from universities spanning the nation, Fresno State to Penn State. The next step was awaiting our location placements and this is where I was honestly almost giddy inside. When asked where I would like to be placed for the summer I chose to go out of my comfort zone and say “why not?” I had asked to be anywhere but Kansas and Missouri and try living in a new part of the country for the summer. I figured when else in college will I have the chance to really test drive a new part of the country so thoroughly and have a unique experience like this? After my options were given I chose to be a part of the DEKALB/Asgrow Wisconsin team and placed with my boss for the summer Kevin Altendorf, who was the District Sales Manager for, generally speaking, the western part of Wisconsin closest to the Twin Cities.

In general I was told that my responsibilities would include some general sales type work in regards to helping the team, but in all honesty I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant. When we arrived in St. Louis at Monsanto headquarters for our orientation week, we were given much clarity as to our projects for the summer and what that would look like for the next three months.

We were tasked with three large projects and then expected to handle any other sort of work our on-site bosses had for us to do. These included:

Customer Calls- this includes calling on around 40 current, past or potential customers of DeKalb/Asgrow products. This is to get exposure to real growers and what they do on a day-to-day. Since these are our customers getting a chance to meet them and know who they are is very important. I chose to use this experience to come away with why do they choose Monsanto products in general versus using competitors.
Climate Corporation and Top Producers- This project consists of my calling on 28 “Top Producers” for Monsanto to discuss and complete a survey with. These are very large growers within my region, as they are high volume customers of Monsanto. Our role is to discuss Climate Corporation, a new company and technology to Monsanto that became available in November.
Team Project- this means that I will be setting up a project with my trainer to the benefit of his work and the team. I chose this experience to be a market analysis of three counties within my territory to find out in what ways can we grow business with our customers within that area.

In terms of learning experiences this past summer I learned such an incredible amount. The biggest piece was I found out that I have the capacity to learn about any topic if I choose to work hard. I am not from a production agriculture background and knew nothing compared to many of the interns that I started with about row crops. The best thing for me was that I had an incredible mentor in my boss who was able to meet me where I was at and help me to learn more about the business and agronomy in general. I learned to not be shy about asking questions, because even though I may look back now on some of my questions during the first week and think, wow what was I thinking asking that, there is a huge amount of value to asking the basic questions.

My favorite part of the internship was getting to meet with the actual producers and visiting with them about their operations. This was something that, as an agricultural communications major, I felt I had been lacking in my experiences so far, and never felt like I was able to connect with on-campus assignments due to that. But now I can put a face to my writing projects. I can say to myself, I am writing this for Jim, or what would Adam want general consumers to know about his farm, so I can better advocate for them.

I would highly recommend this internship experience to anyone who has a desire to know more about sales or understand more about agronomy and row crop producers. You are very well taken care and given an incredible network to feel safe asking questions and relying on. As much as this project is meant for them to see you perform they also want to see you grow as not only a sales employee but as a person.

Rodd Whitney is a great contact to know more about the Field Sales Internship program as well as full-time placement within Sales at Monsanto.

Kansas Governors Internship Program- Dan Martin

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

Last summer I applied for a summer internship with the Governors Internship Program. I was hoping to work policy at the Kansas Department of Agriculture but considering it was summer and legislature was not in secession that option was ruled out. Instead I was offered to work with the Kansas Water Office as a communications intern.

The Kansas Water Office (KWO) conducts water planning, policy, marketing and coordination throughout the state. They also make recommendations to the Governor and Legislature for needed legislation to ensure water policies and programs address the needs of all Kansans.

The plan for my summer was to help with the 50 year Water Vision for Kansas regarding social media and anything in relation to social media. Also as part of the Governors Internship Program, we had the opportunity to see how other agencies conducted business.

Through out the summer I helped develop social media plans to promote the Kansas Water Vision tour that was taking place across the state of Kansas in the first week of June. Also a part of my job was to track news articles through google alerts that were in relation to the Water Vision and to collect them on a database. As the summer progressed, I was doing press releases for the Basin Advisor Committee Meetings (BAC) and the new members of the BAC. I also helped start the Water Wednesday this usually included a random fact followed by an info graph. At times I would ask Kansas Department of Agriculture for guidance with social media, so we could build a platform for our followers on Twitter and our Facebook page.

Another part of my internship was to attend different agencies and see how they were governed and to give us broader options if any of the participants wanted to continue working for the state government. The first agency we toured was Kansas Wildlife Parks and Tourism (KWPT), the attorney from KWPT explained the different areas of the agency, after the briefing we got to shoot archery, fish and shoot shotguns for the rest of the afternoon. The next agency we toured was the Department of Corrections, we went to a women’s prison outside of Topeka where they gave us tour of the prison then had a couple of the ladies their tell their stories of how they were locked up and what their plans were after they got out. This was very insightful not really knowing anything about the Department of Corrections. The last thing we got to do before the internship was over was go to the top of the Capitol Building. It was a neat experience to look out over Kansas that high up. To conclude the internship we went to Cedar Crest (the Governors home) where we talked about our experience as interns and what we did. We were handed a certificate as well for completing the Governors internship program.

Through my experience in the Governors Internship Program, I gained great knowledge about state government and what it takes to run an agency. Going through the program has also given me an insight for my future in state politics. I would highly recommend anyone interested in state government or politics to be apart of the program. It is a great opportunity to make connections in the state from across the country.

Certified Angus Beef- Nicole Lane

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

Honestly, I almost said no.

I came this close to turning the Industry Information Internship with Certified Angus Beef down. I thought there just might be something bigger and better out there when I hesitantly accepted the position as a sophomore last December.

I’m so thankful that I said yes because I couldn’t have asked for a better summer internship. I spent my summer writing about cattle producers who raise the best beef on the market. I got to tell the story of incredible agriculturalists. I expanded my writing skills by learning to write lengthy feature stories then tell the same story in blog and video form. I wrote a lot and absolutely loved it.

I learned to appreciate my days in the office and love the days out on the ranch. One of my most memorable adventures included a several day road trip with one of my supervisors visiting beef producers from Kansas all the way to Wyoming.

My summer at CAB (from about May-August) was spent not only becoming a better writer, but learning about the cattle industry. I went from a girl who didn’t know the difference between a stocker and a cow-calf operation to being able to read and write about beef research articles (Do you know what the Warner-Bratzler Shear Force Procedure is? Because I definitely didn’t!).

After meeting Steve Suther (my boss) when he came to speak to ACT last year, I decided to apply for the internship. Over a year later I’m still taking writing assignments from him as a freelancer.

Working for CAB is an experience I would recommend to anyone who can write and wants to become a better writer. If you don’t like to write, scratch that, don’t love to write, then it’s not for you. Truly, the hardest part of this internship for me was just simply battling writers block. Well that and learning the cattle industry.

However, it was all worth it getting to see my byline and story on the glossy pages of the Angus Journal. Even more so, getting to meet the people at American Angus who work daily on the media productions I got to create content for was an experience in itself. As a CAB intern I got a backstage pass to see the inter workings of the Angus Journal and the Angus Report both of which my work appeared in.

Above all, what made my experience at CAB so incredible was the people I got to work with. Though most of our communication was digital or by phone, the CAB’s company culture was (and still is) something that is fun to be a part of. Getting to work on a team that challenges each other, truly enjoys what they get to do and are very passionate about beef was an incredible experience.

This internship solidified my love for writing about agriculture and expanded my animal science knowledge. It was the perfect example of a career that I would like to pursue someday. So much so that when my internship ended, my work with CAB didn’t. I’m lucky to still be writing for the brand and learning that someday I hope to make work like this a full time gig.

Think this sounds like something you would like to be a part of? Check out CAB’s website or click this link to learn more http://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/recruiting/Description.aspx?id=168&utm_source=Other&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=intern

Van Wall Group- Brooke Harshaw

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

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

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

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.

IGP Institute- Kelly Hannigan

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

As I was finishing up my junior year, it was finally starting to dawn on me that graduation was quickly approaching. Agricultural communications had always been my home and I was happy there but I knew that if I wanted to get a head start on my career, I needed to take the first steps in gaining professional experience.

I’m not entirely sure why, but I had always pictured internships as they were portrayed in movies. I assumed I’d be fetching coffee and making copies for eight hours a day, five days a week and if I was lucky, I might be able to write a news release once in a while. Thankfully, my internship at the IGP Institute was nothing like I had initially imagined.

After coming back from Christmas break when my parents so kindly urged me to make a career plan, I began searching the Career and Employment Services job board online. However, I ended up hearing about the IGP Institute communications internship through the ACJ listserv. What drew me to this position was the reputation that the IGP Institute possesses throughout campus. In all honesty, I wasn’t entirely sure what it was that they did but I knew that they were a very prestigious establishment and the students that had worked there before had wonderful things to say about their time there.

In the spring of 2014, I was offered the communications internship and I am still presently working there as a part-time communications intern and part-time distance education intern. As the communications intern, I was responsible for writing and editing press releases, updating and maintaining the social media platforms and updating the website. As a summer project, the associate director of the IGP Institute, Mark Fowler, also asked me to conduct social media research project to help improve their overall marketing efforts. The research included conducting five focus groups and then later creating a top line report to present to the IGP staff and advisory board members.

It’s incredibly difficult for me to narrow down a specific area that I feel like I’ve grown the most this summer. From a technical standpoint, I was able to refine my writing skills to create professional news releases. As far as personal growth, one of the most rewarding aspects of the internship for me was the involvement with the course participants. I had lived a fairly sheltered life growing up in Strong City, Kan. I had never really been around so many different cultures or experienced first-hand the diversity that the IGP courses had to offer. I think I learned more from the conversations I had with the participants than I ever did in a classroom. The interaction with the participants was by far my favorite part of the internship. I was able to develop networking relationships with industry professionals from not only Kansas, but from around the world.

If I had to choose any one thing that I least enjoyed about my internship at IGP, it would probably be the desk time. I’ve never been the kind to enjoy sitting at a desk for eight hours a day. Luckily, this internship provided many field trip opportunities where I was able to tag along and take photos so I wasn’t always in the office. It did teach me however, that when I look for a job after graduation, I need something that incorporates fieldwork into the communications position.

Taking this internship was easily the best decision I’ve made since attending K-State. I’ve not only grown as a professional, but as a person. I was incredibly lucky to work with such a talented group of people at IGP that were genuinely interested in teaching me. Even the staff members that weren’t involved with the communications department took the time to help me with any questions I had or involve me in each project. I may not have a lot of industry experience, but I do know that the IGP Institute team is one of the best work environments I will ever be in. They were always quick to congratulate me any time a news release was published and always wanted to see each other succeed. Just by being around this incredible group of people, I’ve learned what a professional team truly is.

To apply for internships at the IGP Institute, contact Lisa Moser at lmoser@ksu.edu. I would highly recommend this internship to anyone that wants to get his or her foot in the door with the agricultural industry. Even if you aren’t sure what it is you want to do after graduation, this is a great job to jump in to. There are all aspects of communications incorporated into this position ranging from video editing to creating news releases.

DuPont Pioneer- Marie Annexstad

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

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.

National FFA Organization- Logan Britton

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

6060 FFA Drive. An address I had studied for countless hours as a Greenhand member of my high school’s FFA chapter; I never imagined I would have the opportunity to work in the National FFA Center and have a significant experience.

When the American Agricultural Editors’ Association posting about its two summer internship positions came through the ACJ Listserv, I eagerly completed my application as soon as I saw the marketing communications intern would be placed with the National FFA Organization. The application included listing classes taken, essays with a 75-word or fewer limit, a letter of recommendation and submitting work samples. I received a congratulatory email in late February 2014

From June to mid-August 2014, I interned with the marketing, communications, branding and sales management division of national FFA as a marketing communication intern in Indianapolis. My supervisors included Julie Woodard, communications manager; Kristy Meyer, communications/media manager; Katy Mumaw, senior content writer; and Geoffrey Miller, digital media specialist.

In my role, I was in charge of writing stories to be used in new stories, press releases, social media and the organization’s blog. The publications and correspondence I worked with included FFA.org, FFA Pulse, FFA New Horizons, New Visions and Blue Jackets. Bright Futures! My other responsibilities included editing content. Other projects included developing content for the National FFA Convention & Expo and editing content for the future FFA.org site.

During my tenure in Indiana, I was able to develop a better concept of the organization, the National FFA Foundation and National FFA Alumni Association. I also learned more about myself and my skill set. I enjoy development and copy editing, and I was able to use my knowledge for a majority of my internship. Many staff members from other divisions would send me documents to edit because of the reputation I had created with members of my division. Additionally, I was able to branch out and work on a project with search engine optimization for the Shop FFA website.

My favorite project during the summer was writing an article for FFA New Horizons. Being a former FFA member that eagerly awaited each issue, I was thrilled to have the chance to contribute to the magazine. I ventured to Nashville, Tennessee with division staff to tour Journal Communications, Inc., the publisher that develops the magazine, and meet with their staff. I never imagined I would ever be in the magazine, let alone be a writer. Plus, the editor of the magazine usually critiques all articles during her round of edits. She didn’t have any edits for my article, and she said she really liked it. That made me feel pretty great about myself and my writing.

Being from a small Kansas town, it was difficult for me to adjust to city life. The traffic in Indianapolis and the commute to work were my least favorite things. On average, it would take me about 25 minutes to get to work and 45 minutes to get back. To avoid the traffic, I would go to work around 8:30 a.m. and leave 5:30 p.m. As for the internship, being in charge of my schedule was a challenge for me. I was able to work at my own pace, but I would get assignments done promptly and run out of projects for the week. To combat this, I would ask other staff members in the division if they needed assistance on projects.

Along those lines, being creative in my writing has been a struggle for me. Most of the writing I have experience in is informative and deliberative, such as press releases. My biggest area of growth was finding my creative side. Through projects such as the stories for New Visions, FFA New Horizons and the National FFA Organization blog, I felt more comfortable leaving my habit of the inverted pyramid.

From this experience, I definitely want to incorporate communications in my future roles. I really liked developing stories and writing for New Visions and FFA New Horizons. I also enjoyed writing stories for FFA Pulse and selected photos for the landing pages in the e-newsletter. Even as I pursue advanced degrees in agricultural economics and work toward academia, my hope is to use my knowledge of marketing communications in my teaching, freelance projects or any jobs I have in between now and being a professor. Also, I know that I am a people person. I want to work in an environment where I can collaborate and form relationships with others.
For any student interesting in writing and content development, I would suggest looking for the opportunities with FFA during convention as well as the internships sponsored through AAEA. These experiences will put your skills to the test with real-world situations, strengthen your writing, and create strong portfolio items. Due to funding, the marketing, communications, branding and sales management division does not host an internship every year; however, several internship positions are available during the week of national FFA convention including news room, social media and video internships. The AAEA internship positions are announced usually in December or January. Applications are due mid-February and can be found on AAEA’s website, www.ageditors.com.

Kansas Department of Agriculture- Jordan Pieschl

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

During my freshman year, I decided to change my major to Agricultural Communications. Although I knew I was in the right major, I was not quite sure which type of career I actually wanted to pursue. With quite a few ideas running through my head, I talked with an Agricultural Communications graduate who worked with the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA), and she encouraged me to seek an internship that would allow me to start exploring careers.

Fast forward about six months, and I again crossed paths with a graduate working at KDA while attending a career fair. She provided me with an application, and I began a spring internship in January 2013. From day one, the internship was filled with diverse opportunities providing an array of experiences.

I began my role at KDA as the trademark program intern within the Agricultural Marketing, Outreach and Advocacy team. Coincidentally, my first day marked the launch to companies of the new state agricultural trademark program, From the Land of Kansas. This provided the opportunity to help build the trademark program’s strategies from the beginning. At first, my role included recruiting Kansas agribusinesses to the program, helping plan the public launch event, assisting in the creation of the program’s website and researching marketing and business development services that could be offered to member companies.

After a few months, I began managing the program’s social media platforms. I first created a yearlong plan for the program’s use of Facebook and Twitter, and began drafting posts one month at a time. We then expanded the program’s online presence to include a blog, and I wrote blog posts. Personally, although the social media was probably my least favorite role within this internship, it has also been my biggest area of growth. I have learned a lot about the importance of using a variety of media in the posts and being very purposeful about the topic and timing of a post. With an interest in international agriculture, I traveled with the program to the international Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City, and learned about marketing Kansas agricultural products to other countries.

About a year and a half into my internship, I transitioned out of the marketing team and into the executive team. Throughout the summer, one of my favorite projects I have had yet with this internship has involved the 50 Year Vision for the Future of Kansas Water. This project involved traveling around Kansas to seek public input for the draft and preparing to present the final version to the governor.

Something I have really become aware of through this internship is the importance in any business to purposefully build a team. Something that I really admire in my supervisor is her ability to discover talents in people, and place them in a role that really plays to their strengths. It is cool to see the agency tackle some big initiatives and be able to draw from the strengths of the employees within the agency to build successful teams for the different initiatives. Additionally, employees are always so willing to help others with their projects using their specific areas of expertise.

I have also learned the importance of listening to the audience in any project. From a social media standpoint, I was expected to utilize resources such as Facebook Analytics to determine how our messages were best engaging the audience. And, we brainstormed often to determine what kind of messages would be most beneficial for both the companies we worked with and the audience. Similarly, the approach that was taken with the Water Vision was to seek public input so that the document would ultimately be created by Kansans. It was a lot of work to find methods to actively seek that input, organize it, and include it in the draft, but it demonstrated to me how effective it is to follow a strategy that educates consumers and then allows them to have input in a plan that they will be encouraged to follow to conserve our state’s resources. From both of these perspectives, paying attention to the audience was very important.

This internship has provided a good opportunity to try a handful of experiences. I have been really fortunate to work with supervisors who listen if I share what experiences I most enjoy or do not enjoy at all, or what experiences I still wish I could have. It has allowed me to learn about the many careers available within a state agency. It has aided me in discovering what I would like to see in a career, and what I would rather not pursue.

For anyone wanting flexibility to explore different careers in an internship, or who would like a better understanding of how state government works, this is a great option. The agency is conveniently located right next to campus, and internships are offered in the spring, fall and summer. Supervisors are very flexible with class schedules, so it is a great opportunity to intern not only during the summer, but during a semester as well. Applications can be found on the Kansas Department of Agriculture website.

American Hereford Association- Amanda Sales

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

It was to be the first real job I’ve ever had, dependent upon using programs I was merely an amateur at. Sounds scary, right? That may be how my summer at the American Hereford Association felt at first, but that isn’t how it ended. I would not have traded my internship experience aboard the staff of Creative Services/Hereford Publications, Inc. for any other summer adventure.

My interning journey began June 2^nd and wrapped up August 20^th. In those two-and-a-half months, I learned a lot of valuable communication skills, but more importantly, I discovered a lot of insight about my future career plans. Working in Creative Services, I coordinated the creation and production of a wide range of promotional materials and catalogs for cattle (and elk) ranches. This involved using Adobe InDesign for layout and even a little design of my own, communicating preferences with clients, and also using Photoshop and Illustrator to assist in the design. Previous to this summer, I knew just as much about my future career as the next person. Then I fell in love with the kind of work I did and, using my creativity and critical thinking skills, I knew by the end of the summer that this was exactly the line of work I want to pursue.

The biggest personal progress I saw during my adventure was understanding and using the Adobe programs. Without AGCOM210 (Principles of Layout and Design) on my transcript, I wasn’t sure how easily I would adapt. Luckily the tutorials and guided use in our slow periods at work gave me a solid foundation of the Adobe cloud.

Along with the skills attained this summer, there were a lot of exciting events that took place. I really loved traveling to the Junior National Hereford Expo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The purpose of my attendance was labeling photos for the photographer to have them uploaded to the website and ordering shop. Though I worked long hours, it was exhilarating to be around the show atmosphere. I had never attended a national show before, so it was all so new to see the proceedings of the show life. A lot of neat things happened right at our office too. The AHA office is stationed right next to the big convention center in downtown Kansas City, where a lot of things occurred this summer. There was the National Skills USA Competition, Ramadan and President Barack Obama’s arrival, but by far the neatest part was when the American Idol auditions were in town. The day the judges came, our office took the lunch hour to stand outside for the arrival of J-Lo, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr. (Look for me on television!)

Even with all of the excitement happening, there were still a few things I would have wanted different. I mentioned earlier my experience pushed me to a conclusion about my future career, though I also want to incorporate more than desk work into my upcoming career. My internship was solely desk and computer work, which doesn’t entirely suit my personality. I want to be out moving around, maybe capturing my own photos for any print work I do in the future.

I am thankful for all the time spent at the Hereford Association this summer and all the staff I worked with and I believe I can owe this whole great opportunity to knowing the right people. My boss for the summer is someone I have known through county 4-H for many years, and she has been giving me helpful tips about Ag Communications since I announced it was my intended study pursuit. She encouraged me to job shadow at the office prior to college, and I did just that. Two summers ago, I went in for a day and met everyone and learned what the office was like. I think it helped tremendously for my internship interview, which was by phone, because they all had a face to put with my name and a previous encounter to judge my assimilation to the office.

If you are looking for an internship that works extensively with design, you are good at communicating ideas with clients, you have a background in the beef industry, and you want to learn a wide variety of basic communication skills, I recommend this internship for you. Be looking out for the application next February!

K-State Department of Communications & Agricultural Education- McKayla Brubaker

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chantelles

As a student, I had always thought internships meant traveling to new places, sometimes far away from home, slaving away fetching coffee and making copies, and hoping to gain experience along the way. However, my internship this past spring could not have proved me more wrong. This past spring, I interned with Deb Pryor from K-State’s Department of Communications and Ag Education, right here in Manhattan, KS. At the time, I wasn’t really looking for an internship, due to my busy summer schedule. Dr. Ellis recommended me for the internship and I found out that the project was just right for me!

The purpose of my internship was to help preserve the history, customs, and culture of the Kaw Indians for current and future generations, as well as promoting public awareness, through an e-publication and a hardcopy book (hopefully in the near future). The project started out with a trip to Kaw City, OK to visit their tribal lands and powwow grounds, where I was responsible for taking portraits of the Kaw members in their regalia, or traditional clothing. I also distributed interview surveys, assisted Deb with video interviews, and visited with the Kaw Nation and the public to promote the Kaw Heritage Project. My favorite part of the project was getting to set in on interviews. It was so captivating to see how passionate the Kaw members were about their heritage. Some people would be in tears, others in anger about how their tribe was treated by the government in the past. Each person reacted a little differently and had something unique and truly eye-opening to say.

When we returned from our trip, I analyzed transcripts from Deb’s video interviews, picking out the important parts to put in each interviewee’s biography. This was probably the most difficult part of my internship because they all had so many good stories and things to say. I used those details to write up a biography about the interviewee. The e-publication (as well as the book) is a showcase of different traditions, family histories, personal testimonies, and the importance of the Kaw culture. I also gained editing experience from the biographies. When the biographies were complete, I used Adobe software to design and layout the pages, using my photos and biographies I had written. For the e-publication, Deb inserted her video interview clips so online viewers could actually see the people telling parts of their story.

From October to March, I had a considerable amount of time to grow as an intern. I learned a lot about varying my writing style from third to first person and from news writing to a more creative, feature piece. At first, it was difficult to switch gears from writing class papers, but it soon became second nature. During my internship, I learned the basic functions of using the Adobe Creative Suite Programs (Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.). Using this software was one thing I really wanted to get out of my internship. I also was able to practice and refine my interviewing skills. This internship really allowed me to learn a lot about myself. The biggest area of growth was my personality. I had to work though being a little shy and further develop my brain to critically think and analyze details more than I normally would. This internship really showed me the importance of being passionate about the company/cause you work for. I will also be able to use this experience in layout and design to help me in my future careers designing advertisements and other items.

This internship has been a memorable experience! I would recommend this particular type of internship to those who aren’t quite sure about an internship experience. Starting from the comfort of the K-State Campus and Manhattan area is a great way to begin in the internship world. Manhattan has plenty of experts in a variety of areas that you can definitely gain experience from. Students that are interested in local internships can visit with their advisors or campus professors for more information. If you aren’t sure about trying an internship, this is the way to go!

Kansas State University