10 Ways Iowa Corn Changed My Life

Every day graduation is one step closer. As my last semester races by, I think of all the people that have changed my life over these four years. That list is long, but the men and women at Iowa Corn are certainly near the top. Here are some of the best memories we've made together.

There's just something about that Hilton Magic! All Iowa State
students should experience the thrill of a CyHawk game!

1. CyHawk Series - You're not getting the full Iowa State student experience if you skip the CyHawk games. Whether it's standing in the deafening student section at Hilton or handing out 8,000 t-shirts at Jack Trice, Iowa Corn has touched every corner of my student experience. The Iowa v. Iowa State rivalry is fun in itself, but seeing my favorite farmers and reminders of all their hard work at the games is the cherry on top. Plus, who's day isn't a little better after a high five from Captain Corn?

Meeting Marco Andretti was one of the biggest highlights of the
Ethanol Powered Weekend, but there were so many cool parts!

2. Ethanol Powered Weekend - I never have been much of a racing fan, so if you told high school me that one of my college highlights would be a whole weekend at the Iowa Speedway I would have laughed in your face. Well, college senior me is here to say it's true! Being that close to such fast cars, fueled by ethanol from corn produced on farms of the fans that surrounded me was really neat. Between meeting farmers and munching on sweet corn I learned all kinds of cool facts. Did you know, today over 95% of all fuel sold in the U.S. is blended with 10% ethanol?! To top it off I got to ride in the pace car, meet Marco Andretti and tour the pits! (We’ll save the story where I spill a whole cooler of butter patties in the middle of an intersection for another blog post.)

I've had such a good time serving as an officer of ISU Corn Growers with
these ladies.

3. Network - Iowa Corn has given me an incredible network that I'll keep in touch with for years to come. Because of them, I know people who are passionate about agriculture, just like me, across the country. I've had the opportunity to work next to some of the most passionate agvocates (like Carrie and Janelle) while at Iowa Corn. Everyone in the organization inspires me with their work ethic and dedication to Iowa's farmers.

Meeting these Iowa bloggers at #AgChat Conference was truly
life changing! I can't wait to see where this blog takes me after all
 their advice.

4. ISU Corn Growers - For the last four years, when I wasn't in class, chances are I was at a club activity. Iowa State University Corn Growers Association (ISUCGA) has given me a chance to grow my friendships and leadership skills. With my fellow members, I've put on large events, cleaned up the local highway and traveled around the state. Serving as this group's secretary challenged me to grow creatively and as a teammate. Together, we made many memories that will last a lifetime.

Pump promotions with Iowa Corn were such a fun way to travel the state
and talk to people about ethanol.

5. Ag Chat Conference - If you follow my social media, you know I traveled to Nashville in November for an AgEI trip and #AgChat conference. The conference inspired me and was the last push of motivation I needed to tackle re-branding this blog. In just two days, my photography and writing improved. So many ladies generously shared their advice with me. It was also awesome to meet bloggers I've admired for years in real life. None of this would have been possible without Iowa Corn's generous sponsorship. Extra shout out to my new friend Alicia at Pork Diaries for driving me all the way back to Iowa!

During my internship I went on some really neat farm tours with foreign
teams. It was awesome to see them learn about American agriculture.

6. Internship - For many college students, internships are the highlight of their college career. I'm no exception. The summer after my sophomore year I had the privilege of spending three months as the Market Development intern in Iowa Corn's office. In that short time I experienced so much! More importantly than mastering Excel or learning how to ship thousands of t-shirts, I began to understand the global impact Iowa corn farmers make. By attending the Governor's Livestock Charity Steer Show, Ethanol Powered Weekend and hosting foreign teams I learned how important corn is to the livestock, fuel and export industries. There's no way I could remember all the facts and figures I heard that summer, but I will admit www.iowacorn.org has been cited as a source for more than one of my course papers. 

Last year our ISUCGA group went on an industry tour to Pioneer in
Johnston, Iowa. I learned so much!

7. Twitter Takeover - Anyone who knows me, even just a little, knows I'm passionate about sharing the stories of agriculture, especially on social media. That's why I was so giddy when Iowa Corn asked me to take over their Twitter account for a day last semester. It was so much fun to share how the organization and ag community have impacted my life with all their followers.

8. Wardrobe - This is one of those unintended benefits of involvement with Iowa Corn. I lost track of how many Iowa Corn shirts I've collected a long time ago, but I'm confident I could get through a week or two without repeating a one.

9. Farmland - Last spring, ISUCGA pulled off a wonderful Farmland Screening and Panel event. That night, guests watched the documentary Farmland, and had the opportunity to ask questions of six local Iowa farmers. Organizing this event is one of my biggest accomplishments of the last four years, but it wouldn't have been possible without the support of Iowa Corn. They lent us Captain Corn and the 8 foot farmers, plus donated cups (made from corn) so everyone could enjoy popcorn and drinks with the movie. The experience just wouldn't have been complete without popcorn!! 

10. Industry Visits - The Market Development internship and ISUCGA opened doors to visit many ag businesses. I've learned more about livestock and seed corn production thanks to Iowa Corn related trips. You can read more of what I learned at a cattle feedlot, dairy days, egg facility and Pioneer in their individual blog posts.

It's safe to say college wouldn't have been the same without Iowa Corn. I'm so thankful they've been part of my agricultural journey so far, and I can't wait to see where the future leads. To learn more about their organization and how it can change your life go to www.iowacorn.org. To keep up with all they're doing with farmers and college students like me around the state follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for reading!

Ag Jobs A to Z: District Field Manager

Janelle Kracht (top) and 
Carrie Dodds
Photo Credit: Iowa Corn

D is for District Field Manager! I'm excited to introduce you to not one, but two of the fantastic District Field Managers at Iowa Corn. I had the privilege of working with these ladies at pump promotions and the Iowa Corn Indy 300 during my market development internship two summers ago. I still run in to them from time to time and Carrie works closely with the ISU Corn Growers I'm involved with on campus.

Janelle and Carrie have a similar role, but serve in different regions of the state of Iowa. They each bring a unique perspective to the organization and are wonderful ambassadors for Iowa agriculture. 

1. Where did you go to school?

Janelle: I graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture with an emphasis in Turf Management.

Carrie: I graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a Bachelor or Science in Animal Science and Ag Business and a minor in Marketing.

2. What inspired you to be a District Field Manager?

Janelle: I knew that I wanted a career that would present the opportunity to make a difference in the world every day.  It was very important to me to end a work day knowing that what I did was helping someone and bettering our society and industry. 

A friend from college, who had worked for Iowa Corn, reached out and encouraged me to apply for the DFM position.  The rest is history.

Carrie: My love for working with farmers is what lead me to pursue this position.  I feel it is imperative for farmers and the agricultural industry to tell their story. 

3. How long have you been working as a District Field Manager?

Janelle: I will be celebrating my 8th Anniversary as a District Field Manager with Iowa Corn in November, 2015.

Carrie: 3 years.

4. What skills are necessary for a career as a District Field Manager?

Janelle: I believe a successful District Field Manager is passionate about the industry, organized, is a good communicator, has a strong work ethic, is a good listener, is driven and is not afraid to have constructive conversation.  

Carrie: You must be a motivated self-starter and flexible.  No day is ever the same and your schedule can change with the weather, literally.  If it is raining and one of your county groups can meet sometimes you have to shuffle something around to get a meeting in.  I feel you need to be comfortable working with people of all ages and demographics.  One day you could be meeting with a group of farmers or doing elevator visits and the next day you could be presenting for a group of 100 Second graders. 

5. How does your job fit into the agricultural industry? (Who do you work with? Who do you help? Who helps you?)

Janelle: I primarily work with corn farmers who are active within their local county corn grower board.  We are engaged within the community educating consumers about the Ag industry, i.e.; where their food comes from, the benefits of ethanol, biotechnology, sustainability, conservation, water quality, etc.  We understand the need to work with the youth in agriculture and educate them about the importance of getting involved.  Local county boards also recognize the importance of being engaged in the political aspect of industry. 

Carrie: As a DFM you are tasked to tell the story or help others tell the story of Iowa Corn and the agricultural industry every day. We help farmers tell their story and work with audiences to understand the importance of where their food comes from and the vast uses of corn in their everyday lives. 

6. What career/internship opportunities are there with Iowa Corn?

Janelle & Carrie: We have a marketing internship for the summer and we are looking to hire a social media manager full time. Here are the descriptions for each:

2016 Summer Marketing Intern: Iowa Corn is seeking a smart, organized, energetic person to assist with activities in our current Marketing & Communications department. This internship offers an excellent opportunity for a talented student committed to help implementing programs that increase demand for corn and creating profitably for Iowa’s corn farmers. The Marketing Intern will work closely with Iowa Corn’s Marketing & Communications team to provide support for state and local programs.

Social Media Manager: This position is responsible for the management of an effective and efficient communications program for the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and Iowa Corn Growers Association.  It initiates and manages communications projects, specific to website management and social media platforms, with other internal departments in the areas of research, marketing, public policy and grower services, ensuring that the organizations’ image is consistently and appropriately communicated in the various target segments. 

7. Is there anything else you would like a student audience to know?

Janelle: It’s important to be involved and engaged in the Ag industry.  There are so many different outlets that will allow you to become involved and many organizations that you can belong to to help keep you engaged with what is happening within the industry.  These organizations are working for you and working for the best interest of the farmer. Organizations strive to find students, farmers and agribusiness’ to be engaged in their respective organizations.  Your input is vital to success of an organization like the Iowa Corn Growers Association. 

I can't thank Janelle and Carrie enough for sharing their experiences and advice today. I certainly look up to them as exemplary women in agriculture. Be sure to stop by and say hello if you see them at the Iowa Corn Career Fair booth next Tuesday! Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night: Iowa Nice

Last Thursday, the Iowa State University Corn Growers Association hosted their 2nd Annual Spring BBQ and I was honored to be part of the officer team that oversaw the event. 

Cyclones were invited for a free meal of delicious pork burgers and chips and savored a treat of ISU Dairy Science Club ice cream for desert. The evening's activities were open to all students and provided a great opportunity to network with the event's sponsors as well as peers passionate about agriculture. Over two hundred people filled the new Jeff & Deb Hansen Agricultural Learning Center to enjoy the evening of food, entertainment, and conversation.



The club was honored to have Scott Siepker, more well known as the Iowa Nice Guy, as our guest speaker. Through his hilarious talk, he hit some more serious points emphasizing the importance of an appreciation for agriculture. Without farmers who are willing to share their stories, it's pretty hard for the 98% percent of people outside of production agriculture to be enthusiastic about the industry that feeds and fuels their lifestyle. Finally, Scott spoke about making your dreams come true in Iowa. Iowa is a great place to live, start a career, and raise a family. There's no need to look beyond your back door for a place your goals can be achieved. As an Iowan, Siepker has launched an acting career. ESPN features and the videos below are some of his accomplishments. With today's technology and the 'nice' culture found in Iowa, start chasing your dreams, whatever they are. Thanks for reading!

'Nice' Videos:

(Click the photo above to watch "Farmer Nice")

(Click the photo above to watch "Iowa Nice")

(Click the photo above to watch "Cyclone Nice")

Iowa Ag Leaders Dinner Reflection

Yesterday evening, I had the honor of attending the Iowa Ag Leaders dinner hosted by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey. Agricultural business leaders, commodity group members, legislators, FFA members, and Iowa State University representatives gathered for a night of networking and inspiration. I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with friends and mentors during the reception. 

Photo Credit: Katie Klaes

As we savored a delicious dinner served by The Machine Shed, I was encouraged by talks from Abrah Meyer, FFA President for the state of Iowa, Bill Northey and the keynote address from former President and CEO of Heifer International, Jo Luck. There were so many good things mentioned about the enthusiasm of young agriculturalists, and the leadership of Iowa in the industry, but I wanted to share a couple things from Ms. Luck's speech in particular. 

In order to have achievement, you must possess VISION. This is how she described VISION:

V- Values. Know what you value and write it down. Everyone should value caring and sharing.
I- Important. Know what is important to you. (and probably many of the people around you) Family, love, health, faith, justice, community, education, etc.
S- Senses. We learn about 5 senses from the time we are young-- sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing and it's great to use and appreciate all of those, but there are 5 more sense that are also essential-- sense of direction, sense of pride, common sense, sensitivity, and sometimes the hardest to remember, sense of humor.
I- Interdependence. Teamwork, harmony and balance are all key components of achievement. No matter how independent you may be, we still impact each other. There is a Kenyan saying that means "Together we can do it."
O- Ownership. There must be a local (or personal) belief, want, need, and value for the goal. Luck shared the example of Dr. Tererai Trent, which is a story that will have to wait for another blog post.
N- NamJai. A Kenyan word translated "living waters of the heart." Compassion is so important in everything you do, from a smile and thank you to a hosting family, to taking time to walk in someone else's shoes. 

Simply put, never compromise your core values, remember what is important, use all your senses, be sure the right people own it with you, and don't forget your NamJai... ever.

Finally, I want to leave you with one last quote I found particularly inspiring. It went something like this, "You never know when you are influencing someone who will change the world."

As you pursue your goals I challenge you to keep your VISION in mind. Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night, 7th edition!

This week's Monday Night Movie Night is a little different than most. Usually, these posts feature several YouTube clips on a variety of ag topics I've gathered throughout the course of the week. This time, I have feature length movie for you! Farmland is free on Hulu right now!

Farmland is an award winning documentary, sharing the story of six farmers and their families. I've been fortunate to see it several times already thanks to Iowa Corn, and the movie was one of the things that inspired me to start this blog. So today, on this cold, rainy, fall Monday, curl up with a blanket and enjoy! Thanks for reading!

Wordless Wednesday: Kinda Cheating

This week I kinda cheated on Wordless Wednesday. None of these pictures are actually wordless, but I've been collecting all these infographics for quite a while and finally decided today was the day to share them with you. I'm sure you've noticed I'm kind of a nerd for these little fun facts.

Check out #NationalPorkMonth, Iowa Corn, or Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board for more facts and figures. The Iowa Corn Facebook has had a lot of these great pictures lately so be sure to go "Like" their page for more. As always, thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear your feedback!

Monday Night Movie Night, 3rd Edition!

It's been a while since I've posted a Monday Night Movie Night, but I ran across a few videos I want to share with you this past week. 

At Farm Progress Show last week the Beck's Hybrids Why I Farm campaign greeted me as I approached the gates. Here's another one of my favorites from them. As always, let me highly recommend their Youtube channel for more heart warming videos.

I hope you've had a chance to read about my experience at the Iowa Corn Indy 300 this past July. (If not you can catch up here.) Even if you're not a big race fan, check out this short clip from Indy Car of some of the highlights. Notice how incredibly fast the cars are going... even though the video doesn't really do it justice. I've said it a bunch already, but I am so thankful to see the performance of ethanol powered racing, and so many other things through my Market Development Internship with Iowa Corn. 

The GMO/organic discussion is all over the news, social media, and editorials today and has been a hot topic for several years. Last year I was fortunate enough to attend the Food Dialogues Event at Iowa State University. Even though this isn't a short clip, let me encourage you to watch and learn the science behind the debate. Katie Olthoff and Wayne Humphreys, who've been featured in my blog before are on the panel. 

Hope you've enjoyed these videos and learned something new! As always, I'd love to hear about any new clips you find! Thanks for reading!

Wordless Wednesday: Iowa Corn

This Monday school started again at Iowa State, which means my summer internship at Iowa Corn came to an end. For my second Wordless Wednesday, I'm sharing some of my favorite shots of the last 12 weeks. Check out my other blog posts to learn the details about each special memory captured in these photos.

It's so hard to share all these photos without exploding with stories. I want so badly to add a little caption of lessons learned and people encountered, but then it wouldn't be Wordless Wednesday! It'll have to wait for another day. Thanks for reading!

Wordless Wednesday: Iowa State Fair

I'm going to steal an idea from A First Generation Farm Wife and share a Wordless Wednesday post with you. As I worked so many booths at the Iowa State Fair last week I really enjoyed watching people take in the fair. It encouraged me to look at things through a new perspective and I enjoyed taking in all the details. Here are a few of the shots I gathered.

I hope you had the chance to see the Iowa State Fair for yourself! I'd love to see your pictures. Thanks for reading!

Northwest Iowa Livestock Tour: Center Fresh Group

As one of my last adventures with Iowa Corn this summer, I traveled with the Animal Ag and Environment Committee to Northwest Iowa to tour the livestock industry. In that part of the state, livestock is a huge customer for our corn farmers. Monday night, we enjoyed dinner and conversation with influential members of the beef and pork industry. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to their experiences and insight while making the connection with economics and business classes I've been taking at Iowa State.

Our group was made up of livestock and corn farmers from across the state, but none had experience raising chickens commercially, so it was a learning experience for everyone.

Tuesday morning we got up early and started the day off at Center Fresh Group in Sioux Center, Iowa. Center Fresh is a shell egg and egg-product producer with over 30 million layers in total. Jim Dean severs as the CEO and president of the United Egg Producers. The business began with eight family founders that pooled their resources to begin their entrepreneurial journey.  

Upon arrival, we heard a detailed explanation of the egg industry and their operation from Complex Manager Mark VanOort. Later, he gave an excellent tour of the cracking facilities. I took an entire page of notes and was embarrassed I had no idea how huge the egg industry was in Iowa prior to our visit. Somewhere I'd heard that Iowa is #1 in egg production in the United States, but I had no clue that a hen could lay 264 eggs per year or that 1 bird will eat 1 bushel of corn per year.

During his presentation, Mark did a wonderful job of describing the housing facilities for their hens. We weren't able to go inside because they want to keep their chickens safe from any diseases we could track in on our shoes, but their system was explained so well. To me, the outside of the barn look similar to hog confinements, long buildings that stretch the length of two football fields. Giant fans at the end keep fresh air flowing for the animals inside. The birds live in groups in cages and are happy to live in each other's close company. The manager explained, the breed of birds that lay for them are living the life they want. Just like some people prefer the country, while others would rather live downtown New York City, chickens aren't any different. These hens love to be with each other, and actually don't perform as well when they are in more spacious conditions. 

Our tour was so interesting and filled with surprising facts about the egg industry.

Another thing that amazed me about the company was their ability to turn bi-products into useful things, turning cost centers to profit centers while being more environmentally responsible. Substances like manure and shells that would normally be thrown away are now purchased by local farmers to spread on corn and soybean fields. The manure eliminates the need for some chemical fertilizers and is a great way to recycle. Shells from the cracking facility can be applied to control the pH of the soil instead of limestone.

Kurt Hora and Wayne Humphreys examine a product made with egg shells.

Accompanying the AAE Committee to Northwest Iowa was one of the highlights of my summer so far for sure! I'm so thankful for the businesses that took time to share their story with us. Stay tuned to learn more about Bar-K Cattle and Multi-Rose Dairy. Thanks for reading! 

Monday Night Movie Night!

It's Monday night movie night! Okay, so I may have just made that up, but really, check out some of these video clips I've run across while working on different projects for Iowa Corn. They're pretty neat and hopefully you'll pick up some interesting facts. You may need a kleenex box for the last few! Enjoy!

I've always thought time lapse videos are cool and the hog buildings that dot the Iowa landscape intrigue me. Check this clip out to see the process of building one and learn more about the Coalition to Support Iowa Farmers. Give their website a peek if you have a chance!

Farmland is a movie that recently came out documenting 6 farmers and their day to day lives. Before you let the word documentary scare you away, watch the trailer below. Thanks to the ISU Corn Club, I got to see the full length movie in theaters last spring. If you get the chance to take it in, I highly recommend it!

This is one of my favorite video clips because it features my boss, Shannon Textor, and a farmer from my hometown, Wayne Humphreys. This one is sure to make you smile!

The other day, our office received a call from someone wanting to learn more about high fructose corn syrup. A member of our team was able to answer all their questions and clear up a lot of misconception, and it made me interested to learn more about a product that is in so much of our food. You're sure to learn something new here:

(Click on the photo. I couldn't get a video linked up like the others)

I saved my personal favorites for last. Since Beck's Hybrids came and spoke to the Ag Business Club last year, I have been obsessed with their "Why I Farm" campaign. It was so hard to chose which videos to put on the blog, so be sure to check out all the others on their YouTube channel. Make sure to have some tissues handy! These videos give me goosebumps no matter how many times I watch them!

I hope you've enjoyed these clips as much as I did and they've inspired you to learn more. Thanks for reading!

Northwest Iowa Dairy Days

One of the reasons I finally decided to begin my blogging journey has been my internship with Iowa Corn. I'm so blessed to be able to work in the Market Development department and surround myself with so many experts in agriculture. Later this summer, you'll hear more about my big projects like pump promotions, foreign teams, and the Iowa Corn Indy 300. 

Every once in a while, to help out other departments in the office, I get to go on their trips. Several weeks ago I traveled with our Communications intern to Northwest Iowa for a Dairy Days event. Because it wasn't my project I didn't know what our night would entail, but as soon as we arrived realized I was in for a treat!

The educational event was hosted by Plymouth Dairy Farms near LeMars, Iowa. The 2,700 head dairy farm invited families of all ages to join them for an open house that included tours of the dairy, kids activity tent, and a free meal. I was so disappointed we ran out of time before I got the chance to hop on the tour, but was really impressed with the neat and clean facilities on the farm. Western Iowa Dairy Alliance and Midwest Dairy Association were excellent sponsors. Many passionate volunteers directed visitors, passed out literature, and offered a helping hand to those of us setting up booths.


The Iowa Corn display was inside the children's tent along with tables from Iowa State Extension, a petting zoo, the corn pools and other commodity group's information. I loved watching little ones squeal with excitement as they pet young calves, bunnies and kittens. A large crowd of children enjoyed burying themselves in the corn pools. 

 

 



At our table families lined up to make corn necklaces for a solid two hours. Despite heavy rain the line was steady. It was so exciting to see eager young faces curious about corn. As the children filled their small baggies with soil, selected a corn seed, watered it and clipped it on a lanyard we asked them questions. "Is the corn hard or soft? Do you eat this kind of corn? Why are you putting water in there?" As they moved down the line Sarah, the other intern, and I explained, "This corn is hard, not soft and juicy like sweet corn. You eat sweet corn at your house, but these cows eat hard corn. The corn helps the cows produce the milk you drink. If you tasted their corn you'd think it was yucky. Corn plants need water just like you to grow big and strong." By the time the kids proudly held their finished project they were repeating all they'd just learned to their parents.

At the end of the night, over 200 corn necklaces had been made. According to an article in the local newspaper, more than 2,000 visitors completed the tour. Several employees of the nearby ice cream plant, Wells Blue Bunny, brought their families to see where the products they make start out. After our display was torn down and the Escape was packed up we enjoyed burgers and ice cream bars.

I truly enjoyed my visit to Northwest Iowa and agvocating with so many others in the ice cream capital of the world! Thanks for reading!

For more photos check out the Western Iowa Dairy Alliance Facebook album here.