Monday Motivation: Why I Farm Roadtrip Week 38

I don't know about you, but after a weekend full of trudging through mud and a disappointing Packers game, I was in serious need of some motivation this morning. Fortunately, thanks to more than 30 weeks on the road, I knew the perfect solution. After revisiting these Why I Farm stories, I was ready to take on the week, rain or shine.

Indiana farmer: Scott Sands and family

 "I farm because God put the love for it into my heart. We’re just a small percent of the population so I feel like it’s an honor to farm, really. Not everybody does this, and it’s such a big job, and a lot of responsibility. I feel like I farm because I was given the love to do it." -Scott Sands and his family, of Claypool, Indiana

Indiana farmer: Brian Scott

“I love farming. I had to leave for about six years to know that. It’s hard to find the words, but it’s where I’m supposed to be, I know. I don’t think of it as a job. I hardly ever get stressed out. When I’m not working, I think about it and that’s okay. In my old job, when I was thinking about work when I wasn’t at work, that was stress. It’s a lifestyle as much as a career. It’s the freedom to take your own destiny in your hands and bring your family along with you.” -Brian Scott of The Farmer's Life in Delphi, Indiana

Minnesota farmers: Jonathan and Carolyn Olson

"I’ve been given the wonderful opportunity to farm. I love being out on the land. Sometimes as an organic farmer we do more passes because we’re doing more cultivation. We see the crops more, but I love every pass. It’s a great place to raise the kids and I love the lifestyle. Even though the hours are crazy sometimes, I truly enjoy it. I like being able to work together with my wife on the farm. Why do I farm? I guess it’s the love of it all." -Jonathan Olson and his wife Carolyn, crop and lifestock farmers near Cottonwood, Minnesota

This week was another great reminder to be thankful for the opportunities I've been given and do my work with passion. I hope these stories challenge you as well. Happy Monday! Thanks for reading!

Ag Jobs A to Z: Media Relations

Ashley Woodward-Fischer, Photo credit: Beck's Hybrids

Over the last four years I've had some fantastic internships that introduced me to wonderful mentors. Last summer, I interned with Beck's and was blessed to work with Ashley every day. Because of her, my writing has improved and I feel lots closer to being ready for a career.

1. Where did you go to school?
Purdue University

2. What inspired you to pursue a job in media relations?
I graduated from Purdue with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications. After graduation I interned at a marketing communications agency in Milwaukee, Wis. During my internship, I realized how much I enjoyed the agency lifestyle – fast paced, always evolving, and it challenged me as an individual. 

But I didn’t want to start my career at a large agency so I moved to Fort Worth, Texas to work for a small agency. I wanted to learn from the ground up. That’s when I fell in love with media relations. 

From there, I worked with another agency in Madison, Wis., before coming back to central Indiana to work for Beck’s, the largest family-owned, retail seed company in the United States.

When I started at Beck’s, no one was doing media relations and I wasn’t hired for that purpose. But I told them media relations was a passion and a vital component they were missing in their marketing communications. Now, five years and three job titles later, I’m not only doing what I love, I was able to build our media relations program.  

3. How long have you been working in media relations?
9 years

4. What skills are necessary for a career in media relations?
Passion. If you’re going to succeed in media relations, you’ll want to be passionate about your job. It you’re not, then it’s not for you. 

Innovation. Things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes that means you have to innovate, adapt and overcome. 

Adaptability. I’ll repeat. Things don’t always go as planned. Be adaptable. Be patient. Be helpful. And most of all, be kind.

Integrity. Always tell the truth. 

Commitment. Timeliness is everything in media relations. No matter if you are answering a reporter’s question, finding a source, or reviewing a story before it goes to print, you want to respond in a timely manner. You never want to lose an opportunity to tell your story. And even if it’s 6:00 a.m. or 8:00 p.m., sometimes stories, challenges or situations come in at all hours. It’s a commitment, but when you love what you do, it doesn’t matter the hour. 

Teamwork. Whether you’re working with a coworker or a media professional, don’t forget to work effectively with others. 

5. How does your job fit into the agricultural industry? (Who do you work with? Who do you help? Who helps you?) 
For Beck’s, it’s not just about getting our message out in the public, it’s about helping farmers succeed. Through our field agronomists and Practical Farm Research (PFR)® team, we have excellent unbiased content for media to utilize.  

As a media relations professional I work with farm broadcasters, agricultural editors or writers, bloggers, TV, as well as the general media. I work with many audiences – internal employees, agricultural media, general media, etc. At the end of the day, when I get a request from the media, my goal is to find the right person for the interview. Not someone from the marketing department. I want them to speak to the person who “lives” in the topic of discussion every day. 

6. What career/internship opportunities are there in media relations?
Yes, there are career and internship opportunities available in media relations. Whether it’s working for a marketing communications agency, public relations agency, a company, or industry association, there are many opportunities available. 

7. Is there anything else you would like a student audience to know?
No matter the job, no matter who you work for, and no matter what happens, always tell the truth. If you make a mistake, own it. I’ll never forget my first major mistake and neither will you. And I promise, no matter how hard you try to not make a mistake, it’ll happen. Trust me. But making a mistake is how we grow as individuals and professionals. 

Ag Jobs A to Z: Research

Lee Koenigsfeld is a Research Associate for Beck's Hybrids, where I interned last summer, working in Iowa. His sister is my roommate and so kindly offered him up to help me complete this Ag Jobs A to Z series. (Aren't sisters the best?) Putting together this blog post has been such a fun way to learn about a part of Beck's I never got to experience.

1. Where did you go to school?
I attended Iowa State University and graduated with a degree in agronomy.

2. What inspired you to pursue a job in research?
My initial plan when starting my college experience was to do as many internships, in as many different fields, as possible. After my freshman year, I did an internship with Remington Hybrids working in seed corn production. My sophomore year, I was hired for a soybean research internship with Pioneer and that was when the plan changed for me. I felt as though I had found my spot and I never had a non-research related internship after that.

3. How long have you been working in research?
I have been working off and on in research since that first six month internship with Pioneer in 2010. In 2011, I worked for Iowa State University in the Entomology Department, working mostly in corn research. It was here that I learned I preferred soybean to corn research so in 2012, I went back to Pioneer for another six month soybean internship and never really left after that.  I was hired full time by Pioneer in the spring of 2013 as a soybean research associate. In September of 2015, I left Pioneer to take my current job with Beck’s Hybrids as a Research Associate ll.

4. What skills are necessary for a career in research?
The most important skill I think someone needs to have if they want to work in research is a love of the outdoors. I am outside in every season, though not as often in the winter. Strong agronomic skills are also very important, working in field research means you have the opportunity to experience every problem a farmer can; we need to be able to recognize those problems to evaluate our plots to give our customers the best products possible. Computer skills are a major plus in research, as we do a lot of database work for the notes that we take on our plots. We also operate equipment as well, so willingness to run a tractor and combine are paramount.

5. How does your job fit into the agricultural industry? (Who do you work with? Who do you help? Who helps you?)
Working for Beck’s, I am in charge of helping manage their soybean testing program here in the Central Corn Belt. What I do is plant plots with hundreds of different soybean varieties in various locations trying to evaluate the varieties in different environments, soil types, and maturities. Then these locations are closely monitored to evaluate the different varieties as potential new products. In the fall we travel around and combine the plots to evaluate for yield. The information collected is then passed on and the products performance is evaluated to see if they have the potential to become a product.

6. What career/internship opportunities are there in research?
There are several different opportunities for internships in the research field. Beck’s, as well as other companies, offer internships. In both of my Pioneer internships I was given my own project to work on which was something I really enjoyed.There are also just as many career opportunities as internships.

7. Is there anything else you would like a student audience to know?
As margins continue to be tight for the farming community, being able to get the most out of every bag of seed becomes increasingly important. Research is what gives the end user (the farmer) the best chance to succeed.

One other thing I would stress to college students is the value of having six month internships. It looks great on your resume when you go to apply for a full-time position. One of the other great things about them is getting to see a much larger picture of what actually happens in the course of the year, being able to experience both planting and harvest is a very rewarding feeling at the end of the internship.  

I'm so glad my roommate Lynn convinced her brother to share his story with me. Thanks Lee!

Ag Jobs A to Z: Human Resources

Photo Credit: Samantha Miller

Passion, agvocate, and outgoing are the first words that come to mind when I think of Samantha Miller. We spent many hours together at the Indiana State Fair sharing Why I Farm stories with fair enthusiasts during my Beck's marketing internship. Last summer, each afternoon as I sat at my desk I would hear Sam leading a new group of farmers through the office tour. Now that I'm back in school at Iowa State, I enjoy seeing her at career prep events and keeping in touch on social media.

Since we met, Sam has been very supportive my blog. I'm thrilled to finally have a chance to feature her. Thanks, Sam for sharing your perspective and advice!





1. Where did you go to school?
I have a B.S. in Plant Science-Agronomy from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in Agronomy from Purdue University. 

2. What inspired you to pursue a job in human resources?
I love that human resources, through the internship program at Beck's Hybrids allows me to mentor college students and help them find where they fit in our rapidly changing and very diverse industry.

3. How long have you been working in human resources?
I have been in Human Resources for almost one year. 

4. How does your job fit into the agricultural industry? (Who do you work with? Who do you help? Who helps you?)
As the Agvocacy Lead at Beck's Hybrids, I have the opportunity to work with our internship program.  This twelve week program allows students to experience the seed industry, and allows our company to get acquainted with some of the top students in our marketing area.  We have internships all across our marketing area and throughout the organization- in everything from marketing to research. 

5. What career/internship opportunities are there in human resources?
The entire agricultural industry is growing and changing at a faster pace than ever in the history of our species.  It requires an engaged Human Resources department to address the issues of finding great talent, and matching them to the perfect position. Unless the candidate is excited about the position, it probably won’t be a good fit.  Over the course of a career, the employee will grow and change, so it is our department that can make sure employees are given the professional development and an evolving position to the benefit of the employee and our company.  There is an oft-cited USDA study released a few years ago details the shortage of graduates in agriculture.  The industry is absolutely going to be hiring over the next few years, but in maybe different areas than traditional ‘ag’ roles.  Data management, precision agriculture, and automation are becoming just as important as agronomy and sales.

6. Is there anything else you would like a student audience to know?
One of the most fulfilling parts of interacting with students is learning what interests them, and then letting them know about various opportunities.  For instance a student who is interested in environmental science might not be aware that there are entire firms dedicated to ecological remediation and establishing wet land offsets. I’ve been lucky to have very diverse experience in the industry so simply putting students in touch with the right company and people can make a big difference.

My standard, general first job advice: Students should spend a considerable amount of effort exploring the culture of a company before agreeing to any position.  Often, a student will pick whichever opportunity offers the biggest number on the initial contract. The value of working for a company you believe in, and where you truly fit, far outweighs the initial 5 or 10 thousand dollar difference in initial salaries.  I’ve known many students who realize six months or two years into a position that the company isn’t exactly what the website described when they googled it in the interview phase. Unfortunately, by the time they make that determination the opportunity at the alternate firm is gone and the employee is back at square one.  Ask lots of questions, have lunch or connect through email with some employees who aren’t on the hiring committee to see how they feel about their jobs, use your network (or you university’s alumni network) to make some contacts before you commit to anything.  Remember, there is no such thing as a ‘right answer’ when you are selecting a job or a graduate school- just ‘different answers’ that can put you in very different places a few years down the road. 

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Ag Jobs A to Z: Graphic Designer

Photo credit: Beck's Hybrids

Life changing. That's the best way to describe last summer's internship with Beck's Hybrids. I learned so much about myself, my work habits, and agriculture. At the same time, I worked next to some of the most talented communicators and marketers in the industry. 

Jenna is a graphic designer at Beck's and is part of the team that made my experience so great. Watching her work ethic, creativity and passion taught me about the type of employee I want to be. I'm so thankful she's sharing her career story for today's Ag Jobs A to Z blog!

1. Where did you go to school?
I attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma and graduated with a degree in animal science and an ag economics minor. After a year and a half in the work force, I went back to school at a private art school in Kettering, Ohio, The School of Advertising Art (saa) for a diploma in advertising art. 

2. What inspired you to go into graphic design?
I’ve always been very artsy, and when I was deciding where to go to college, as a high school junior, I was torn between my passion for agriculture and my passion for art. I ultimately chose agriculture because that’s where I felt led, but I stayed involved with art: drawing on my own, taking a few electives here and there. Then I graduated and went into ag sales, but I found myself more drawn toward the marketing materials I was using to help make sales and that were used to advertise to my customers. Also, while working with dairy farmers, I saw a need for positive public relations and the promotion of agriculture in a positive light to people who don’t understand all of our agricultural practices and why we do them. These large producers didn’t have websites or promotional material, or any real way to promote themselves or their business. But, it wasn’t about promotion in the sense of making more money, it was in the vein of improving public understanding and perception. If your neighbors understand why you do something, and what you’re doing on your farm, when that inevitable manure spill happens, hopefully they might be more understanding. Or if they understand why gestation crates for sows are for the safety of the litter, for example. I was drawn to promoting agriculture, and improving the image and understanding of the industry. 

After a year and a half of not being fulfilled in my sales role, I left the company and with no job lined up, wasn’t sure what I was doing. I was looking for jobs and I ran across a communication position for Select Sires, a reproductive management service for dairy and beef producers, but I didn’t have the graphic design skills to fill the role. I happened across a graduation announcement from a local high school youth in my hometown that was attending saa. I instantly felt led to investigate the school. It seemed to provide the training I would need to fill a role like the one at Select Sires. So I submitted my high school art portfolio and college transcript, and was awarded a scholarship for the combination. Saa is focused on real world, tangible skills, and you are on a computer from day one of classes. It is small and the instructors are design professionals actually working in the industry. 

3. How long have you been working in graphic design?
Just over four years. I graduated from saa in 2011 and immediately started working for the international headquarters of the fraternity Beta Theta Pi in Oxford, Ohio. It wasn’t anything I’d envisioned. I’d planned to find a marketing role for an ag company or start consulting and immediately changing the world, but as all things happen for a reason, and typically not like you plan, the opportunity to work for a non-profit in Higher Ed appeared. I spent three years with the fraternity, and learned SO much, but then, like every opportunity I’ve had, an acquaintance from high school worked for Beck’s Hybrids in Atlanta, Indiana. He kept encouraging me to reach out to the marketing director and share my portfolio. Finally, after about three conversations, I followed through, and I was invited in for an interview and was hired. I am approaching one and a half years at Beck’s, and I consider it my dream job, combining ag and art. I work with amazing people who share a passion for agriculture but also wish to positively influence the public, with campaigns showcasing the hearts and souls of farmers and why they do what is often a thankless job, Beck’s “Why I Farm” campaign. 

4. What skills are necessary for a career in graphic design?
Your basic computer skills and some ability to sketch or draw are givens. Being creative is also a good skill to have, and the desire to learn and explore new technologies and methods and styles, as the world of design is always evolving. But one thing I cannot stress enough is the ability to write. You don’t have to be a novelist or grammar maven, but I remember one instructor saying, “You can have a great eye and design a great ad, but so can many other people. If you can write copy or an engaging headline or tagline, that takes you to the next level.” I enjoy writing, so I put that skill to good use on many of my projects. 

5. How does your job fit into the agricultural industry? (Who do you work with? Who do you help? Who helps you?)
I work for a company that has an in-house design team, so my “clients” are my company and any subsidiaries of my company. But they are clients none-the-less and I still have to meet their needs and know my audience. My audience is farmers. And right now, farmers who are 45-65 years in age, but not forgetting that the next generation is quickly taking over that target audience spot. So we need to be adapting how we market and design, like the platforms we use. I will work with other companies if we’re co-branding or working cooperatively with a partner on a project. I have a creative director who I work with, as well as other designers and video production specialists that all come together to complete a total campaign or provide support on a project, like photography needs. 

6. What career/internship opportunities are there in graphic design?
Career types:
Print focus - graphic design, production artist (Agency, in-house, non-profit, freelance)
Web/digital design (Agency, in-house, non-profit, freelance)
Web backend design (coding, html) 
Print production (working at a printer)
Art Director (agency or in-house) – responsible for managing the designers and over seeing that all projects are being completed 
Creative Director (agency or in-house) responsible for overall creative vision for the company or project

While there are specific internships for design (I completed an externship at a small creative agency in Dayton, Ohio) sales and marketing internships shouldn’t be overlooked, either. Being in sales taught me a lot about marketing, but primarily how to read people and understand their wants/needs. That’s taken me very far in my success as a designer and marketer. Classes and tutorials can teach you how to use the tools and design, but sales and marketing taught me how to work with people, read people, and better use my design skills to influence people.

There are a few options out there when it comes to graphic design industry segments:
1. Agency – High level design. This is long hours and intense work with many different clients who are outsourcing projects to a creative agency. Many designers will start as production artists, where they are given the creative concept by their creative director and will produce it to spec. Also, there are account managers where you will work with the client to understand, meet and convey their project needs, and help keep the project on schedule. You will have the opportunity to work with many different industries and clients and the scope of projects is large, but the hours can be long, and you are expected to work until it’s done, and your work better be great. The rewards you’ll reap, though, are also great. 
2. In-house – The idea of in-house teams is growing and expanding. I work for an in-house team, where a company hires all the components of an agency, from a creative director, to graphic designers and video specialists to copywriters. They eliminate the need to outsource projects to creative agencies, because company paid employees can do all the work. In-house has gotten the wrap of not being as talented or up to par with agencies, but this isn’t true. The quality of work can be just as high as agency, and I personally feel, better, because employees have a personal investment in the company, not just “Another project from another client from a company I don’t know anything about.” At Beck’s, we have many “clients.” From the main brand to departments and entities that fall under the Beck’s umbrella, I feel like I can constantly be challenged with new and different projects. 
3. Freelance – for the designer who wants to control their hours and when they work, whom they work for, how much they make and what they work on, freelance is great. You’ll also likely work from your home or a rented office space, probably won’t have co-workers unless you partner up with someone, and you’ll be responsible for obtaining work, which unless you have a built up list of regular clients and steady work, could be stressful as sometimes there might be dry periods when you don’t have work. 
4. Non-profit – In many cases, a designer working for a non-profit is dealing with a reduced budget, and are forced to be a jack of all trades, because the non-profit cannot afford to outsource work or hire an entire team, so the designer may be writing, designing and handling the printing/execution of the project, as well as the social media. But this allows for greater creativity too! Working within confines of a limiting budget forces you to go outside the box and find alternative solutions that have big bang for the buck. The budget may be smaller, and the restrictions greater, but the reward of having an impact on your audience and helping a non-profit are great. Again, a large budget and fancy tools don’t define a great designer. 
5. Print Production – this is strictly print design - another option would be to work for a printer or in prepress for a printer. You’d be responsible for making sure a project or job were set up correctly to be printed, and then operating the presses/tools, executing the finishing of the projects and communicating with the project lead or designer. 

7. Is there anything else you would like a student audience to know?
Knowing Photoshop and InDesign and having the latest software will not make you a great designer. They are tools to help elevate your work, but they do not make you a designer. 90% of being a successful marketer and designer is knowing your target audience and smart design. Just because something looks great doesn’t mean it will resonate with your audience. I can’t stress enough that every piece you design is meant to influence and affect the viewer on an emotional level. And being able to convey that and understand that will help make you a successful designer.

RESEARCH. Know whom you are marketing to, know who will be reading your ad. You have the ability with words, type, color and imagery to influence a demographic. This all comes from observing your surroundings, other people and how they look at things and take things in, and relying on more than just design skills. Being well rounded as a designer will make you so much more appealing to perspective employers. Don’t dismiss your creative writing class or your gen ed biology, you never know when having that knowledge will come in handy. Learn to read people, learn to observe your surroundings, and most importantly, learn to learn. That skill will take you farther than any class you take.  

Huge thanks to Jenna for her answers and advice. I'm glad she could be a part of Ag Jobs A to Z! It's so great how art and agriculture came together in her career journey. 

Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night: Why I Farm Music Video

This week's Monday Night Movie Night is one of the nearest and dearest to my heart I've ever posted. Over the summer, during my internship with Beck's I had the privilege of working on this video. Seeing all the creativity, hard work and passion that went into it makes me appreciate it that much more each time I watch it.

I hope you were touched by The Henningsens' graphic lyrics and the beautiful scenes of their real family farm. If you enjoyed the song, download it for free for a limited time at www.whyifarm.com! Thanks for reading!

Wordless Wednesday: Summer 2015 Internship Update #2

Overwhelmed. Proud. Inspired. Curious. Tired. Passionate. Excited. Amazed.

Walking up to Beck's facilities for 2015 Becknology Days I was swimming in a cloud of emotions as thick as the chilly morning fog. At the end of August, I attended their three day event as the final assignment of my summer marketing internship. There was so much going on! People to meet, things to learn, food to eat... and work to do.

I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to return to Indiana for this impressive event. Hopefully, you can get a glimpse of my experience in this week's Wordless Wednesday.

(Photo credits: Beck's Hybrids)

Becknology Days was an incredible way to wrap up the fantastic summer experience I had out in Indiana. I look forward to attending again in the future and, as always, sharing my experience with you. Thanks for reading!

Monday Night Movie Night: Frank Doll

It's been a long time since I've shared a Monday Night Movie Night, but with all the exciting Why I Farm releases recently, I can't help myself today.

Today, I'm sharing Frank Doll's Why I Farm video. It's the first video released as Beck's Why I Farm campaign enters its third year. Unfortunately, I've never met Frank, but working on his video as part of my summer internship had an impact on me. 

Hearing friends and community members speak so highly of him really made me think. How would people respond if they were interviewed about me?

There's just something that warms my heart when I hear a mother speaking about her children. I love how Judy supports Frank's agvocacy!

I've always admired women in ag, farm moms and wives! It's pretty neat to hear how much raising their sons on the farm means to Pam, especially since she grew up outside the dairy industry.

I can really relate to Derrik's comments. Back home, there are a handful of farmers that welcomed me to learn from their operation and sparked my interest in agriculture. They are mentors, friends and role models. Like Derrik, I'm thankful for the influence these agvocates have had in my life.

I could talk to farmers like Homer all day. His smile projects his passion for the farm before you hear him say a word. I love his slow storytelling and vision for the future. You can just tell by the twinkle in his eye, he's proud of where his son is leading the farm.

All in all, I was most inspired by Frank himself. On top of working 14+ hours Sunday to Sunday, he never stops sharing his agricultural story. He cares about his cows and the consumers that enjoy the products that come from his farm. 

I hope you're touched by these stories as I have been. I can't wait to see what the Why I Farm campaign will release next! Thanks for reading!

Summer 2015 Internship Update #1

By now, if you've been following the Roots Facbook page or Twitter, you know I've been interning in Atlanta, Indiana at Beck's Hybrids this summer. I began the Monday after my finals wrapped up in May and have been loving life "out east" ever since! Today is my 35th day on the job, so I'm way overdue (Imaging that! ;) ) for an update!

Part of my experience at Beck's is writing a weekly Intern Avenue blog post. It's great to have people holding me accountable to blog. I know down the road I'll be glad the stories of my summer have been saved. I'm also thankful for the opportunity this has given me to get more writing advice and critique. My supervisor has been great about kindly pointing out my weaknesses and helping me achieve my goal of being a more engaging/entertaining author.

I think my writing has improved, but check it out for yourself by reading the Intern Avenue blogs I've written so far:

First Impressions of the Beck Experience

Love For Stories

Blessed with the Best

The Road Less Traveled By

Who I Am: A Father's Day Tribute

What If and Why

I've also been able to contribute to the social media pages the Marketing Department manages. Below are all the links to their accounts, so be sure to like or follow them to see some of my work. Lately, I've been having a lot of fun adding to the Beck's Pinterest page!

Beck's Facebook

Beck's Twitter

Beck's Pinterest

Beck's YouTube

Beck's Instagram

This summer it's also been really cool to contribute to the #WhyIFarm movement Beck's started in 2013. You can read more in my first Intern Avenue, but Why I Farm is what got me hooked on the company in the first place. The Love for Stories post tells about my trip to Iowa filming a Why I Farm video. I can't share much on the subject yet because our work hasn't been released, but in the mean time visit WhyIFarm.com and enjoy some of the free download-ables. Keep your eyes peeled for exciting announcements later this summer on Why I Farm's Facebook and Twitter.

This will have to do for now, but I look forward to telling you more about all my experiences in Indiana. Meanwhile, keep a close eye on the Beck's Blog for my posts every Friday. Thanks for reading!

Hello again!

Hello again! I've taken a little break from blogging to prepare everything for the holidays, wrap up the academic semester, and begin a new job. In all I'm doing I find more and more things I want to share with you all, and want to take some time to catch up today!

First off, I've started another job! I joined the dataTHRESH team last month as the Marketing Communications Manager and have been learning tons about all the data tools available to farmers as they make decisions, like seed selection, for their farm. Within the first week on the job, my teammates and I hosted a tailgate event at Jack Trice to get to know farmers and Cyclone fans over hot cocoa and warm Hickory Park chili. I was so busy this fall, I didn't attend many football games, so tailgating and hanging out with new friends was a welcomed change of pace. For the rest of the school year, I will be traveling to trade shows and working behind the scenes to help the farmers that use our products.

In other exciting news, I officially accepted a Marketing Communications internship with Beck's Hybrids in Atlanta, Indiana for this summer. If you regularly follow my blog, you know I'm slightly obsessed with their #WhyIFarm videos and I can't wait to be a contributing member of their team. Over Christmas break, I plan to travel to the company headquarters to meet the rest of the department in person, and I'm really looking forward to the trip.

It feels like I've been spending a lot of time off campus with career related adventures, but on campus organizations have been keeping me busy too. In the last month, I have been elected to a couple officer positions and really look forward to growing the organizations that have made such a huge impact in my professional development. Keep your eyes open for posts about ISU Student Federation for Agriculture and the ISU Iowa Corn Growers Association. 

Even with all that's been going on, the opportunity for a blog post is always at the back of my mind. This holiday season has caused me to take time and reflect. Over Thanksgiving Break I wrote at least a half dozen thankfulness posts, but each got extremely lengthy and didn't even begin to cover all I was feeling. Finally, I decided to scrap all my drafts and start a #ThankfulThursday series. For the next year, I look forward to taking time to meditate on something I'm thankful for each Thursday. 

Finals are this coming week, and I will certainly be thankful when they are over. I'm excited to start this next series in my blogging journey! Thanks for reading!

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!

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!