Roots Journey: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Showing posts with label College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Show all posts

Sunday, May 15, 2016

See ya later, Ames!

Last Saturday I graduated with an Agricultural Business degree from Iowa State, but it hadn't really hit me yet. As I pulled out of my drive way to set off on the Why I Farm Roadtrip this morning, I finally started to realize that I'm done with school for a long time. Here are a few things I'll miss as I say, "See ya later, Ames!"

See ya later, Ag Business Club!

Goodbye, Econ classes with friends!

See ya later, Ag girls!

So long, Halloween costumes!

See ya later, Hilton Magic!

Adios, Cyclone tailgating!

Until next year, Homecoming!

Goodbye, student NAMA!

Adios, Captain Corn!

See ya later, Jack Trice!

Until next time, Curtiss Hall!

Bye bye, college conferences!

Later, Reiman Gardens!

We'll see you around, freshman dorm friends!

Goodbye, club fundraisers!

So long, random late night adventures!

Goodbye, ginormous pants and "studying" shenanigans!

I've had a great four years in college, and I can't imagine my life now without the wonderful friends and mentors Iowa State introduced me to. Thanks to them I'm ready to take on my next adventure, the Why I Farm Roadtrip! Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Wordless Wednesday: San Antonio Trip

If you caught my blog post last week, you know I just got back from a wonderful trip to San Antonio, Texas. I had a great time with classmates exploring the River Walk area and competing in quiz bowl. For this week's Wordless Wednesday, I'm sharing a few more photos from our adventure!

I hope you all get the chance to visit San Antonio, enjoy the mild weather, and explore the area for yourself! I would love to see your pictures! Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

6 Things that Made San Antonio the Best Trip of 2016... So Far

I just got back from a great trip to San Antonio, Texas. Here are six reasons I'm calling it the best trip of 2016... so far:

Our group looks pretty spiffy in our new red Ag Business polos,
don't you think?

1. Competition
The main purpose of our trip was to compete in an Agricultural Economics quiz bowl. There's just something about a little bit of competition that makes any trip a little more exciting. Although I traveled down with a group of fellow Iowa State Ag Business students, we were split up on separate teams for the contest. This structure forced us to meet new people and encouraged a little friendly competition among students from the same school. (After a close third round, my team was eliminated by another Iowa State team.)

2. My travel partners
The group of Iowa State students that traveled with me made the trip a blast! We had such a fun time sight seeing around the San Antonio River Walk, exploring the local restaurants and cheering one another on. Before the trip we didn't know each other that well, but now we've shared tons of laughs, photos, and bowls of ice cream.

3. The weather
When we left, blizzard warnings were in the forecast for Iowa. As our first plane landed in Dallas, we could feel the warm sunshine streaming though the airplane windows. Once we arrived in San Antonio, we were all eager to ditch our coats in the hotel and explore our sunny surroundings. It was so nice to have a break from bundling up, even if it was just for a weekend.

4. The sights

The River Walk was gorgeous and full of places to eat and drink!

This trip marked my 25th state and my first time in Texas. Our hotel was right on the River Walk and walking distance for a tour of The Alamo. Right before catching our flight home, we made a mad dash to the Tower of the Americas. After a minute and a half elevator ride to the top, we could see for miles over the top of San Antonio. Unfortunately after a few selfies and a lap around the observation deck, it was time to go, but we had lots of fun!

5. Successful examples and mentors
Quiz bowl isn't the only thing going on at these meetings. Grad students and professors from around the region come to this conference to present their research and network. There are so many people with similar professional interests in one place. Their work and curiosity is really inspiring.

6. Meeting peers
While meeting so many people to look up to is awesome, it's also great to make friends from other schools. It's fun to sit around and compare college life around the country. Even though some of us say pop instead of soda or you guys instead of y'all, it's good to know I'm not the only one a little anxious about graduation or passionate about the story of agriculture.

Huge thank you to Georgeanne and Keri for spending their Superbowl weekend with eight "Quiz Bow Quties." We all had a great time in Texas. We appreciate your guidance and patience.

Also, thank you to the generous sponsors of the Iowa State Agricultural Business Club and our trip. Your support is what makes our program one of the strongest in the nation. These experiences are what shape us students into well rounded, employable graduates. Thanks for reading!

Monday, January 11, 2016

Last First Day of School

Today is my last first day of school ... at least for a really long time. It's cold and nasty out, and the forecast doesn't show that changing any time soon. Although I've loved my adventure at Iowa State, I'm looking forward to spring and all that is in store after graduation in May.

This semester it's tempting to skate by and avoid challenges. All my required classes are out of the way. I'm taking the bare minimum coursework and have now transitioned out of nearly all of my campus officer roles. In the back of my mind, I've been thinking of this semester as a time to rest - you know, sit back and let the momentum of all I've accomplished in the last three and a half years push me through.

BUT this morning, as I took my sweet time getting ready for my first class (which I conveniently scheduled at 11 am to maximize the opportunities to sleep in) I got a notification this quote was going out for my #MondayMotivation social media post.

"Resting on your laurels is as dangerous as resting when you are walking in the snow. You doze off and die in your sleep." - Ludwig Wittgenstein

Exactly what I didn't want to hear... and motivation for a slight attitude adjustment before this semester got underway. I'm still going to keep my course load light, and invest more time off campus at work and on this blog, but with a different mindset. I will not let "senior-itis" get the best of me. When May rolls around, I want to be able to say,

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2 Timothy 4:7

I know you all will keep me accountable. Here's to finishing senior year with a bang! Thanks for reading!

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Sunday, December 27, 2015

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!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Wordless Wednesday: Iowa State AgEI Poultry Trip

Whew! This month has been busy! Over the last month, I've been in 10 states and 2 countries! I'm still in the middle of Ag Jobs A to Z so detailed posts about those trips will have to wait. Just to tease you, I'm sharing a few photos from last week's trip south.

This semester, my Iowa State Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative (AgEI) classmates and I have been researching the poultry market. After several weeks of internet research and phone calls, we hit the road to meet with influencers ourselves. Last Tuesday we headed out bright and early in two Iowa State suburbans on our way to Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee. The trip was full of fun and networking opportunities! Here are a few photos of our adventure. Stay tuned for more!