Alyssa's Adventure in Agriculture

Happy Holidays from the Field!

2010-12-15T08:56:00.011-06:00

Transitioning from college to the real world is not an overnight process. I spent January 2010 through August 2010 learning the ins and outs of the seed business, crop science, sales and the "farmer perspective" as a District Sales Manager Trainee for Channel. Since August, I relocated for the second time and started the multi-year process of building my own district. Now that I've started to put down roots, I'm ready to give my blog the nurturing it deserves!

With the 2011 just around the corner, I'd like to share my Top Ten Takeaways from 2010!

10. Becoming self-sufficient is one of the most rewarding life experiences.

9. A person can learn anything with a little motivation and persistence.

8. Pulling a trailer isn't as hard as it looks... backing one up is another story...

7. Crop science is fascinating (even to an Ag Comm grad)!

6. A farmer is a jack-of-all-trades -- agronomist, entomologist, chemist, mechanic, businessman, accountant, electrician, environmentalist, marketer, parent, community leader, etc...

5. Communication, writing & listening are valuable skills in any career path.

4. There's more than one way to do a job... make it your own and you will be more satisfied.

3. Women are capable of driving a 2500 Chevy, operating a forklift and moving 50lb bags of seed.

2. A positive attitude and a firm handshake go a long way.

1. Rejection is a part of life... the best medicine... a smile and persistence.

Agriculture -- Inside Out

2009-10-01T16:38:00.007-05:00

Everyone is connected to agriculture from the food they eat to the clothes they wear. But, it is not uncommon to see facts about agriculture misconstrued in the world around us. It is important to separate fact from fiction and one of the best ways to do that is by experiencing agriculture first-hand.

The International Business Immersion Program (IBIP) enabled me to experience areas of agriculture that were completely new to me and even offered a few surprises in familiar parts of the industry.

Waterhof Dairy Farm in Gasbeek, Belgium, is a small, family farm, but it is not your typical dairy--it utilizes robotic milking! The computer in the robot monitors which cow is being milked, how much milk she produces, and even tests the milk for impurities or infections.

It was incredible to see such advanced technology at work on a small dairy farm. If there is an issue with the milk, the robot texts (texts!) the farmer to check that particular cow and then reroutes her milk to an alternative tank that stores milk not to be used for human consumption.

The owner of Waterhof said the robot is a great investment for his farm’s size. Many consumers believe modern technology is only implemented in large livestock farms, but the truth is modernized production facilities and practices have become the norm--from farms with thousands of animals to farms with under 100 animals. Our visit to Waterhof solidified the fact that small-scale, family farming and technological advancement can go hand-in-hand. It also reinforced the necessity for farmers to share their facilities and production practices with consumers to build knowledge and trust between the two end points of our food supply chain.

Teaming Up for the Farmer

2009-08-18T08:19:00.002-05:00

Sitting in my cube, watching news about the Monsanto-BASF discovery of a drought tolerant gene in corn plants sweep like wildfire from the official news release, to numerous global media outlets, to all my “tweeps” on Twitter, was a full circle moment. Just over a month ago, I was at BASF World Headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany, with a group of fellow University of Illinois students learning about the collaboration between Monsanto and BASF; and now, their combined research efforts have resulted in a discovery that made it half way around the world to meet me in St. Louis. If that’s not proof of globalization in agriculture, I don’t know what is!

According to John Goette, Trait Licensing Lead for Global Agreements at Monsanto, the partnership between Monsanto and BASF began in March 2007 because both companies shared a common interest in improving the probability of success for the development of yield and stress traits. “The goal of the collaboration,” Goette said, “is find and develop the proverbial needle in the haystack.” Through the partnership, significantly greater resources are going in to the discovery effort -- including people, time, financial investment and experience. With more, higher quality resources, both companies have stronger odds of achieving quality results, ultimately finding that one gene out of 50,000 in the corn genome that could help drive the commitment to sustainable yield.

During my visit to BASF, value chain manager Andrew Beadle spoke highly of Monsanto. “It’s great to work with a leader in agriculture,” he said. “Monsanto has a strong position in this industry and does its job very well.” While BASF specializes in the identification of specific traits, the company admires Monsanto for its germplasm and experience in commercializing products. On the Monsanto side, Goette spoke of the partnership as “a match made in heaven.” According to Goette, together, the ag companies possess great synergy and they plan to utilize it to benefit their top priority -- the farmer.

It was fascinating to witness similar challenges and goals in two different ag companies from two different parts of the world. I was impressed by the level of communication and collaboration between Monsanto and BASF. According to Goette, both companies put a lot of time and thought into the terms of the collaboration and continue to interpret new challenges as a team. The investment is split 50/50 and both companies share recognition for yield and stress traits, regardless of who discovers the gene. From Ludwigshafen to St. Louis, it’s great to see the benefits of globalization at work in the agriculture industry. Congratulations to everyone from both companies who played a role in the first gene discovery of the collaboration between Monsanto and BASF.

From The Other Side

2009-08-07T10:18:00.004-05:00

During the International Business Immersion Program (IBIP) trip, I was encouraged to look at the agriculture industry from many unique perspectives. While it’s not always easy to assume these unfamiliar angles, it is required if we, in agriculture, want to improve how we communicate with consumers. One of these experiences took place at Club De Warande, a Flemish business club in Brussels. One presentation that grabbed my attention was by Greenpeace representative, Marta Vetier.

While the name Greenpeace has historically ruffled some feathers with groups passionate about agriculture, representatives of NGOs must be listened to and understood. Although I take a pro-GMO stance, I was impressed by Marta. I learned that Greenpeace representatives undergo extensive training to remain peaceful, despite conflict and they practice non-violent, creative confrontation. Marta exemplified this demeanor through her entire presentation. Furthermore, she was honest and used hard facts to back up what she was saying. When challenged to discuss human threats presented by GMOs, she set her agenda aside and respectfully said there is no existing scientific evidence that GMOs have or will cause human health issues. It was nice to hear the truth from an NGO that has “zero tolerance” for GMOs. Marta also shared that the EU human food chain is GMO free and 30 GMOs have been authorized as imports for feed and industrial use only.

Marta’s presentation opened my eyes to how Greenpeace supporters and many Europeans view GMOs. By understanding their perspective and objectives, the agriculture industry can focus on communicating specific messages and ultimately come to a fair solution between the two parties. According to the Greenpeace website, the NGO has three demands in regards to the introduction of GMOs in Europe.

· The GM risk assessment process is strengthened, to meet the existing EU legal requirements. This means taking all scientific evidence for the long-term effects of GM products for health and the environment as well as the socio-economic impacts into account.
· The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is reformed by giving it the necessary scientific expertise to carry out complex environmental and health risk assessments.
· GM contamination of seeds is prevented, to allow the survival of conventional and organic agriculture.
· Each member state retains control over its national territory and decides on the use of its land by establishing GMO-free areas.

I appreciated the approach Marta used in talking about the emotional issues of food and health. She was open to listening what we had to say and engaged in a dialogue to discuss both sides of the issue. Based on Marta’s presentation, I believe concerned consumers simply have a fear of the unknown. Communication and education are imperative to finding a common solution. The key point I took away from this presentation is that there are intelligent, poised, well-educated people out there speaking out against agricultural progress. It is crucial for people involved with the modern agriculture industry to share their own stories and perspectives with consumers. The reality is, we are all consumers and we all want a safe, high-quality, affordable food supply, but the first step to compromise is listening to each other’s concerns and looking at the issues from the other side.

Farm Girl Goes Global

2009-07-27T14:08:00.002-05:00

As a new intern at Monsanto, I have enjoyed meeting and working with people who share my passion for agriculture.

I grew up on five acres of rich, black, Central Illinois soil, where you can see corn and soybeans stretch to the horizon. Our large, family-owned pork farm sits just a half mile up the road from our house, where my dad manages a 7,000-head operation with seven employees. In high school and during holidays home from college, I worked at the farm and helped care for the sows and newborn piglets, and kept breeding and genetics records. During this time, my dad was instrumental in teaching me about agriculture production and practices. And I became fascinated with the business.

Since we already had 7,000 pigs to work with and learn about, my little sister and I decided to show market lambs through 4-H, to diversify our livestock experience. Each winter, we traveled with Dad to pick out our show lambs. We worked through the spring to train them, and develop a nutrition and exercise program. During the summer and fall, we traveled around the state showing our lambs. This experience reinforced hard work, responsibility, persistence and gave us many, wonderful family memories. After 10 years of showing, our hard work paid off when my sister, Lynsie, won Grand Champion Market Lamb at the Illinois State Fair!

In high school, I was active in FFA and took every opportunity to speak competitively about agriculture issues like concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

My mom was also an incredible asset to my understanding of agribusiness. As the director of commercial/agribusiness at a national insurance company, she taught me the importance of networking, strong writing and public speaking skills, and being well-read on agriculture topics. All of these experiences played into my passion for the agriculture industry.

In 2006, my life-long dream of attending the University of Illinois became a reality. I chose to major in agricultural communications with the aspiration of redefining agriculture. I want to help consumers understand the scope of the industry and create a proactive view of agriculture through marketing, communications and public relations.

Prior to beginning my internship with Monsanto, I spent two weeks overseas gaining a European perspective of agribusiness and the supply chain through the International Business Immersion Program (IBIP). This Monsanto-sponsored program was designed to give the top students in agriculture and business at the University of Illinois an opportunity to explore globalization of the agriculture and food industry--both in the classroom and through an international experience. I chose to apply for IBIP because I wanted to develop a more well-rounded understanding of the agriculture industry. I wanted to challenge myself to read case studies and to learn about ag policy and international trade.

This spring, I spent time each week learning about the European Union, ag policy and globalization of the agriculture industry from our professor and a variety of guest lecturers. In addition to class time, we visited Monsanto and Bunge in St. Louis, ADM in Decatur and the SUPERVALU distribution center in Urbana. The Saturday following finals week, 25 students and I packed our bags and boarded a bus to Chicago, Illinois. Seventeen hours, two flights, two bus rides and one walk up a winding cobblestone street later, we arrived at our first destination in Leuven, Belgium.

After two weeks of traveling, visiting ag companies and networking with incredible people, I can tell you that IBIP was the experience of a lifetime. The program enhanced my academic development through interactions in a foreign environment with an array of professionals from unique agriculture sectors. And the definition of agriculture is not limited to farming. We visited diverse farms, production facilities, corporate offices, NGOs, retailers and restaurants--all directly related to agriculture.

IBIP has helped to mold my definition of agriculture through diverse perspectives and global experiences. Over the next several weeks, I will have a series of blog posts featuring some of the highlights and surprises from my trip, leading up to my take-away messages, including how IBIP provided clarity and direction for my career goals in agricultural communications. Stay tuned!

Doughnuts and Discovery with Hugh Grant

2009-07-24T08:35:00.000-05:00

When I told my friends about Doughnuts and Discovery with Hugh Grant, the response was more enthusiastic than I had anticipated. Then I realized they were thinking of Hugh Grant, the British actor from popular films like Love Actually, Two Weeks Notice and Bridget Jones's Diary. I laughed and quickly explained the Hugh Grant I was referring to is the Chairman, President and CEO of the multi-national agricultural company , Monsanto. But the more I thought about it, Hugh Grant the actor and Hugh Grant the CEO of Monsanto are not as different as people might think.

Both Hughs were born and raised across the pond. Hugh Grant, CEO of Monsanto was born and raised in Scotland and still charms audiences with his native accent today. Both Hughs are very humble and downplay their celebrity statuses. When Hugh Grant (CEO) walked into the auditorium to speak to Monsanto Interns and Co-ops during Doughnuts and Discovery, everyone in the room went silent. Hugh walked to a seat at the front of the auditorium, sat down, chuckled and playfully said, "why did everyone get so quiet?" As he introduced himself, Hugh laughed as he talked about his summer "internships" selling wallpaper and cutting lettuce back in Scotland.

As Hugh (CEO) began talking to our group of eager, young professionals, it became apparent that he has a great deal of charisma and wit, just as actor Hugh Grant demonstrates in his films. But the Monsanto CEO does not earn the respect of 23,233 employees worldwide on personality alone. Hugh (CEO) has a B.S. degree in Molecular Biology and Agricultural Zoology from Glasgow University, a M.S. degree from Edinburgh University and a MBA degree from the International Management Center in Buckingham, U.K. Hugh's (CEO) education and international experiences have provided him with a great deal of knowledge and perspective.

Hugh (CEO) challenged our group to utilize our internships to shape our personal opinions about Monsanto. He also shared the reason he was attracted to a career in agriculture was because of its relevance in food production. Hugh (CEO) encouraged us to think about agriculture from a long-term perspective. He said, "Demand for food will more than double in 20 years -- how are we in agriculture going to meet that demand?" After answering several questions about Monsanto's business, Hugh (CEO) concluded with a few thoughts on prioritization and choosing a career path.

"Priorities shift over time," Hugh said, "The most important thing you can do it stay flexible or you will get crushed by your calendar."

As far as choosing a career -- Hugh said, "You shouldn't be doing something you dread waking up for."

Through my time here at Monsanto, I've had the opportunity to listen to Hugh (CEO) on a few different occasions. He is always humble, knowledgeable, humorous and charismatic. I've noticed that people are drawn to him, like they are drawn to an actor or celebrity. From what I've seen, Hugh (CEO) does a fabulous job of providing leadership and vision for Monsanto. It is incredible to see everyone at a company, from the CEO to the interns, have a passion for agriculture and a belief in what they do on a daily basis.

How Tweet!

2009-06-30T11:10:00.000-05:00

When I began my internship at Monsanto, I knew little about the social networking site Twitter and I was skeptical about the benefits of using it. After one month of using the site, I have come to appreciate its simplicity and value the opportunity to connect with people in agriculture around the world. Twitter has enabled me to network with everyone from a California dairy farmer, to state Farm Bureau presidents, to other ag interns and even agriculture and food activists. I invited Monsanto's resident Twitter expert to guest blog about how to use this phenomenal resource. I hope you all take the opportunity to explore Twitter -- it tears down walls between agriculture leaders, young and old, with unique interests and missions. It is also a great way to discover what is happening in the industry from moment to moment. Please comment on this post if you have any questions -- good luck getting started!

HOW TO USE TWITTER

By: The Monsanto Twitter Expert

Twitter is a site that was developed over 3 years ago as a way for friend to connect and notify each other of what they were doing. Via computer, blackberry or texting, friends could send updates to Twitter and other friends would be updated instantly through the same tools.

Since then, it has evolved into a site for millions of people to connect (most of who have not met in person before) and promote and update each other on news stories, life stories, or anything that they may find interesting. “Tweeps” (people who use twitter) have congregated and formed communities of individuals from all around the world who share in the same interests as them.

As a member of the Twitter community, you have your own profile page that houses your icon (usually a photo of yourself) and all twitter updates. Twitter also gives you the option of changing your background and personalizing the page to fit your own tastes. On a separate page, that comes up when you log in, you have a newsfeed of tweets(updates) that come from the people you choose to follow (another term for connecting).

Any update made on the site must be kept to 140 characters, so creativity is key! Aside from text updates, you can also provide photos and websites via TwitPic and URL shortening websites like bit.ly and tinyurl.

Twitter …
- Can be noisy, many different conversations going on

- Has very little substance and moves very quickly

- Depending on the amount of people you choose to follow, checking the site can be addicting!

Twitter is useful for…

- Finding like-minded individuals/groups
- Relationship building
- Building a personal or corporate brand
- Confirming current opinions/interests
- Finding out what people are talking about right now on a particular topic

Guidelines:

1) Anything you may tweet, while it can be deleted from your page, is not deleted from search results or different twitter apps such as Tweetdeck. Think twice before you make any statements you think may be controversial.

2) Put up a picture, it makes your account seem more professional and humanizes you as well.

3) Be respectful of others. If someone misconstrues your tone, they may report you to Twitter and you may be kicked off.

4) Engage with other people! @replying and retweeting builds relationships and your following.

Quick Tips:

How can I personalize my page?
Go to the settings tab on the top right corner. There you can add a quick bio about yourself, where you are located, etc. You can also change your background and add a picture icon instead of having the boring blue and brown one! Having a unique icon also gives you more credibility and allows people to feel like they can relate to you.

What does it mean when someone tweets and has the @symbol and someone’s name?
That’s an @reply or mention. This shows that the twitter user responded to what someone said, or is addressing them. You can check to see if anyone @reply’ed you by going to the right hand column and clicking the @ tab right under home.

What does RT @ (username) mean?
This is called a re-tweet, which is a way to forward on what the person said. You can simply cut and paste what someone else said to forward on to your readers.

What is a tiny url?
These are shortened web addresses that people will tweet in lieu of posting a whole web address, due to the nature of twitter and lack of characters you can use. This website gives you space and freedom to write what you want and still put a website address in. The same goes for urls such as “bit.ly”. http://www.tinyurl.com/

With Twitter, it is important to have fun, meet new people, and share what you are passionate about.

Impacting the Future of Agriculture

2009-06-25T11:20:00.000-05:00

"National 4-H Council has received a $1.5 million award from the Monsanto Company to drive the expansion of the National 4-H Volunteer Initiative," according to a press release from the National 4-H Council. "The new grant will fuel the expansion of vital volunteer training programs and fund the development of new volunteer recruitment and retention strategies." "Generous partners like Monsanto continue to make it possible for 4-H to thrive in today's economy and to continue building our extensive network of well-trained volunteers, ensuring that our nations's youth have the positive mentoring, guidance and hands-on learning they need to become future workforce leaders and active citizens," said Donald T. Floyd, Jr., National 4-H Council president and CEO.

As a 10-year 4-H member in McLean County, Illinois, I am thrilled to see a company like Monsanto making investments in human capital for the future of the agriculture industry. 4-H does a fantastic job preparing youth with vital life skills including: leadership, persistence, responsibility, service and strong work ethic. Through 4-H, my sister and I showed market lambs, took on leadership roles, practiced public speaking, learned about agriculture and discovered our talents.

Purchasing, raising and showing lambs taught me responsibility, persistence and hard work. On summer evenings we would spend time in the barn, as a family, working with the lambs, cleaning pens and feeding. Over the years, we grew, as did our skill and knowledge. After 10 years of hard work, my sister Lynsie received Grand Champion Market Lamb at the Illinois State Fair. It's difficult to explain the emotion -- but it was truly a family victory. There was a lot of hugging, tears and excitement from family, friends and even competitors. But the stories we reminisce on today, are about challenges we overcame and how far we progressed over the years.

While 4-H provided many wonderful, family memories and life lessons, it also guided me to where I am today. I began public speaking as an eight-year-old 4-Her. Over the years, I wrote different styles of speeches and delivered them on the county and state levels, but most importantly, I gained feedback to improve my ability in the process. In high school, I became active in FFA public speaking and addressed key agriculture issues like pork production practices and biotechnology. Through learning about ag issues and speaking about them, I found my passion for agricultural communications and pursued that major at the University of Illinois. Just this spring, I volunteered as a judge for the Champaign County 4-H public speaking competition. It was incredible to go back to the beginning and guide and encourage the new 4-Hers, just as others did for me. I realized how far I have come in 12 years -- it all started in 4-H.

I am proud to be interning with a company like Monsanto that values investing in the development of youth who will, one day, lead our imperative and dynamic agriculture industry.

5:00a.m? Yes we CAN!!!

2009-06-17T20:21:00.000-05:00

After a wonderful evening at Busch Stadium, Whittney and I crawled out of bed at 5:00a.m. to volunteer with the United Way FoodShare Food Drive -- what a rewarding experience! We were stationed on the Monsanto Creve Coeur campus along with other teams of interns and United Way representatives. Wearing our flourescent safety vests, we collected food for the St. Louis Area FoodBank to help local people who are hurting during this economic recession. The Monsanto employees who donated were really friendly and made our morning! We enjoyed visiting, a lot of laughs, some doughnuts and collected three large barrels full of food in the process. After volunteering, we decided to take our community service to the next level. We visited Schnucks after work and both bought a bag full of food to donate tomorrow morning. I encourage everyone who reads this post to volunteer in their community. If you are already involved with volunteer projects, I would love you know what you are up to!

Collecting food -- together we can!

So... maybe baseball is cool afterall!

2009-06-17T19:33:00.000-05:00

Family, friends, agriculture, photography and water skiing are just a few of my favorite things... baseball, is not. That is -- until the Cardinals game last night! WOW! What an awesome night! My new roommate, Whittney, and I were treated to an evening in the Monsanto luxury suite with some of the public affairs team; and if that wasn't enough, the Cardinals beat the Tigers 11-1! Talk about an exciting baseball game -- I'm a fan! Thank you to Monsanto for inviting us to watch one of the best games EVER, while enjoying a ballpark hot dog in the most perfect seats, directly behind home plate. Here are some photos from our baseball experience of a lifetime!

Me and my new buddy, Whittney, with our Cardinals vs. Tigers tickets!

Busch Stadium at dusk.

What a view!!!

Greetings from Creve Coeur!

2009-06-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

Whew! I've been interning at Monsanto Company for almost two weeks now and time has just flewn by... probably because I'm having a great time! First of all, anyone who is offered the opportunity to work for Monsanto -- take it! This company is full of incredible, genuine people with diverse backgrounds and talents. There are also an endless number of resources available to learn about the agriculture industry. In the short time I've been here, the experiences I've had and the knowledge I've gained as a result of those experiences, is priceless. I am loving my full-time job as a sponge!

My first two weeks here, I had the opportunity to visit with Monsanto employees in a variety of areas across the company, from public affairs to U.S. commercial. Everyone I met had a unique story that led them to where they are today. Many of them had moved through numerous areas within Monsanto to learn different aspects of the business. Enthusiasm, agility, initiative and compassion were common qualities from person to person.

Joining the public affairs team has been a very humbling experience. It reminded me of my transition from high school to college. As a senior in high school, I felt confident in my abilities and was ready to shine when I got to the University of Illinois. When I arrived at college, I realized everyone else was just as driven and skilled as I was, if not more, and I quickly began working to set myself apart. When I arrived at Monsanto, I was immediately humbled. I have so much to learn from the people who work here and I'm enjoying every minute of it!

This summer will challenge me to diversify my skill set. I have been assigned a variety of projects. I will be creating content and communication tools for a section of Monsanto.com about plant breeding. I will be writing a number of articles and blog posts for the internal communications division of public affairs. I will have the opportunity to work with international website strategists to review content on Monsanto global websites for Mexico, Brazil, Canada, South Africa and Australia. I will also get to dabble in the issues management side of public affairs. As I begin working on my projects, I am reminded of the enthusiasm in the people I met with my first week here and I can't help but feel the same way.

NOTE on the image: The public affairs team is a fun group of people and everyone has created their very own South Park character that reflects their personality and interests -- I have a wide range of interests, but this one is my "I LOVE Ag" Alyssa! (To see everyone else's characters visit Monsanto According to Monsanto and click on About the Bloggers.)

On the MOVE...

2009-06-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

Hello all! In the last month I've wrapped up my junior year at the University of Illinois, traveled to Europe for the International Business Immersion Program (IBIP), moved to St. Louis, MO and began working as an intern for Monsanto Public Affairs. To learn more about our European experiences through IBIP, visit the student blog which was updated daily during our trip. Check back soon for updates on my time at Monsanto.

Set for SUMMER!

2009-04-29T21:13:00.000-05:00

The redbuds are in full bloom on campus and summer is just around the corner. I can tell already... this summer is going to be FULL and fantastic! I was recently invited to join Monsanto's Public Affairs team as an intern in St. Louis, MO. This internship will give me the opportunity to dabble in executive communications, media communications as well as issues, employee and electronic communications. I am excited to work with Monsanto's world-class team and to develop top notch skills for my future career. I would love to know what the other Ag communicators out there have planned for this summer -- feel free to comment on this post or shoot me an email!

Prior to my internship with Monsanto, I will have the opportunity to visit Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands through the International Business Immersion Program. This experience abroad lasts for two weeks at the end of May and will give my classmates and I an opportunity to see the globalization of the agriculture industry first hand. As a part of my European travels, I will be required to keep a blog -- so keep an eye open for a post guiding you to a new blog with tidbits about my adventure overseas!

Well, that's my summer in a nutshell! Not to mention a few weddings -- CONGRATULATIONS to fellow Ag communications student Karlie Elliott and her fiance Andrew Bowman on their up coming wedding! One more bit to add about getting closer to the real world -- I am getting ready to purchase my first car! EXCITING stuff! Keep me posted on your activities too!

Discover Your Quest at ExplorACES 2009!

2009-03-11T10:11:00.000-05:00

DIG INTO over 100 interactive exhibits, such as...

Propagate your own plant with Horticulture Club
Learn how food go from a raw product to the supermarket shelf
Milk a cow with the Dairy Club and see a fistulated cow--that's a cow with a viewing hole in its stomach
And much more!

NAVIGATE around campus and experience interactive exhibits while meeting with U of I faculty and students.

UNCOVER housing options, scholarship opportunities and the diversity of the College of ACES.

JOURNEY your way to exciting study abroad and leadership opportunities. Travel off the beaten path and venture into a world of possibilities with ACES student organizations.

UNMASK the possibilities that await you at the College of ACES!

VISIT ExplorACES on

AFA Leaders Conference 2008

2008-07-25T09:47:00.000-05:00

Join me at the 2008 AFA Leaders Conference on November 6th-9th in Kansas City, MO!

I attended the AFA Leaders Conference last November for the first time and I can honestly say it was the best conference I have ever attended. The AFA Leaders Conference offers three program tracks that carry out AFA's mission to support college men and women preparing for careers in the agriculture and food industry.

Track One focuses on personal assessment and is tyically for freshman; Track Two focuses on communication and is typically for sophomores and juniors; and Track Three focuses on managing change and is typically for juniors and seniors. AFA Leaders Conference also includes the AFA Opportunity Fair where Delegates interact with business and organization leaders to discuss internships and full-time job opportunities.

The AFA Leaders Conference was exceptional in my opinion because of its world-class speakers, its exectutive panels in which students interact with CEOs and executives from various organizations, its practical application and its unique goal of bring together college students from across the nation who share a passion for agriculture.

If you are interested in securing a sponsorship to the 2008 AFA Leaders Conference, please contact Hannah Phillips at hannah.phillips@agfuture.org or call AFA at (816) 472-4232.

You may also visit http://www.agfuture.org/ to learn more about AFA and the Leaders Conference or feel free to post your questions by clicking on the comments link below and I would be happy to help you.

Top 10 in Kansas City

2008-07-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

10. Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in Southmoreland Park - Othello was incredible

9. AMC Barry Woods 24 movie theater - the MOST comfortable seats!!!

8. Zona Rosa - new outdoor shopping area with great restaurants (Tomfooleries was excellent!)

7. Partnership Place at 9th and Grand - the home of Agriculture Future of America

6. McCormick & Schmicks - the BEST Salmon I have ever tasted

5. Country Club Plaza - beautiful Spanish architecture and flowers... I hear it's pretty stunning at Christmas time too!

4. Ward Parkway - the most beautiful homes and landscaping in Kansas City

3. 39th Street West - an eclectic and vivacious community near the Plaza

2. Delaware Cafe - the MOST delicious potato leek soup and sandwiches

1. The fountains!!! - they are everywhere and every one is just as beautiful as the one before it

A special thank you to my wonderful friends who came to visit me in Kansas City and had the opportunity to experience some of these great locations!

15 Days to Go!

2008-07-25T08:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I realized that I only have 11 more days of work at Agriculture Future of America and 15 days total. It is amazing how fast the time passed! As my internship comes to a close, I have realized the innate sense of pride I have developed for this organization. All of the writing and meetings have solidified AFA's critical mission in my mind. Having the opportunity to contribute to the personal and professional development of young leaders and re-branding agriculture has been an absolute pleasure. Thank you to everyone at AFA for believing in my ability and pushing my limits. I have learned so much from each one of you.

Yesterday I received the first proof of the 2008 AFA Annual Report!!! It felt like Christmas morning in July. It was incredible to see all of the pieces come together. After numerous drafts of content, multiple design meetings with Brian ("the design guy") and contradicting opinions from the AFA staff -- the report came together beautifully. It was certainly a lesson in patience, time management, teamwork, communication and compromise, but the final product would not have been the same without all of the hurdles. My take away lesson from this project is to soak up constructive criticism like a sponge, but have confidence in your abilities. It is so important to learn from other people -- most of the time you will emerge from the challenges with a better result.

I am interested to hear an important lesson you discovered this summer. Please post your responses via the comment link below.

In the Home Stretch...

2008-07-10T09:49:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that I only have four weeks left in Kansas City! It seems like just yesterday that I was nervous about moving to the big city… and now that I am in the home stretch, I am not sure if I am ready to leave. My internship with Agriculture Future of America (AFA) has been an incredible learning experience. While the staff here at AFA is small (six people including myself), I have gained something from each person. The AFA staff produces a memorable office dynamic. They are innovative, hard-working individuals who can triumph over any pickle and know how to have fun.

Now that my internship experience is half complete, I have seen some of my efforts come full-circle. I was responsible for writing, images, layout and editing in the AFA June newsletter and yesterday a box of printed newsletters arrived at the office. It felt great to see the product of my hard work. The Kansas City area intern event I was responsible for coordinating and hosting was also a success. Nearly 30 summer interns from 10 different universities across the United States gathered to eat pizza, learn about AFA and network. My primary summer project is also near completion! The 2007-08 AFA Annual Report content was sent to Brain “the design guy” yesterday afternoon. My role in the annual report was to provide ideas and direction for the design and to write and edit all of the content. I cannot wait to see the finished product next week!

Living on my own has become easier with time. I have come to enjoy the responsibility of checking my mail, cleaning, grocery shopping, paying my own bills and growing up in general. I have learned so much about myself during this process. I occupy my free time by working out at Gold’s Gym, scrap booking, reading and swimming. I have also enjoyed visiting my great grandma who lives a couple hours north of the city. While I miss everyone back home, I have been lucky to have visitors throughout the summer! My sister Lynsie, mom, Uncle Jake, friend Anne, and sweetheart Tyler have all come to visit and I love showing them around the city. My four best friends are visiting this weekend and we are looking forward to soaking up some sun and visiting the famous Country Club plaza.

Overall, this summer has been an unbelievable growing experience. In one month, I believe I will go home with a fresh perspective on life, a renewed appreciation for those I love, a mind bursting with knowledge and skills and an attitude that says, “HERE I COME WORLD!”

Kickin' It in Kansas City

2008-05-30T16:14:00.000-05:00

This summer I decided to take a huge leap and accept a Marketing and Communications internship with Agriculture Future of America (AFA) in downtown Kansas City, MO. AFA is a non-profit organization that is nationally recognized for its excellence in leader training and career development for college men and women and young professionals in the agriculture and food industry.
Taking an internship eight hours from home was a pretty big move for me, but I have quickly realized that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. As my first week on the job comes to a close, I have written eight articles for their summer newsletter, organized the newsletter layout and written three posts for the AFA AgriBlog linked to their website (check it out!!!). As the summer progresses, I am looking forward to working on AFA's annual report, helping with a media kit for their Leaders Conference, doing some design work, helping with an advertising campaign, planning several events and much more.
It is usually difficult trying something new, but in the end I can tell you that pushing yourself a little further than you might normally go can be incredibly liberating and a great way to learn more about yourself and the world around you. So take that leap and see what happens!!!
I will continue to post throughout the summer with updates about my internship with AFA, the Cow Town of Kansas City (most of which I have yet to explore), and the joys and challenges of making it on your own.

Happy Summer everyone! Stay cool!

Spring Break Success

2008-03-25T23:31:00.000-05:00

Since early in the semester, the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) have been planning a professional development trip to visit some of the leading communications agencies in Chicago and I am happy to say that it was a huge success! We had the opportunity to visit with top management and employees at both Rhea & Kaiser and Gibbs & Soell. We learned what both agencies do on a day-to-day basis and viewed several of their samples. We received insight on what agencies are looking for in their employees and what entry level opportunities they offer. Gibbs-Soell provided a delicious, catered lunch and we wrapped up our incredible day with a meal at the Grand Lux Cafe on Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago. I would like to give a special thanks to Steve Rhea and Barbara Warda at Rhea & Kaiser, Jeff Altheide and Michelle Vinnes at Gibbs & Soell, Dr. Evans for his guidance in planning this trip and Patrick Bane for serving at our driver for the day. ACT is planning on coordinating another professional development in the next academic year, so any agricultural communications students who missed out on this trip, keep your eyes open for future opportunities. I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe spring break!

8 Days and Counting...

2008-02-28T13:02:00.000-06:00

ExplorACES is just around the corner and the action is picking up. I have the privledge of serving on the 2008 steering committee. It is a huge responsibility, but working with the team to prepare for this event has been an insightful professional development experience. Through working on this team, I have learned about website design, podcasting, program design and editing, event logistics and much more. If you are a student in the College of ACES looking for a way to get involved, this is it! Being a member of the ExplorACES steering committee requires leadership, responsibility, organization, communication, innovative ideas and a lot of hard work, but in the end I know for a fact that it will be completely worth it. I love having the ability to make a difference in the College of ACES while learning valuable professional skills and making new friends. Please contact me if you have any questions about the ExplorACES steering committee or if you are interested in pursuing a position on the committee in the future.

Have a great weekend!

ExplorACES Podcasting

2008-02-21T11:08:00.000-06:00

How many of you have heard about podcasting? Are you interested in learning how it works and gaining some practical experience? The ExplorACES 2008 Steering Committee has decided to recruit communications students to help podcast at ExplorACES on March 7th and 8th. We have all the equipment you need and you do not need to have experience with podcasting, we can teach you everything you need to know. Podcasting is simple and fun. This opportunity will allow you to use your creativity and communications skills to interview people at the event including: prospective students, faculty, staff, parents and distinguished guests. Podcasting at ExplorACES will look great on your resume and will be a great way to represent your college. Please let me know if you are interested (including which day or days) by emailing me at abane2@uiuc.edu and we will set up a group meeting to teach you about podcasting.

Professional Development Opportunity Anyone?

2008-02-19T19:27:00.000-06:00

I have an amazing opportunity to share with any students interested in the communications industry. The Illini Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow are planning a professional development day-trip to Chicago that features some of the leading businesses in communications today. The leaders in both of the companies we will visit are Ag Communications alumni and are very excited to meet students like you. This trip will give you an opportunity to network with experienced individuals in the industry, ask questions, enjoy a fabulous trip to the city, and bond with other students interested in communications.

Date: Monday, March 17th (during Spring Break)

Businesses: We will visit Rhea & Kaiser, a marketing and communications firm, and Gibbs-Soell, a public relations firm.

Meals: The trip will include breakfast at Panera Bread, lunch at Gibbs-Soell and dinner at the Grand Lux on Michigan Avenue at no cost to you!

For more information feel free to comment on my blog or email me at abane2@uiuc.edu.

Sweet Semester

2008-02-16T10:15:00.000-06:00

I have been so busy I have not had a chance to add to my blog, but this semester has been beyond amazing so far! My classes are hands-on and engaging. My favorite class is definitely AgCm 240 - Photography in Agriculture. I have learned how to take black and white photos using a manual, film camera (Pentax). Everyone in the class has also learned how to develop their own film using the dark room and this past week we learned the "art" of printing our own photos! Through this class I have grown a lot closer to my AgCm classmates and it is so much fun watching our photography mature and improve. AgCm 240 is a small class and it is somewhat difficult to register for (it is typically only offered in the spring semester), but I would highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in photography or communications in general. Bob Siebrecht is your key to get into this class.

I am also enjoying my Advertising 300 class. The teacher, Steve Hall, has worked in the industry and seems to know anyone and everyone around the world. He makes the class entertaining with his fun personality and real world examples. Adv 300 is a class that students look forward to attending. Try it out!

This semester I am also serving on the ExplorACES 2008 Planning Committee. This committee consists of a team of students that serve different roles to organize every detail of the College of ACES largest recruitment event of the year, ExplorACES. This committee certainly keeps me on my toes, but it has been a priceless experience when it comes to event planning and learning from talented people in the college. On the committee I serve as the website chair. I worked with another student to redesign the ExplorACES website. I have also helped the public relations team edit and put together the event program as well as other public realtions materials. My newest duty on the committee is to learn about podcasting so we can add sound clips to the website post-event. I cannot wait to use audio equipment to conduct interviews at ExplorACES, what an amazing opportunity! I know that I will continue to help with this event throughout my college career and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to network within the college and gain some event planning experience. DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT EXPLORACES MARCH 7th AND 8th!!!

These are the highlights of my semester so far! I hope everyone is in good health this winter and with a little luck spring weather is on its way!

Back on Campus!

2007-08-25T09:49:00.000-05:00

I have been back at school for a week now, and I must say that EVERYTHING about college is easier the second time around. I knew not to pack as much, I unpacked everything in less than two hours, and finding my classes was a breeze. In fact, it almost seems like I never left! I am really excited about my classes this semester. I have some amazing professors and many of the classes focus on my major. I am also looking forward to being more involved in the College of ACES. I am now on Student Advancement Committee which oversees several events during ACES Week including Lunch with the Deans, and feed your fACES. We also develop alumni relations through events such as the ACES Thank-A-Thon where we call to thank alumni who donated to the College of ACES. This semester I am also one of the student representatives on the Policy Committee through ACES Student Council. The Council has representatives from each club within the College of ACES and helps the clubs to interact and improve our college. The James Scholar Program is always a good idea as well. This program encourages the students in it to maintain a high GPA, and complete an honors course each year. As a James Scholar you also have an obligation to attend the Honors Symposium which is similar to a retreat for all of the James Scholars. Each student who attends eats for free and has the opportunity to interact from students from all backgrounds and majors. Last year when I attended, I ate lunch next to a senior in crop science who had a specialty hay business and had recently received the job of providing hay for the Budweiser Clydesdales in St. Louis. You just never know who you are going to meet when you get involved. I apologize for rambling, but I hope this gives everyone an idea of some of the incredible opportunities we have on this campus. I wish everyone the best of luck in this fall semester and consider getting involved, you will make many new friends and the opportunities are endless. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask. I am not an expert by any means, but I do know that it isn't always easy to get involved on a large campus and I know a lot of people who would be willing to help. Best of Luck!

Summer Update

2007-06-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

It is hard to believe that my first year of college has passed already and summer is in full swing! I have been keeping busy here at home on the farm and I have not done a very good job keeping up with my blog, but I thought that it would be nice to give a quick summer update. The month of May has been fantastic! I have had time to re-organize my life at home and be together with my family. I have enjoyed spending time outside exercising our dogs and trying to keep up with some house work.

In the evenings I enjoy boating with friends. I have been working hard to improve my water skiing skills with the goal of skiing a slalom course by the end of the summer.

This coming week I will begin a "nanny" position for a family in Bloomington. I will care for two kids, Maya is 7 and Zane is 5. We will have fun going to swim team practice, golf practice, The Children's Discovery Museum, the library, parks, etc. I will also begin a summer statistics course next week.

I am looking forward to my 19th birthday which is only a short 7 days away! I have no plans thus far, but I am excited to have all of my family and friends near by. I cannot believe how time flies, as I get older I think time keeps going faster! I hope everyone is enjoying this warm, gorgeous weather, and I will do my best to keep up with posts and include my favorite photographs! Until next time...

To my readers:

2007-04-24T10:10:00.000-05:00

I received a kind, eye-opening comment today regarding my previous post about the portfolio/ blogging workshop. As a result, I would like to clarify the last part of my message. It is VERY important to take your academic career seriously IN ADDITION to gaining "out of the classroom" experiences such as workshops, motivational speakers, or internships. In retrospect, I feel that I may have mislead my readers to think that these experiences were more important than academics. What I meant to convey is there is a delicate balance between academics and alternative forms of learning, and I think students sometimes forget that, including myself. I apologize for the confusion, and I wish everyone good luck in the last few weeks of classes. Thank you for the comments as well. ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL SPRING WEATHER (finally)!!!

"The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand."

2007-04-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

Tuesday evening, April 17th, the James Scholar Media Team in collaboration with the Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow hosted a portfolio and blogging workshop. Despite low numbers of attendees, everyone who came took home a great deal of knowledge (even if they were there to teach). For all of you who were not present, I would like to give a brief summary of the information presented so that you too can utilize the information.

Portfolio workshop:

why? Opens the door to conversation

what? A simple notebook with your name on the outside; a resume on the inside sleeve (with EXTRA copies); and a table of contents including your resume, writing samples, and any other work that you have completed.

how? Save original copies of your work, and update your resume on a regular basis.

when? It is NEVER too early to start a portfolio, just be sure to update it as your abilities improve.

who? Anyone pursuing any career can and SHOULD have a portfolio.

where? Take your portfolio to any conference, internship or job interview you attend. You never know when it might come in handy!

Blogging workshop:

why? Blogging is one of the latest and greatest advancements in new media. A blog can be used as a kind of diary (to express your personal interests) or a form of professional development (for a business or a person).

what? "Blog" is short for web log.

how? I prefer to use blogger.com. This website helps you create a blog in three simple steps. If I can do it, then ANYONE can!

when? Blogs are quick and easy to start. I had mine up and running in less than fifteen minutes. Like a portfolio, it is never too early to start a blog. A professional blog can come in handy when you start applying for jobs as well.

who? YOU!

Where? There are several different websites that you can use to start a blog. Like I said, I would suggest blogger.com.

I hope these tidbits help everyone! In addition, I would like to say that I really encourage all of the James Scholars and ACT members to come to more of our activities. They are purely for YOUR personal and professional development. Thanks for checking out my blog! : )

"The least of learning is done in the classrooms."
~ Thomas Merton

One POWERFUL Message

2007-03-31T16:11:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, March 29th, I had the priviledge of introducing Debra Berg, author of The Power of One: The Unsung Everyday Heroes Rescuing America's Cities. I found Debra's message to be incredibly impowering and I even got goosebumps a few times, which is always a true sign of a motivating speech. Debra's message revolved around the acronym S.N.L. (not Saturday Night Live of course, but it sure helped me remember it)!

S - SERVICE

N - NETWORKING

L - LEGACY

These three aspects can help people to accomplish their own mission in life, similar to those people in Debra's book. The success of each individual Debra talked about was based off S.N.L. One particular man that Debra interviewed for her book, gave up a profitable career in the NFL to SERVE youth in his community. He utilized his NETWORK to fund programs for inner city youth in order to keep them safe and out of trouble. As a result of his hard work and sacrifice, this man formed his own LEGACY and accomplished his mission in life. Debra concluded her speech by saying, in reality, the phrase should be THE POWER OF TWO. While it takes only one person to come up with an idea, it takes a network of people to make the idea a reality. The main idea: EVERYONE can accomplish their mission in life, all you need is S.N.L.

To purchase your own copy of The Power of One, go to http://www.powerone.org/ or visit your local bookstore.

New Knowledge = New Opportunities

2007-03-26T17:14:00.000-05:00

When I first began my internship with Monsanto, I taught myself how to create a blog. Although I don't always get along with computers, I found blogging to be interesting, creative, and actually FUN. I enjoyed playing with templates, pictures, colors, and thinking of new and original posts. Now that I am back at school, I have discovered a way to spread my new love for blogging to fellow students at the University of Illinois. As a new James Scholar I wanted to get involved with the James Scholar Media Team (JSMT). On April 17th at 7 pm in the Monsanto Room of the ACES library, a couple of student bloggers and I, from the JSMT, will teach a workshop on creating your own blog. The workshop will also include a lesson on starting your own portfolio. I am thrilled that I will have the opportunity to share some of the knowledge I gained from my internship with fellow students interested in agriculture. Creating your own professional blog is a great way to familiarize yourself with new media and it is an excellent resume builder for any blossoming communicator.

Top Five Tips for Future Ag Communicators

2007-03-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

1. Know the industry: familiarize yourself with agriculture magazines, radio stations and experts to help you understand the latest issues and technology in our industry.

2. Have confidence in your abilities: Be able to write an effective article, take photographs, and communicate with people in a professional manner.

3. Dress professionally: Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. It is a proven fact that other people's perception of you is influenced, to some extent, by appearance.

4. Go above and beyond: Anyone can do the bare minimum. Work hard and think outside of the box, you will be rewarded in the long run.

5. Be yourself: It is easy to get caught up trying to be someone you are not. Be proud of your strengths and be aware of your weaknesses. Watch other people and emulate the traits that appeal to you, but never compromise your individuality.

Enthusiastic about Ethanol

2007-03-09T15:27:00.000-06:00

While at the Commodity Classic, I enjoyed looking at all of the booths, especially Monsanto's. This year Monsanto had four major divisions in their booth: Yield Gard, Vistive, Round-up Ready, and biofuels/ethanol. I found the ethanol section of the booth extremely interesting. Paul Lopez (NR Specialist) and Troy Hobbes (Corn Biofuel Strategy Leader) shared with me some of the basics of ethanol, the latest technology in the field, and the main objective behind Illinois push for ethanol plant development.

Growing up surrounded by agriculture, I had always heard a lot about ethanol and the benefits of using ethanol, but I have to admit I never knew how it was made. To begin, Paul and Troy walked me through the basics of how ethanol is created. In the first step, the corn is ground and mixed with water in cook tank at 200 degrees. The extreme temperature sterilizes the corn and causes the starch molecules to rupture and break down into simple sugars. In the second tank the enzyme Glucoamylase is added which breaks down the sugars into glucose. Yeast is also added in this step which converts the glucose into alcohol. After this 48 hour process, the mixture is distilled and the dried distillers grains (everything that is not fermented) are separated from the alcohol. In the final step, the alcohol is distilled out of the water.

To wrap up, we discussed the growing demand for ethanol plants in the state of Illinois. According to Troy Hobbes, the push for these plants has to do with energy independence. "Ethanol allows us not to import as much oil, keeping dollars at home." Illinois has been a big proponent of biofuels. The state of Illinois has a great agriculture community and the government wants to get the most of that community while benefiting farmers, rural communities, and the United States.

Post Preview

2007-03-04T22:53:00.000-06:00

I made it home from Tampa, and I am working hard to get back into the college routine. I just wanted to give everyone an update about my up and coming posts. In the next couple of days, expect to see posts on biofuels/ethanol, Tips for future Ag Communicators, and an overview of my trip to the 2007 Commodity Classic!

Did I mention that I am missing the warm, sunny weather of Tampa? : )

An Enchanted Evening on the Water

2007-03-02T16:35:00.000-06:00

I know many of you have been looking forward to hearing about our evening at the National Corn Growers Association Yield Contest recognition banquet. To begin, I must tell you that it was absolutely enchanting! When Monsanto puts on an event to recognize their sales men and women and their successful farmers they put their ALL into it. Tyne and I began our evening pinning corsages on all the wives of the National and State Corn Growers Yield Contest winners (we tried our best not to draw blood). We boarded the Star Ship, and were greeted by the most hospitable crew you could possibly imagine. The decorations, recognition stage, food, and fireworks were all immaculate. Best of all however, were the people. We met farmers as well as Dekalb and Asgrow dealers from the states of Nebraska to New York. The farmers and their families were in good spirits, and almost everyone I spoke to said their favorite part about the evening was meeting all the wonderful people. I had the privilege of interviewing one such man from Milner, North Dakota.

Tom Mund along with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law made the long journey to Tampa to receive recognition for second place in the State for the irrigated crop division. Tom and his son grow irrigated corn (Dekalb), soybeans, navy beans, and wheat. The past couple of days, I have heard farmers rave about their seed dealers and Tom was certainly no exception. He said, "We have a wonderful female dealer that knows her stuff better than a lot of men. She comes around and looks at our test plots and advises us about new varieties -- that's very valuable to us because they often become our chosen variety in the future." While visiting with Tom, I asked about the value of a high quality seed. Despite a lack of rain, Tom said, "we had a fantastic crop for the amount of moisture we had." He also called the genetics in today's varieties "just unbelievable." Tom's dad watched over the combining this year and could not believe that the farm was rolling in 180 bushel dry land corn after going without rain for such a long period of time. Tom's award winning story is a true testimony to the value of Monsanto genetics. In addition to a successful crop, Tom's farm goes back four generations. Tom himself has been farming since 1969, and has been farming with his son for the past ten years. Tom's favorite portion of the evening was "the conversation with farmers and Monsanto representatives as well as getting ideas from fellow corn growers." Tom encourages young farmers to get involved anywhere they can represent agriculture and be educated on how to represent it well. He stated, "Go to the National meetings and listen to the fantastic speakers -- my experience in various organizations has exposed me to a tremendous amount of very intelligent people. And they always say if you're going to be a leader and be successful, follow a good leader."

The evening ended with a bang, literally. Colorful fireworks lit up the sky just before we headed back to shore. Celebrating with successful corn growers from around the United States was a wonderful experience for everyone involved.

Yield Gard VT

2007-03-02T08:23:00.000-06:00

Good morning everyone! I was up bright and early this morning for Monsanto's press conferences, but I am still going strong. The second press conference today covered Monsanto's latest YieldGard technology -- YieldGard VT. YieldGard VT is the brand for VecTran (Vector Transformation) technology that provides Monsanto with a better opportunity to place genes on the chromosomes for which optimal performance of the stacked traits is achieved. VecTran technology is a more natural insertion process that results in “hotter” stacked-trait hybrids with a highly active and more consistent barrier of insect protection. A limited YieldGard VT launch is planned on over 1 million acres for 2007, with plans for significant expansion for the 2008 growing season. The first YieldGard VT product launched is YieldGard Triple, which contains the second generation of the YieldGard Rootworm trait, the YieldGard Corn Borer trait and Roundup Ready 2 technology. Following the press conference I had my first radio call in with Josh St. Peters from Radio ILFB (Illinois Farm Bureau). Josh and I discussed what YieldGard VT is and what it will do for the farmers. The broadcast will be on the Radio Farm Bureau website (audio link - broadcast may take a while to load and my portion of RFD Today is at the end), and can also be heard on WHOW Clinton AM1520 between 9 and 11 this morning. Stay online for more postings about the National Corn Growers Association Yield Contest banquet last night, as well as updates about the latest technology in our industry, and the exciting happenings of the Commodity Classic 2007.

A Few Notes for my Readers

2007-03-01T22:29:00.000-06:00

I apologize for not having the time to post a story on the National Corn Growers Association Yield Contest recognition banquet tonight, but I will get to it the first opportunity I have tomorrow. I also wanted to let everyone know that if you posted a question under comments, you may click on the comments link under the story you inquired about to see my response. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to keep up on the events here at the 2007 Commodity Classic, and I will look forward to posting more blogs tomorrow!

Check out the picture of me and Tyne enjoying our evening on the yacht!

My First Interview!

2007-03-01T13:12:00.000-06:00

As an intern at the Classic, I have had so many new experiences in such a short period of time, and I am loving it! This morning, I had the opportunity to interview two very admirable people involved in agricultural communications. While eating breakfast with my fellow intern, Tyne Morgan, I happened to meet John Walter the creator and editor of agriculture online. John's website is the online portion of Successful Farming. While visiting with John, I learned that over one hundred years ago Successful Farming began the Meredith Corporation (now the second largest publisher in the United States). The Meredith Corporation owns many forms of media, including magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies Home Journal, Fitness, Successful Farming, and many more. John really emphasized the value of a family business and the importance of maintaining "agriculture roots," just as the Meredith Corporation has over the years. Even though my first interview was short, John said before he left, "Usually I am the one interviewing people, this was nice." I had a great time visiting with John, and learned the value of the strongly rooted companies we have in our industry. I even discovered that Mel Meredith, the great-granddaughter of E.T. Meredith who began Meredith Corporation, is the proud owner of the yacht sitting in the harbor outside our hotel! Tyne and I are extremely privileged to be invited to the National Corn Growers Association banquet on that particular yacht this evening. We are really looking forward to meeting several successful farming families from around the United States tonight. Check back later this evening for a post about our experiences and the wonderful families we encountered.

Taking over Tampa

2007-03-01T10:32:00.000-06:00

My adventure to the 2007 Commodity Classic has finally begun! I have made the journey from the freezing cold, flat ground of central Illinois to the warm, green, palm tree covered city of Tampa. My travels went well, with the exception of getting struck by lightning shortly after taking off from Bloomington (that gave me a bit of a scare).

Now that I have arrived, I can finally answer the question that some of my readers, as well as myself have been asking. What is the Commodity Classic? According to a veteran of the Classic, Mr. Willie Vogt, the Corporate Editorial Director for Farm Progress Companies (the largest Ag publication in the United States), "The Commodity Classic is a unique meeting of leaders, including ASA, NCGA, and NAWG. The Classic is an opportunity for these leaders to interface with leading farmers who are big in their states, understand the issues, and are trying their darnedest to keep this industry viable."

The Trade Show opens at 3pm, and I am looking forward to visiting the various booths, and meeting several of the key players in our industry. Willie Vogt promotes the value of trade shows in educating farmers about modern technology in our industry. Mr Vogt says, "Don't come and look for the yard sticks, visit the show. There is the hardware of the business: Ag Co, Deere, New Holland, Case; and there is the software of the business: Mosanto, Syngynta, Bayer, Pioneer; and you need to understand both sides of the business and what the changes are." With almost 5000 Agricultural professionals and exceptional farmers from around the United States, the Commodity Classic has taken Tampa by storm, and I am thrilled to be in the middle of it! As I continue to meet new people and experience more of the show and this beautiful city I will keep you posted. If any of my readers have questions about the Classic, feel free to make a comment and I will do my best to bring the show to you.

Agriculture at Home

2007-02-26T18:31:00.000-06:00

The countdown to the 2007 Commodity Classic has begun! I have only two days left before I board the plane to Tampa, and I am so excited. I cannot wait to meet everyone from Monsanto, and learn about the newest innovations in the agriculture industry. Before I head off to the Classic, I thought all of my readers might be interested to know a little bit about my Ag background. I grew up surrounded by production agriculture. My family manages a large, modern pork farm that has recently established a connection to Monsanto. Toward the end of January my dad, Patrick Bane, along with a small army of friends and employees began the weary, three day task of transporting 1500 gilts to the newly fumigated and renovated Bane Family Pork Farm. The partnership between my dad and four of his brothers had recently made the decision to modernize our operation by shipping the existing herd and importing a new variety of genetically superior Monsanto gilts. To provide more information to all you readers, I interviewed my dad's twin brother, Dr. Phillip Bane. Dr. Bane, who is also our herd veterinarian says, “The new herd sits higher on the genetic pyramid; therefore, we can produce breeding stock as opposed to market stock, adding value to our production as a whole.” Dr. Bane also discussed the health benefits associated with the new herd. “The Monsanto gilts, which come from Canada, are free of common diseases found in the United States such as PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome), Mycoplasma, and Circo Virus.” Bane Family Pork Farm is a strong supporter of Monsanto’s new venture into animal genetics. We have already seen improved temperament in the new herd and have faith in their strong milking ability, durability, and longevity. Dr. Philip Bane represented the partnership in saying, “Monsanto is an evolving powerhouse with a bright future in animal genetics, and we are thrilled to be a part of that." Over Thanksgiving break and Christmas break, I worked with my dad, uncles, and our employees to start records for the new herd. Our family is truly excited to venture into this new area of livestock production, and I am incredibly proud to be a part of it! I hope to share my family's story and learn more about other agriculture practices on my trip to Tampa.

The Opportunity of a Lifetime

2007-02-21T23:05:00.000-06:00

Growing up, I have been surrounded by agriculture. My dad and his brothers manage a pork operation, and my mom is the Director of Commercial Agribusiness at Country Insurance and Financial Services. I have always had a passion for the agriculture industry. In high school I was an active leader and member in 4-H and the National FFA Organization. I became involved in FFA public speaking and addressed agriculture issues such as public concerns with hog farms and genetically modified foods. When it came time to choose a college, the University of Illinois was a long awaited selection. I chose to major in Agricultural Communications with the goal of educating the public about our modern advances and our bright future in the agriculture industry. I never would have dreamed that an opportunity like the Commodity Classic would present itself as a freshman at the University of Illinois. I am thrilled that I will have the chance to meet some of the most admirable communicators in the industry. The career experience that will present itself and the memories that will be made will last a lifetime. My family and friends are ecstatic for me, and I am absolutely honored to have this opportunity of a lifetime!