Talent in the GreenSeam

TALENT IN THE GREENSEAM By Shane Bowyer

The famous quote in the iconic more of the entry-level positions. movie “Field of Dreams” of “If you build it, they will come,” still applies to many situations more than 30 years later. Ironically, the corn field turned baseball field was just recently purchased by Hall of Famer Frank Thomas in hopes that people will still come in droves to the ball field in Iowa. Jeff Rogers, an agriculture faculty member at Minnesota West Community College, works closely with agriculture professionals in our region to extend the learning environment outside the classroom. “Connecting students to the agriculture industry and developing relationships with experts in the

Contrary to the symbolic baseball field is high priority for our profield, just by posting an open agri- gram,” Rogers said. “Guest speakculture or food job on an online ers, field labs, and tours of industry website does not mean college graduates will be flocking to submit Ways to connect to are an important part of the curriculum to expose students to technical their resumes. Recruiting potential higher education: skills and career opportunities.” employees is difficult — especially in these competitive times with so many available positions to choose from. Although, there are some agriculture organizations making the best of what is available to them. Most companies in the region are Internships/Co-ops Company/Farm tours Classroom presentations Mentoring students Mentoring faculty As Rogers mentioned, the partnerships are a two-way street. Schools want to connect to industry for the students’ and faculty’s benefit, while companies need to connect schools to attract talent. There are a number of traditional methods for companies looking to fill positions at all levels. If Attend career fairs and schools to engage, yet in this the needed employees are post-sec- Serve on advisory board competitive environment the organiondary students, organizations need to engage directly with the schools. Partner on research zations need to develop more creative approaches as well as be more proacLast month’s “Talent in the Provide scholarships tive. Riverland Community College Agricultural Science Instructor Nick Schiltz agrees. “At Riverland we have an advisory board that is very helpful in providing insight into new opportunities as well as helping make connections for our students,” Schlitz said. “Work-based learning is increasingly becoming GreenSeam” column was focused on looking towards collegiate business students for agriculture and food positions. This column explores ways to engage with schools to attract students to your business or farm. Even though this article in centered on post-secondary schools, many of the same principles can be applied to high schools for attraction into Sponsor an event Provide equipment Attend a student club Social media posts more important to both the students and employers. The more learning-by-doing we can do the better for all.” Four-year institutions are similar and also put resources into career development to develop these relationships with companies.

An example of a company with strong collegiate partnerships is Christensen Farms. The company is one of the largest family-owned pork producers in the United States with nearly 1,000 employees and 1,500 contract partners. So yes, they definitely need talent.

“Connecting or engaging with higher education institutions, from two-year and above, has been a key priority to source individuals to be a part of our team, from within our farms to more of the business-related functions, such as finance, HR and many others,” Christensen Farms CEO Glenn Stolt said. “Historically, we’ve had longstanding history with ag-centric colleges such as the University of Minnesota, South Dakota State University and Iowa State University. In recent years, we have focused on engaging with other schools, including Minnesota State University, Mankato, who offer those more business function-related programs to students. The simplest way to say it is our business is extremely complex that requires and welcomes hard working, committed, values-based people with a vast range of backgrounds, skillsets and experience.”

Compeer Financial, with 1,300 employees across 43 Midwest locations, is another company takes pride in creating and fostering relationships with higher education institutions.

“We enjoy connecting with students in-person and virtually, attending career fairs, events and club

See GREENSEAM, pg. 10

Intern in the

Emma Heinzig

Benson, MN School: University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Double-major: Human Resources and Industrial Relations; History Internship with Compeer Financial

Have you always wanted a career in Ag?

Not necessarily. I’m from a small farming town, but I didn’t know much about having a career in Ag that wasn’t owning & operating my own farm. As I got older, I realized that there are so many different careers related to Ag and rural development that are more on the business side. I’ve become very passionate about rural development & helping rural areas get the resources they need. After working with Compeer for almost a year, I think I’d really like to continue working for an Ag-related company in the future.

Why did you choose an internship in the Ag industry?

I’m from a rural community, so I have a strong connection to the Ag industry. I know that if the famers are suffering, so is our little town. I’ve become very passionate about rural development & helping rural areas get the resources they need.

What are you learning on the job you did not learn in class?

How to actually apply the things I’ve learned in class. You can lecture about Learning & Development, HRIS, Benefits, etc. all day long. Applying the things that you learn in the classroom to real-life situations is a whole new ballgame, and I’m getting to do that a lot at Compeer.

What surprised you about the internship?

That everyone is constantly learning. I went in feeling super intimidated and kind of like a kid, because I’m still in school and this is my first professional experience. There are things others know how to do that I don’t, and vice versa. Everyone knows how to do their job, but there’s a lot more “I’m not sure. Let’s look it up/try it out” than I expected. I realized that it’s okay to ask questions and not know everything off the top of my head, because everyone else is in that same boat.

In what ways has your employer worked with you to be flexible for your student life and classes?

Compeer lets me set my own schedule during the school year, and operates on the idea that “school always comes first”. They understand that I’m a student first, and that I sometimes might get my internship work done during hours outside the regular 9-5 business day.

What is your favorite animal?

It’s a tie between a housecat and a giraffe.

What is your favorite food?

Pasta!

Who is your favorite musical artist/band?

Lord Huron or Taylor Swift, depending on the day