Talent in the GreenSeam

TALENT IN THE GREENSEAM By Shane Bowyer

Sometimes little things go a long do students and young professionway. The impact of doing something als meet others who are studying out of the ordinary might not be or interested in pursuing a career seen for a while; but can have a big in agriculture, they hear about the impact later in life. breadth of types of jobs in agri-food

As a college professor I under- and supporting industries.” stand education has an impact on Minnesota State University, students later in life. Although, I Mankato student James Ziegweid have also come to realize that for- commented on the AgriGrowth mal education is not always the Summit. “I had a blast at the best way to learn. For me growing Summit,” Ziegweid said. “I got the up I remember mimicking the opportunity to meet so many new things my role models did, listen- people and they were all so pasing to mentors, and never forget- sionate about agriculture and food. ting those people who did the little things to make I learned a lot by just being there. It piqued my me feel special. Sometimes it was as simple as going interest even more about careers in this industry.” out for lunch and just talking. Pioneer Bank CEO David Krause agrees with

I recently had the opportunity to hear from college Nelson on the impact industry professionals can students about their experience and what it was have on students. “The Rural Forum presented a like to be able to sit down for a meal with ag and unique opportunity for students in our region to be food professionals, attend a professional conference, exposed to issues impacting agriculture in a real and network in a social setting. world setting while allowing them to interact with Tamara Nelsen, Executive Director of the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council, has seen the impact of engaging the younger generation at industry events such as GreenSeam’s Rural Forum and AgriGrowth’s Food and Ag Summit. industry leaders, farmers and agriculture advocates,” Krause said. “It provides an enhanced opportunity for those students to explore the broad diversity of career choices available in the ag industry as they interact with companies engaged in agriculture.” “I truly believe that the leadership, examples, and passion shown for our industry by speakers, attendees, and sponsors at such events provides inspiration and fresh perspectives on the many career opportunities in agriculture,” Nelsen said. “Not only Minnesota State Mankato business student Breanna Novak was at the Rural Forum which attracted nearly 250 industry professionals. “Living in the small town of Le Center I knew a little about agriculture, but did not really understand the impact it has,” Novak said. “The Rural Forum opened my eyes to that. I also got to experience what it was like to attend a professional event and meet new people. It was a good learning experience for me as I am about to graduate.”

Nelson wishes she had a similar experience when she was in college. “As far as I am concerned, it took me four years of college and four years of professional experience to dovetail back into agriculture,” Nelson said. “If I had attended something like the Rural Forum when I was 19 to 21, I would have pursued this path a lot earlier because I would have seen the opportunity, passion and great people that work within it.”

As you know, Minnesota has a number of agriculture and food conferences and events all across the state — large and small. So next time you are planning to attend one of these conferences or events, think about what it would have felt like when you were younger if an adult invited you join them. Do something out of the ordinary and buy a ticket for a student and take them along. Little things do go a long way.

Talent in the GreenSeam focuses on developing talent and promoting careers in agriculture and food. Dr. Shane Bowyer is the Director of AgriBusiness and Food Innovation in the College of Business at Minnesota State University, Mankato and is on the GreenSeam Talent Committee. He can be reached for comments or talent ideas at shane. bowyer@mnsu.edu. v

Intern in the

Baylee Sorensen

Blooming Prairie, Minn. School: Minnesota State University, Mankato Major: Business Marketing with a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation Internship company name: FarmAmerica

How did you learn about your internship? Samantha Campa in the College of Business Advising Center at MNSU Mankato Have you always wanted a career in agriculture? I have always wanted to stick to the rural and small-town side of a business. I enjoy how this type of business creates a community instead of just a group of employees. Whether or not this job would be in the career field of agriculture, I was not sure. Why did you choose an internship in the ag industry? I chose this internship because I believe that to market a product or service I will need to support and believe in this product or service personally. Teaching the community about the history and importance of agriculture is definitely something that I support and will continue to support. What are you learning on the job you did not learn in class? I learned about how creating and growing relationships with the consumers of a product or service is super important. This allows me to see how I can improve the product or service and also more accurately market the product or service to the right consumers. Personally, I believe that personal relations are one of the biggest parts of marketing and it is also the part I am most passionate about. What surprised you about the internship? I was surprised by how much information I didn’t know about the history of agriculture in Minnesota. I grew up in the country surrounded by agriculture and learned a lot about it through the classes I took and the books I read in my free time. However, I was amazed by how much I did not know before my internship. In what ways has your employer worked with you to be flexible for your student life and classes? My internship was during the summer, so this wasn’t super relevant. However, Farmamerica did a great job of meeting with me regularly to see if I was learning everything I wanted to during the summer and allowing me to experience as much real-world experience as I could. What is your favorite animal?

Goat What is your favorite food?

Banana bread Who is you favorite musical artist/band?

Zach Bryan