production agriculture

Intern Spotlight: Bauer interns with American Angus Association

Madeline Bauer
senior
agricultural communication

My name is Madeline Bauer and I am a 4th year studying agricultural communication with a minor in production agriculture. This summer I had the opportunity to work for the American Angus Association as an events and education intern.

Madeline Bauer at Junior Nationals in Madison, Wisconsin

Through my internship, I traveled to Maryland, South Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Montana. In the meantime, I lived in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Each trip was dedicated to something different. When I traveled to Maryland and back to Ohio the purpose was to attend regional Angus shows. My duties there was to keep an official book of all the placings and champions from each show. I also calculated the points to find the winners of the Herdsman and Premier Exhibitor.
I traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to attend the June Board meeting for the American Angus Association. This was one of my favorite trips as I got to act as a tour guide for all the spouses and children of the board members and employees. So while they sat in meetings all day I got to explore Charleston with the spouses and children. I took headcount on all the busses and was there to give updates on the plan for the day and ask any questions they might have and I executed the plan that was already in place every day.
Probably the biggest event of my summer was the National Junior Angus Show held in Madison, Wisconsin. I prepared all summer by organizing contest boxes, wrote Quiz Bowl tests and I made the entire Skill-A-Thon contest from scratch. At this show we had over 1,200 head of cattle come to Madison. I was in Wisconsin from July 2nd – 15th. There were numerous things I did in those two weeks but the main thing I did was facilitate the almost 20 contests that we have outside of the show ring. My job was to make sure the contest rooms were set-up, I prepared my judges on how to use the scoresheets and the rules of the contest. I had to know the rules of each contest like the back of my hand because I was the contact person for parents, exhibitors, and judges who may have questions about the contests.
Last but not least I ended the summer with a trip to Billings, Montana for the annual LEAD conference. This was a conference for junior members to attend to learn from industry professionals and view different Angus facilities. At this event, we attended a few different bull testing facilities and ranches. I had never been this far west and I can say that Montana is truly breathtaking. I see why they call it the Big Sky state!
Overall, I truly loved my experience at the American Angus Association and can say that my time there made me a better professional and prepared me for my future career in so many ways.

Bauer (left) at Junior Nationals with other interns

Bauer (left) with another intern

A Little Bit of Everything Related to Ag Productions: ASE Guide to ASM

By: Christine Balint
agriscience education

I grew up in the agricultural education classroom and I felt pretty confident about the material my teacher was able to provide us. I learned how to make my own sawhorse, how to wire some electrical circuits, and I even learned how to weld two pieces of metal together! These are some things I could have never imagined learning in the classroom, and its part of the reason why I chose to major in agriscience education. If you really enjoyed this part of FFA and the ag classroom, then you are sure to love ASM 4300.

Dewey Mann is the kind professor who has taken on this huge course for the past couple of years. The course encompasses engineering and technology applications that are essential to the operation, selection, and management of the processes, machinery, structures, soil and water, and materials handling systems in agriculture. If you can’t believe this course covers all of those topics, you would be amazed at the activities and events Mr. Mann provides throughout the term of the course.

I never had the opportunity to use agricultural machinery in a field (as I did not come from a farm background) and in this course I drove combines, tractors, and other implements! I learned how to test soil for phosphorus and measure field yield efficiency. These skills are vital in the agricultural community and it’s important for an educator to understand the basics of production agriculture. When we didn’t spend our days visiting seed companies and talking with implement dealers, we would learn about the electrical circuits, small engines,  plumbing and fitting, you name it! This class has provided me a list of skills I can proudly demonstrate for my future students in the classroom. From concrete to land surveying, to welding and harvesting, ASM 4300 is a well-rounded course that incorporates numerous aspects of the agricultural industry you may not learn about in other courses or aspects of life. Not an agriscience education major? Fear not! This course is designed not just for agricultural educators and would definitely be a great class recommendation for students who are interested in production agriculture!

A special thanks to Dewey Mann for instilling these valuable skills into timid students who have a passion for agriculture.

Taking a little break during a lab to snap a photo with Rachel, a fellow agriscience education student.

 

I loved the experience of driving this machinery!