My STEP project this past summer was an internship through a program called Grow Next Gen. This program is sponsored and coordinated through Ohio Soybean Council/Association and Education Projects. As an intern I traveled across the state of Ohio to facilitate activities and teach lessons to help educate consumers on agriculture, with a focus on soybean production. Interns also recieved the opportunity to attend professional development trainings and interact with professionals within the industry.
Part of why I chose this internship was because of the opportunity it gave me to gain experience in teaching the public on concepts related to agriculture, food, and energy production, as my major is Agriscience Education. Growing up within the agriculture industry, raising livestock and living on a grain farm, I just assumed that food production was just common sense to people. Obviously as I’ve gotten older, especially as I entered college, I began to learn that is not the case. It became even more apparent as I began working with consumers this summer. But, just because they didn’t know did not mean that they had no desire to learn. They asked so many questions, some simple, and some very complex. I had a lot of great conversations that made me stop and think, and taught me what I could do to teach others better.
One of the most impactful events I had the opportunity to work at was the Ohio State Fair & Expo. Grow Next Gen had booths in two buildings at the fair, where we had tables with demonstrations and interactive activities. One of our most popular demonstrations is our biodiesel powered boats. We use biodiesel (derived from soybean oil) to power these little steam boats. Once you get them going, they make these little “toot” noises so it always drew a crowd. This demo always sparked conversations on the difference between using biodiesel, ethanol, and fossil fuels for energy. These were some of the best conversations and interactions I had because I wasn’t only educating others, they were educating me.
I think one of the biggest disservices anyone can do is reject others ideas. I am fully aware that I don’t know everything so when people ask questions I don’t know the answers to or share their ideas that I may not agree with, it is still so important to see where that person is coming from and then working together to find solutions and answers. Whether it was questions about GMOs, biodiesel, or soybean production, I did my best to know everything I could. I used my personal experiences and just knowledge I had gained through the internship and through schooling. But there is always one or two individuals who will try to discredit you because they don’t want to be wrong or they just don’t want you to be right. I’ve learned to be patient and that it isn’t my job to change minds, just to share what I can and what I know so they can learn.
Another component of my internship was professional development. We recieved opportunities to network with industry professionals and recieve some professional development training. A large focus was creating our “brand”. This provoked me to look at myself and be able to identify how I want others to percieve me, how I want employers and co-workers to see me as a young professional. This is something I will continue to explore throughout my professional career.
As a young professional in the agriculture industry, I feel a responsibility to be honest and sincere when working with consumers, as there is a lot of misconceptions and misinformation spread to consumers that makes them distrustful of the industry and those who work hard to provide them safe and healthy food. As future educator, it is my goal to help shape my students into informed consumers, productive citizens, and leaders within their communities and professions. This experience has allowed me explore where I am comfortable in the role as an educator and has also allowed me to explore where I can improve, which with time and diligence I know I can.