Where will agriculture take you?

Monday, June 25, 2012

Internship Update

To sum up my summer internship would be to say that it is one of the best experiences I have ever had. Interning at Agriculture Future of America as the summer communications and marketing intern has been a major learning experience. I feel as though I have enhanced my journalism, public relations and overall writing abilities this summer.

I am also very excited about the projects I have been working on. Already, the InterNetworKC kick off dinner has been held. I was in charge of coordinating the evening where 35 agriculture interns in the Kansas City area got together for a night of networking and fun. From invitations to name tags and booking caterers, I got to experience the life of event planning. It was very enjoyable!

The summer is flying by and I have many other projects yet to complete. This internship is allowing me to experience in a multitude of agriculture communication areas.

My desk at the office! Yes, my sticky note addiction is very evident. It was another busy and exciting week at AFA

Here I am at AFA's annual InterNetworKC event. I had the pleasure of coordinating the dinner held at the American Royal. Area agriculture interns were invited for a night of networking hosted by AFA.

It was great to see both new and old faces at InterNetworKC. After dinner, Lydia Manson, who is a fellow CAFNR student, and Ana, a new friend, and I attended the Hunter Hayes concert at the Power & Light District. By coincidence, Ana and I also had several mutual friends as I know many students at Iowa State University, where she attends college.

Schurz Dorm Reunion

I have often been told that the friends you make in college will go on to be your co-workers, neighbors and bridesmaids. Well, after one year at Mizzou I am pretty sure my future wedding party has doubled in size! When I entered my dorm, Schurz Hall, for the first time for move in day, I kept running into familiar faces. It seems as though everyone I had met in FFA went on to attend MU and roomed in good ole' Schurz. 

Maybe it was chance or fate, but college allowed me to not only form new friendships but to allow others to grow. Individuals whom I had connected with at leadership events but that lived hours away were now only a door down or hallway over. I blame the magic of MU campus. 

It was not long before I had found my niche group on campus with fellow agriculture majors like myself. We were girls who originated from farms in small towns, we graduated in classes with less than 100 students and we were usually the only people from our high schools to attend MU. Everyone one of us has big dreams and we are all hard workers dedicated to seeing them fulfilled. Some of us had even been competitors in 4-H and FFA but we discovered what made us so competitive was similarities. 

Our similarities extended to our majors and class schedules. We not only shared the same agriculture economics class that every CAFNR freshman finds themselves in, but we bonded. We would eat lunch together, going on shopping trips, get ready for big Friday nights and of course making late night Walmart runs.  As friends we were there to celebrate in each other's accomplishments and to be the a helping hand in times of need, from relationships to family crises. Together, our group experienced the joys of winning awards, the thrill of taking a trip and the anxiety and worry that freshman year brings.

With similar degrees we were also in clubs and organization together and often group project partners. Having such close friendships made the transition from high school to college much easier. From the hallways of Schurz to the countryside of Shelbina, Missouri you never know where we will end up! 

All of us cleared our calendars for a weekend campout at our friend Kathryn Coon's farm last weekend. It was a chance for us to catch up and take a break from summer jobs, classes and internships. We told of our adventures, the hopes for sophomore year and spent some quality time in the country. I couldn't have asked for more. 

Taking a tour of Coon Angus Farm! 

Of course we could not miss a hay bale photo opportunity. 

Just a bunch of country girls! 

Thank you to Megan Couch for editing the photos! We had an excellent weekend get together! 

Back In 2010...

"We are time's subjects, and time bids be gone." ~William Shakespeare 


Even though I am only 19 years young I have found that the most valuable aspect of life is time.  As each birthday passes and year goes by I find myself reminiscing more often. To be fair, I am always the one photographing every moment of a trip and usually the first person to begin the "remember when..." conversations in any group setting. I live for reunions. They remind my of happy times in the past and the glorious moments the future will bring. 


One of the most joyful summers of my life was the summer of 2010. It was an epic 3 months, the time frame between my junior and senior year of high school. I was 17, with a driver's license and cute silver car (which I still have, minus several fender benders!)


Even though I could drive that summer, I was not behind the steering wheel very much. In fact, as my agriculture instructor, Mr. Henderson said, "Breanne, I'm not even going to try to call you this summer to check on your FFA projects because I'm not going to even know what time zone you are in." 


You see, I was a lucky individual that summer. I won an essay contest to Washington D.C., was selected to attend the Missouri Girl's State, served as a delegate to 4-H State Conference, attended my last 4-H Equine Tour in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska, qualified for FBLA nationals in Nashville, Tennessee and went our nation's capital (again) for the FFA Washington Leadership Conference. In addition to my family's annual vacation, a few camps here and there and a concert at the Missouri State Fair. 


In May I realized the hard work and stress of my junior year had paid off. Literally. I won several essay contests which allowed me to save money for future travel adventures. I had survived dual enrollment math and science courses and had won the trips I had applied for. In all, it was destined to be a hectic summer.  


Looking back, it was also my last summer of my youth. This was before summer college classes, full time jobs and major life commitments. It would also be my last summer of livestock shows and leadership conferences. That's one thing a miss about aging, giving up showing my animals. 


However, I believe I lived life to the fullest the summer of 2010. I did have to give up certain opportunities such as showing livestock in order to take advantage of other opportunities. I visited Washington D.C. for my first time- twice that year. My passion for politics was ignited at Missouri Girls State where I was elected as Mayor of Blair City and campaigned for Secretary of State. I visited Nashville for the first time and have since returned! I experienced the National FBLA conference for my second time, and was proud to have qualified two out of four years as an FBLA member. I attended my last 4-H Equine tour. This 4-H experience took me to nine states over the course of four summers. This experience allowed me to meet my best friend whom I still keep in contact with daily, though she lives halfway across the state. 


2010 may have been in the last decade and I may have left high school behind me, but I find the friendships and experiences I encountered that summer have lasted a lifetime. I met more friends in that summer than I had probably encourtered in my life prior. Thanks to Facebook and the internet, I still keep in contact with individuals who live across the country. It was pretty much a summer out of a story book... full of adventure, travel and friendships. 


Somedays I find myself looking through a scrapbook or Facebook photo albulm. Somehow I always turn back to the summer of 2010. 


The entire Missouri Girls State populace of Blair City. The girls elected me as mayor the first day at MGS. To this day, I will still find myself hearing "Mayor Bre" yelled across the Quad at MU. MGS girls show up everywhere. 



At the Washington Youth Tour I met new faces and old. Eight individuals I had met at the Missouri Agribusiness Academy two summers ago. The people I met here went on to go to colleges throughout the U.S. and lead amazing lives. We also had some of the most intellectual conversations I believe high schools have ever experienced! 
The other delegate from my region, Drew Jones, and I at the day of congressional visits. 

Enjoying the sights and monuments of D.C.



By the Colorado mountainside. 


This photo from the fourth annual 4-H Equine Tour ended up being a feature in the Missouri 4-H news publication. 

There were many tears shed the final night of the Equine Tour. For some of us, we had spent a week of every summer of high school together bonding over horses, 4-H and travel. It was truly a once in a lifetime adventure. Four years of love. 



Night out in Nashville during the Future Business Leaders of America national leadership conference! 


High school friends and I in Nashville.


You will notice different towns on each of the jackets in this picture. One of the great aspects of FFA, knowing where your new friends are from at all times!


WLC was also a time for reflection. 

I still keep in contact with Ashley and James from Florida to this day. WLC was one of my favorite FFA experiences. 







Saturday, June 9, 2012

First day as an intern!

Monday morning I passed a major milestone in my life by beginning my first professional job. This summer I was hired to work as the communications and marketing intern for Agriculture Future of America. Working from 8-5 a.m., business attire and living in Kansas City will be a major change from past summers. But I could not be more excited! 

AFA has opened numerous doors to me. I was selected to attend the organization's annual leaders conference last fall. It was there that I learned about I-CAL, the AFA internship program, the AFA Animal Health Corridor and numerous other opportunities. I would encourage any collegiate agriculturist to become involved with AFA and to apply for there scholarship program and conference. 

Many of my friends are pursuing jobs, internships, international experiences or taking additional courses this summer. These next few months will bring new experiences and knowledge to many. For now this Traveling Aggie will driving to work every morning to work for a profound agriculture organization. Hello Kansas City! 

Headed to the AFA office bright and early! 


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

And The TIde Turns.

It's onto new adventures now! Agriculture offers a world of opportunities and I cannot wait to take advantage of impending events. Who knows where the future could take me? 


Singapore, Singapore

In case you have never seen the Pirates of the Caribbean movies- all three or four of them- then you may not realize that Singapore is the capital of Singapore. The pirate ports and black markets of Singapore played an important role in one of my favorite movie series. 

So while in the city/capital/country, I discovered beautiful views of area architect. Singapore is a nation rich in building structures, design and artwork. Here are some of my favorite city moments:

I never found out what this building was, but it reminded me of an Australian design.

Take a ride on the Ferris Wheel... or have dinner in it! For around 80 U.S. dollars you can enjoy champaign and a 30 minute ride in this Ferris Wheel. 

Singapore skyline

Palm trees in the city! 

On The Way Home

To get back to the U.S. I flew from Singapore to Korea, then from there to San Francisco, California. One more flight led me to Kansas City, Missouri and I finally reached Brammer Farms after a two hour car drive. In total it took nearly two days and 20 hours of flight time to reach my destination. Flying is always a "grand adventure."

But, international flights are an unique experience altogether! Security checks, baggage claim, transfer flights and of course, Customs, make for a memorable experience. And as your Passport is stamped you feel a wave of gratification knowing that you made it, either home or to a new land.

After my Passport was stamped for Singapore, I found myself on my last international flight. My seat had a personal TV that I could watch (for free!) The Singapore Airline stewardesses were also exceptionally nice. We were served numerous meals and could request snacks such as candy bars, fruit or drinks at any time (free of charge!) Overall, I was very impressed with the airline services. After two weeks without television I had an excellent opportunity to catch up on missed TV shows and the latest box office movies. Talk about service!

Flying over Asia! 

Bringing home Vietnamese Dong, Malaysian Ringgit and Singapore Dollar: the currency of Asia. 

Welcome back to the U.S!


Singapore Night

 The 2012 I-CAL team spent our last night in Southeast Asia on a Singapore pier, Riverside Point. We relived moments of the trip, recalled the amazing sights we had seen and bonded over our last meal. Overall, my team members and I agreed that I-CAL was a trip of a lifetime. No one in our group had ever even been to Asia. FFA and the U.S. Grains Council gave us the opportunity to see a part of the world we never thought we would.

It was only fitting to spend our last night with our teammates. We all become so close during our two weeks together. I believe I-CAL is the best agriculture experience I have had the opportunity to be a part of. As we walked down the pier we talked of visiting each others states, universities, our mutual friends and of course, planning our ten year reunion. It was the perfect way to end the perfect trip.

A beautiful Singapore evening! 

Myself and the "Bethany's", how I will miss them! 

Our entire group enjoying fresh seafood and we shared a giant order of King Crab!

Last night in Asia!

Chicago Board of Trade

"Elastic demand," "marginal revenue," suddenly terms from my freshman agriculture economics class are being used around me. At the Chicago Board of Trade's Southeast Asian branch in Malaysia, our I-CAL team met with economists. We discussed the American origins of the company and its global purpose. 

The Chicago Board of Trade is focused on security, risk management to ensure its customers receive quality service and prices. Futures, market prices and demand were discussed during our visit. We also focused on the agriculture sector and the main commodity crops that are traded within the Board. 

The company is constantly expanding its agriculture products to include new varieties of commodities. The discussion wrapped up after viewing global charts of the Board's regional impact. From the U.S. to Southeast Asia, the Chicago Board of Trade has been entrusted by investors since 1848.

Shasta S., myself and Margary M. discuss current agriculture trade trends with trade board representatives. 

At the Chicago Board of Trade Southeast Asian Headquarters! 

Hello Singapore!


Singapore was once a fishing village and trading port frequented by pirates. Today it is a bustling financial center and has been dubbed the "Vegas of Asia." The country is experiencing rapid economic growth with a strong Singapore Dollar, the official currency.

Compared to Vietnam, prices were astronomical here. One scoop of Gelato ice cream (my favorite!) was six American dollars. There were numerous shopping malls and the country lacked the traditional markets of Malaysia. We visited urban areas of the country where cities were bustling with business suite clad workers.

Singapore was definitely a different scenery than the previous countries I had visited! There were unique building, sky scrapers that seemed to touch the clouds, perfectly paved streets and people hurrying off to offices. The country has become a leader in Southeast Asian development both economically and socially.


Shasta S., Daniel A., and I found characters from the American electronic game!

"I'm on a boat!" The popular Lonely Island song came to mind as our tour bus passed this unique building. 

Just another day in the city! 

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

World's Tallest Twin Towers

 From 1998 to 2004 the Petronas Towers skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were the tallest buildings in the world. Today they are the third tallest but are still the highest twin towers. They were 10 meters taller than the former World Trade Center due to the spires. The buildings took seven years to complete. An architect of a different nationality was in charge of each tower. The race to finish the buildings was won by the South Korean architect team, the Japanese came in a close second.
 A glass walkway was added to connect the buildings. Tourists can even visit the top floor, the 86th. The Petronas Towers have been the setting for movie backdrops and have made there own place in history. In 2009 French urban climber Alain Robert, the "Spiderman" scalled the towers using only his bare hands and feet with no cable assistance. This was one of many attempts he made to climb the towers. When I visited the twin towers, I preferred to use the elevators! 


The towers were located right beside our hotel! It was a beautiful view to wake up to. 


I made it to the top floor, 86. Eventually I will have my fear of heights conquered. 

Matthias, the Bethany's and I enjoy the view.

The window archway allowed me to see both sides of the city skyscrape. 

The view down below. Notice how massive the building shadows are!

Outside, on solid ground! 

Sultan's Palace

While our bus stopped to refill gas I spotted the Sultan's Palace. Yang di-Pertuan Agon is the ruler of Malaysia. Raja Permaisuri Agong is the Queen Lady Consort as the Sultan's husband. After Malaysia gained independence in 1957, the government structure was established in a constitutional monarchy. This makes the rule of the Sultan simply ceremonial, similar to the British government.

However, the leaders of each Malaysian district take turns serving the position. There is no permanent Royal Family dynasty. This unique royal system occurs because it was the only way the districts of Malaysia could unite. Since the rulers of each district could not decide on a ruler, they would each have a turn for a few years. 

This was as close as my "tour" of the palace got!

It is common to find portraits of the reigning royal couple in Southeast Asian businesses. 

WestPort: Worldwide Shipping

Located just north of Singapore and Indonesi, WestPort shipping company boarders south Thailand to become the shipping port hub of Southeast Asia. The company exports and imports products to enter local markets to to travel halfway across the globe. Anything from grains to luxury goods pass through the port daily. The facilities operate with top notch equipment and safety is always a must. WestPort itself is a large community that employes thousands of workers. The company provides economic stimulus to the entire region. 


The view of WestPort seemed endless! The company owns miles of shore land beside ocean ports where they collect shipments. 

One of the coordinators of WestPort discussed the shipping company's strategic location and tactics for utilizing geographic advantages. 

Standing beside the impressive machinery. 

The cranes that moved cargo tons were impressive!

Midwest girls from the University of Missouri and Missouri State!