“I did a lot of scouting for weeds and bugs this summer, and I got to watch a drone spray for bugs in a few fields and learn about the development of technology in agriculture,” shares Kevin Brugmann, a junior at Dordt University, majoring in plant science and 2022 CFE Inwood Agronomy summer intern. “I did a large variety of work and helped in whatever needed to be done. I learned some new ways to approach something or look at things differently. I also learned a lot about farming in the Midwest in general and a cooperative, like CFE works.”
For decades, CFE has played an important role for area college students to gain an education in agriculture that can only be found in hands-on experience. One of the chief complaints of a new college graduate is that many employment opportunities require experience. By participating in an internship, students can include invaluable experience on their resumes.
One of the greatest benefits of an internship is students get to experience first-hand all the different options in their field of study. As Shawna De Kam, a sophomore at Mitchell Tech and agronomy intern at the Doon CFE location, shares, “This internship was very good for me personally because I got the opportunity to learn about agronomy as a whole.” An advantage that CFE has compared to others in the industry is the depth and offerings within the co-op. CFE offers not only agricultural services like agronomy and feed but also in lumber, IT and data/analytic opportunities. Whether students are walking alongside CFE’s top sales team, learning feed formulation and ration balancing or working directly with CFE’s IT Operations group supporting the day-to-day operations of the business, students participate in a variety of tasks learning new skills.
“One thing about this internship is I was constantly learning something new,” Shawna comments. “I started by helping with planting plots and then transitioned into helping crop scout! I also got to do tissue samples, soil samples, put up bug traps and went to different plot days.”
A wide variety of experiences during an internship is invaluable to help students gain insight into what area of expertise they ultimately want to pursue a career in. They are also gaining a competitive edge on their resumes with future employers. Many employers are more interested in a student’s experience as an intern than what classes a student may or may not have taken. It’s the students who intern who build up a strong work ethic, taking on work and picking up the tasks that others don’t want to do. These are the students employers want to hire.
This summer we had a tremendous group of students working for us. We would like to personally thank them for the excellent work they gave us. We enjoyed getting to know all of these individuals and learning more about their future endeavors.
2022 CFE INTERNS
Anthony Larson: Hartley | Seasonal
Ashley Holts: Rock Rapids | Seasonal Feed
Allyson Beninga: George | Beef Feed
Lexi Stahly: Lake Park | Agronomy
Jesse Bockman: Milford | Agronomy
Kevin Brugmann: Inwood | Agronomy
Bruce Van De Stroet: George | Feed
Tanner Van Heuvel: Ocheyedan | Seasonal Lumber
Shawna De Kam: Doon | Agronomy
Sarah Boogerd: Rock Valley | Seasonal
Kirk Moser: Larchwood | Seasonal
Kendall Green: Hartley | Swine Feed
