What I liked
My position with Cargill was a Grain Origination Sales Intern. This summer I had the opportunity to originate grain to the Cargill elevator in Albion, NE. This location was a neat experience because it is attached to an ethanol plant that required 150,00 bushels of corn every single day. I spent the summer learning about the products Cargill is able to offer their farmers and then spending my days executing that knowledge by calling and visiting with farmers in the area to explain the value that those marketing products can bring to their families and farming operation. I also got to travel to Minneapolis, MN, and Wichita, KS to spend time with my fellow interns and learn more about the company. The best part about my summer was the chance to meet so many kind, smart, and hardworking people that work for Cargill.
One of my tasks this summer was to create a value proposition for myself. Although it is supposed to be used when first meeting a farmer, I simply kept it in the back of my head when I was having these important conversations. My value proposition goes like this: “My name is Michelle VanCleave and I originate grain for Cargill. My dad taught me about the importance of money management my whole life, and now I am putting what he taught me to use. I care about helping farmers make sound decisions in the markets by utilizing our products so that they can eliminate financial risk and continue to provide for their family and farming operations.” This statement is a great way to convey my genuine intentions for the job I was given.
The goal of my summer project was to contact 50 farmers and explain to them the value that Firm Bid Offers can bring their farm. Firm Bid Offer contracts outline the bushels, delivery period, commodity, and the price they are looking to sell their grain for and then sells when the markets hit their goals – to put it short. I started attaining my goal by contacting the Farm Marketers and Origination Specialists I was assigned to work with to see which of their customers or prospects would get the most out of hearing from me. After that, I explored our database that holds information about the customers, asked employees what these people were like, and printed off reports that listed what old and new crop was sold. I made sure that at the end of each discussion, if appropriate, I would ask for the farmers business and thank them for their time.
The results of my efforts tallied up to 76 contacted farmers. 50 of these were through outbound calls over the phone and 26 were on-farm visits. Of the 26 on-farm visits, I had 14 solo visits by myself and 12 joint visits with the customer’s Farm Marketer or Origination Specialist. I earned 10 Firm Bid Offer contracts totaling 5,000 bushels of beans and 22,800 bushels of corn. It is probably easy to tell, but as for achieving the goals that were set for me, we count this as a victory.
After this experience with Cargill, which I would recommend others to pursue, I have decided to accept a full-time position with them as a Sales Associate Trainee. I will be working out of their Overland Park, Kansas office learning the ins and outs of the business. It is neat to see how such little time with such a big company can prepare you for a career in the agriculture industry. This position lines up great with my education because everyone needs to know how to communicate, and if I can make it easier for farmers to understand their business just a little better, I will count that as a success. I am excited to join the working world because I will be doing something I truly enjoy. It has also been nice to take the time and reflect on the internship and all of my accomplishments through the agricultural communications internship class requirements. Reading my efforts throughout this paper and realizing what a difference I made in the company and the communities in Nebraska brings me happiness. I look forward to seeing what else my future might have in store.
