It has been an interesting week as an LG Seeds Marketing Intern as I spent a lot of time in the western half of the Corn Belt. This week’s travels took me to South Dakota and Nebraska, where I met with growers and rode along with some fellow Sales & Agronomy Interns.

I started off my week by celebrating the Fourth of July in Belle Fourche, South Dakota where I had the opportunity to attend the Black Hills Roundup Rodeo, hike the trails of Devils Tower, learn about America’s history at Mount Rushmore, and climb to the top of Bear Butte in Sturgis. From the beautiful hills and pastures full of cows, there is nothing like celebrating the birthday of America from the heart of the nation (which I did see, by the way).

Monday and Tuesday included a lot of windshield time, as I drove back to the eastern half of South Dakota and then into Nebraska, riding along with some fellow interns along the way. I had the chance to hop in a truck with Hudson Rohrbach, a fellow intern, and visit with Ryan Skluzak in Kimball, SD. Ryan has grown quite the dealership and loves how LG Seeds provides a small-town feel to working with growers. He’s excited about the future of the seed industry and understands that brand loyalty is the name of the game. He enjoys promoting LG Seeds by sponsoring the local school districts and putting the logo on popcorn bags!

When driving down the road, it’s hard to miss field signs along the road. However, as a Marketing Intern, I don’t typically get to help with putting them out. But by golly, I did on Wednesday! Hunter Osentowski, a fellow intern, and I, spent the day running around the Kearney, Nebraska area, pounding in posts and signing test plots. It was a lot of fun to learn about different types of irrigation and issues that are sometimes found in south central Nebraska.

Thursday allowed for some more road time, this time taking me to a STAR Partner and seeing more of Nebraska agriculture. I met with Tyler Bailey, a former Rising STAR Partner intern and current STAR Partner. His family covers a broad array of agricultural commodities, but he takes a special interest in the crop side. “LG Seeds has a solid product lineup that won’t let producers fall on their face,” he said in his interview. He also appreciates how LG Seeds creates a community that allows growers to connect, even if they are in different states.

Growing up in rural Iowa taught me the value of supporting small businesses and learning about the type of culture of each community I’m in. When choosing restaurants to patronize, I shy away from chains and find the mom and pop shops where I know the cook is going to whip up something homemade. It has been intriguing to travel to each community and take a peek at what cuisines are available. Whether I’m on the banks of Lake Michigan or watching the buffalo graze in a national park, the food found in the heart of small farming communities is hard to beat and is definitely worth the stop.

However, it’s not just the cuisines that define the community, it’s also the people. When visiting with STAR Partners, interns, SAMs, ASMs, or growers, I start to grasp the makeup of the community based on the conversations I have and it’s interesting to watch the different dynamics of communities. LG Seeds should be proud because we are represented by some of the best in the countryside!

It’s time to cross back over the Mississippi and change time zones because we are headed to Indiana for the Launch Meeting. Stay tuned for more “Adventures from the Corn Belt!"