So we have to say that we could not get all of the work at the NCRS done without some help. This year like the previous two, we hired some college interns to assist with the various research tasks, and hopefully they learned a thing or two themselves. This picture was taken earlier this summer at the start of their internship. That's why they are smiling. But I still catch a smile every now and then, and they tell me that it has been a good experience anyway. Below we see Chance, Mike, Erin and Peter. Details below:
Chance is originally from a family farm in Boise City, Oklahoma. So being an Okie he can't be all bad. But now he lives in Amarillo where he is a senior at West Texas A&M University majoring in Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences. Prior to that, he spent four years in the Marines and was deployed practically all over the world, including Philippines, Germany, Kuwait, Australia and in Iraq. He hopes for a career in research and consulting. Mike grew up on his family farm in Pigeon, MI which is out in the thumb (hold out hand with thumb on right to look like state map.) Mike is a youngster having just completed his freshman year at Michigan State as a Crops and Soil Sciences major. He plans to return to the family farm after graduation. Erin has the shortest commute being from right here in St. Johns growing up on the family farm. She will be a senior at Michigan State as a Horticulture major. She has an interest in food crops and a love of plants. Well she fits right in here. Peter grew up in East Lansing and had no choice but to attend Michigan State University. He too has an interest in food crops as well as trees and tree crops. So this is the perfect place for that. Peter plays guitar in a band, and so we are all looking forward to the NCRS talent show. All of us full-timers are very pleased with all four of these students, and hopefully they got an inside look at the workings of a leader in agriculture and how we support our products. I feel they will go far in the ag world.
I never remember stacking straw bales to be so much fun. But that's the life of an intern. I hope they remembered that during the seemingly non-ending job of taking stand counts.
Unfortunately (for us) their time at the NCRS is almost over as school will be starting up again in a few weeks. But if you need some good summer ag help in the future, I would vouch for all of these.
