By Glen Ready, National Corn Growers Association Intern.
Hello! My name is Glen Ready, and thanks to the
incredible staff at Nebraska Corn Board, I have the opportunity to serve the
Washington, D.C. public policy office of the National Corn Growers Association.
As a policy and membership intern in the office, I get to work in various
capacities for each of the Directors of Public Policy. Being here has truly
opened my eyes to the amount of work that goes beyond the annual ritual of
planting, tending, and harvesting our crops. This work is important, even
vital, to our precious industry, and is often overlooked. My time here has
shown me that the agriculture industry is vast, and each facet of the industry
plays a key role. Before going in to this, let me share my background!
I grew up on a small no-till family farm just
outside of the town of Scribner, NE. Growing up, my siblings and I all played
various roles on the farm, as many “farm kids” do. I know that growing up in
small town Nebraska “agriculture policy” was the last thing I was concerned
about as I helped fill the planter for the thousandth time or prepped the
sprayer to head out on the field. I currently attend the University of Nebraska
– Lincoln, and am an Agricultural Economics major with an emphasis in Public
Policy and will be a senior in the fall. If you are like many of my fellow
students, you had a confused face when you read “public policy”. This is not an
unnatural reaction, nor, after three years, unexpected. The realm of
agricultural policy is often overlooked by some of us in production
agriculture.
The Nebraska Corn Board, National Corn Growers Association, and countless other organizations that I’ve had the opportunity to
network with here in the district all work very hard to make sure we as
producers (and across the entire supply chain) can do our jobs. Being here has
given me the opportunity to see this work in progress. I’ve gotten to attend
hearings on the Hill, sit in on important meetings about various issues, and
seen active discussions as to which “next step” this organization can take in
the best interest of the producer back in small-town Nebraska. This industry
that our state cherishes is one that wouldn’t exist as we know it without the
work that these organizations have done and continue to do.
Growing up, I was presented so many
opportunities and experiences thanks to community members that cared about the
future of agriculture. This industry continues to give me the experience and
opportunities to grow in a number of ways. I probably won’t be going back to
production agriculture, but I can use my strengths and experiences to help
those that have helped me in so many more ways than what people may see on a
daily basis. I’ve had a wonderful time here, and am looking forward to learning
even more from these hard-working people. I’m excited to graduate and begin a
career as an advocate for our industry, and am thankful for this opportunity
that the Corn Board has given to me.
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