Hitting the ground running!

By Colton Flower, NCGA intern, Washington, DC.

Greetings!

Fields of corn have been replaced by the
Capital Building on my daily commute this summer.

I’m Colton Flower and this summer I am fortunate enough to be interning with the National Corn Growers Association in their Washington D.C office. As the policy and membership intern, I assist the Directors of Public Policy in a variety of ways from farm bill research to farm visits and everything in between. Over the past few weeks I have been able to see the legislative process first hand and experience life in D.C.

Everyday on my commute to and from the office I walk right past the steps of the Capital Building. This is a view I remember first taking in seven years ago on an 8^th grade class trip. Back then I never would have imagined I’d be working on public policy just a few blocks away from that building. Growing up in the panhandle of Nebraska and raising club cattle the issues being debated on the Hill, were probably the last thing on my mind, but I have always loved advocating for agriculture and was really involved in FFA. The idea of working in public policy didn’t cross my mind until I had the opportunity to attend Corn Congress last year as a part of the Nebraska CornBoard’s leadership program. This really opened my eyes to all that takes place here in the Capital and how much of an impact the work here can have on so many people all across the country. I am very grateful for this internship opportunity and to have been selected for it by the Nebraska Corn Board, who is creating so many amazing opportunities for students like me.

As I mentioned earlier, I grew up in the southern part of the panhandle, Scottsbluff. This spring, I finished my third year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where I am majoring in agricultural education- leadership with minors in animal science and agribusiness entrepreneurship. It has been great to work on projects and learn about legislation that I hear so much about in various classes. I really hit the ground running, in my first week alone, I was compiling crop yield information and reading through the farm bill and the next day visiting Chip Bowling’s farm to discuss the various regulations farmers are facing with Georgetown Law students.  It has been a great start and I look forward to what the remaining weeks bring.