Summer in Denver is off to a Great Start

By Kelsey Scheer, USMEF summer intern.

John Hinners and me in the USMEF office

After spending the past two summers on my family farm at home, I decided to apply for the U. S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Summer Internship through the NebraskaCorn Board. To my surprise, I actually got it! Once May rolled around, I packed up and headed west. Thankfully my parents were able to help me move in to my new summer home in Denver.  Our first day in Denver, John Hinners, Assistant VP of Industry Relations, showed us around the office and introduced us to many of the staff members.

I spent my first two days getting acquainted with the USMEF website, learning about what they do, and helping employees get ready for the Board of Directors Meetings. On what would have been my third and fourth days at the office, I toured Colorado’s beef industry with two Japanese Trade Teams. We visited the JBS Beef Plant in Greeley, JBS Five Rivers Cattle Company, and finished the day riding horses at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch in Loveland. The final day we toured the Cargill Beef Plant in Fort Morgan and Aristocrat Angus in Platteville. I enjoyed visiting all of these places, because I learned more about each specific industry and I was able to get to know the Japanese teams.

Horse Riding with the

Japan Trade Team at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch

I took this on the horse riding trip, these are beautiful views

After four days at USMEF, I traveled to St. Louis for the annual Board of Directors Meeting and Product Showcase. About 250 members and 150 international buyers attended the meetings to discuss red meat exports. During the meetings, I was asked to help set up the Foreign Buyers Conference and the Pork Caucus Meeting. I was able to sit in on the Feedgrain and Oilseed Caucus, where they talked about how in 2015, the red meat exports added $0.45 per bushel to the price of corn.  I really enjoyed being able to attend this year’s meetings, because I was able to network with industry leaders, meet USMEF staff from around the world, and assist the USMEF staff.  I was also able to have supper with the Nebraska Corn Board staff, board members, and past USMEF chairman from Nebraska, Mark Jagels.

I am very fortunate to work in an office that is filled with skilled, passionate, and helpful employees. I'm really looking forward to what the rest of the summer has in store for me, and how this experience will be very beneficial for my future in the agricultural industry.