Spending the last couple months in a very busy and exciting, Washington, D.C., has been quite an experience for a small town South Dakotan. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. My time with the National Farmers Union government relations staff has been awesome. It seems surreal that two months have gone by. It seems only a short while ago that I was trying to figure out the metro system and which side of the Capitol was the Senate and which was the House.

During our first week we were encouraged to take on a couple of issues that interested us and follow them during our time here. I went to hearings, briefings and press conferences where I was able to shape informed views on a variety of issues. By helping with the Farm Bill Toolbox I gained a much more in-depth understanding of the farm bill and how it affects many different people and industries. I have enjoyed learning the legislative process and the impact that lobbying organizations can have from firsthand experience.

I believe I will find my experience with NFU invaluable as I enter the agricultural industry workforce. I would like to thank all the NFU DC staff for making this such an interesting and enjoyable internship and Laura Monchuk for informing me of this great opportunity.

I find it difficult to believe that eight weeks have already come and gone in Washington, D.C. It seems that only earlier this week I was writing a blog about my visit to the Senate Gallery and how powerful of an experience it was, watching the second farm bill vote. I had very high expectations of this internship at that time, but those expectations have been met and surpassed.

I am incredibly thankful for the amazing opportunity I had here with NFU. I will never forget the experiences of meeting George McGovern, T. Boone Pickens and my North Dakota Senators and Congressman.  The governmental process studied in high school and college comes to life when you intern in D.C. I am always fascinated by the experience of watching the hopes and dreams of farmers in rural America evolve into county, state and national Farmers Union policy and then watch that policy be put into legislation, voted on by our Senators and Representatives. This summer was a very dynamic time to be in D.C., with the passing of the farm bill right as we started our internship and the “buzz” around town as our nation’s capital awaits a new administration.

I want to thank the staff in the national office for all of their time, patience and instruction in working with us. They have been great educators, leaders and friends while we spent our summer in D.C. I would also like to encourage any other college students interested in politics, agriculture policy or law to consider an internship with NFU. This summer provided a great deal of growth in knowledge, professionalism and opportunity that I will be taking with me the rest of my life.

On Tuesday, the three interns – Kale Van Bruggen, Mike Stranz and Tyler Fischer - were treated to lunch by Tom Buis and Katy Ziegler at North Dakota Farmers Union’s restaurant, Agraria, located on Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown waterfront.  We were very impressed with the upscale service at the restaurant as well as the “from our fields to your table” theme consistent with the entire dining experience.

Tom provided a tour of each room in Agraria, including the famous Wine and Sunflower Rooms.  The restaurant walls are covered in pictures featuring rural farm scenes from North Dakota, Minnesota, Maryland and Virginia.  Quotes found both on the walls and in the menus educate Agraria’s customers about the value farmers receive from the food dollar and the important role rural America plays in feeding our country.  “Agraria is a unique example of direct marketing that helps farmers to get a better deal for their product,” stated Mike Stranz.  “Just for the halibut, I tried the fish. It was delicious.”

“After eating in D.C. for a couple months now, I didn’t think I would ever find a steak that tastes as good as the steaks back home,” commented Tyler Fischer.  “I was proven wrong.  The food at Agraria was absolutely delicious and the setting on the waterfront is remarkable.”  Also present at the restaurant were the executive chef and the staff team of the new Agraria restaurant, Founding Farmers.  “I’m very excited to return to D.C. and try the second restaurant this fall,” said Kale Van Bruggen.  “I have no doubts that it will provide as impressive of an experience as Agraria has done.”

For six weeks the 2008 scholarship recipients will be the weekly member profile. This is the final profile of the series.

For 12 years, Jared Whitcomb and his parents Matthew and Connie have been involved in Farmers Union. Jared attended Farmers Union local and state camps, as a camper and later as a counselor.  In 2006, he attended NFU All-States Leadership Camp, where he was elected to the NYAC. This year he attended the College Conference on Cooperatives, co-hosted by NFU.

During last year’s Kansas Farmers Union Convention, Whitcomb was elected as a delegate to the NFU Convention and was appointed by NFU President Tom Buis to serve on the Credentials and Elections Committee.

Whitcomb attends Kansas State University, where he is majoring in animal sciences and industry in the area of production management. He transferred to KSU from Hutchinson Community College, where he played varsity football and achieved Academic All-American.

If you’ve watched TV in the past two weeks, you’ve probably seen the commercials from T. Boone Pickens and his plan to address  America’s energy crisis. Pickens, the billionaire Texas oilman, stopped by our office on Capitol Hill yesterday and sat down with NFU President Tom Buis and the government relations staff to pitch his plan.

Much to Pickens’s dismay, the U.S. imports $700 billion worth of oil each year – most of which comes from the Middle East and Africa. He believes that petroleum is at or beyond its maximum production level and that someone needs to steer American fuel choices in a new direction. He suggests that natural gas be used much more intensively in the near future as a transportation fuel and to pin long-term hopes onto wind and solar energy to backfill the needs for electricity production.

Pickens has invested $58 million of his own money in a marketing campaign that has spread this message nationwide – hence the TV ads and appearances on the news circuit. There’s even a Facebook group dedicated to “The Pickens Plan.”

A reporter from Newsweek accompanied Pickens to the meeting, which gave the event a little more excitement. Maybe NFU will be mentioned in an upcoming article.

I can’t say that I meet billionaires very often, but I can tell that T. Boone Pickens definitely is working hard to pitch his plan.

What’s the catch? We need you to submit reports of how your crops are coming along. To do this:

1. Sign up for a Google account - it’s free!
2. Email your new Google username to us at nationalfarmersunion@nfudc.org
3. We’ll then activate your profile as a contributor to the blog and give you further instructions.

Good luck and happy blogging! Check out the blog today to see the first few entries.

**Thanks Minnesota Farmers Union member Tim Henning for the great idea!

For six weeks the 2008 scholarship recipients will be the weekly member profile.

Ryan Soren is the son of Wayne and Vicki Soren, who have been involved with Farmers Union for more than 25 years. The family has attended every state Farmers Union convention since Ryan was born. He attended local, county, district and state Farmers Union camps as a camper and a counselor. He also earned the SDFU Torchbearer Award and attended NFU All-States Leadership Camp, where he was elected to the National Youth Advisory Council.

He has already earned an associate’s degree in automotive technology and is currently pursuing an associate’s degree in automotive body repair and a certificate in entrepreneurship at the Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb. He hopes to one day own his own automotive restoration shop and a small sheep farm in a rural area.

Ryan is from Lake Preston, S.D

On Monday, NFU President Tom Buis appeared on the Fox Business Channel’s Bulls and Bears to discuss commodity prices and their relation to rising grocery prices. Tyler and I got to tag along.

Fox News is in the same building as NFU, so it was only a brisk walk and an elevator ride away.

We were promptly escorted to the green room, where photos of notable politicians (John Kerry, Newt Gingrich, Howard Dean, Condoleeza Rice, Dick Cheney, Mike Huckabee and many more) adorned the walls. News anchors and other guests milled about. Hair care and make up were applied in full force and last minute facts and figures were streaming in. It was quite a scene.

A few minutes before going live, Tom was hustled into a studio with a newsy backdrop and seated before the camera. Tyler and I took up positions in a nearby cubicle with a live feed of the broadcast. The anchors in New York delivered their intro, Tom cleared his throat and we were live.

In all, the segment lasted about only two minutes. Tom fired his shots about how less than 20 cents of every dollar spent on food makes its way back to the farm, energy costs are driving up prices across the board and how farmers are responding effectively to free market pressures. He even noted that popcorn vendors at movie theatres are raising prices and citing higher corn costs – even though anyone who knows anything about agriculture can tell you that popcorn and field corn are two very different commodities. He covered a lot of ground.

If you want to be heard, you must have your sound bites ready to go – especially when you’re live on Fox News. That was today’s lesson.

For the next six weeks the 2008 scholarship recipients will be the weekly member profile.

Cyndi Schumacher, her parents Gary and Kristy Schumacher, and seven siblings, have been active in Farmers Union for the past six years. Cyndi has attended junior day camps, award nights and summer camp, and recently obtained her Farmers Union Torchbearer Award.

In high school, Cyndi has been active in Student Council, Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, volleyball, basketball, track, and band. She was also a vice president of her class for the past two years.

She plans to use the scholarship to help achieve her goal of becoming a first-generation family member to receive a bachelor’s degree. She will be attending Utah Valley State College in Orem, Utah, in the fall to obtain her nursing degree.

Cyndi is from Peetz, Colorado.

Bee-ing a National Farmers Union intern calls for plenty of buzzing around Capitol Hill - literally.

June 22 – 28 is National Pollinator Week. Bee keepers, honey producers and representatives from companies that utilize honey swarmed on Washington to raise awareness about their unique role in agriculture. Hearings were held regarding the challenges pollinators face and those who rely upon them.

On Wednesday, the Pollinator Partnership hosted a reception and press event to promote pollinator awareness, especially in light of the onset of Colony Collapse Disorder. There were posters, speakers, free honey ice cream and chapstick, informational packets… and a guy running around in a bee suit. You guessed it… that was me.

I must admit that I rather enjoyed playing the role of a giant bug. The bee was the guest of honor. There were hundreds of photos, smiles, handshakes, high-fives and fist bumps. I couldn’t help but feel cool, even if the twenty-pound costume was oppressively hot.

Honestly, I think everyone should spend a little time each day dressed in a mascot outfit. It’s good for the soul.

There was a little disappointment, however, when I came back into the room after changing out of the bee costume. The automatic smiles, the spontaneous friendly gestures and the photo ops were all gone.

Kale, Tyler and I learned more about the importance of pollinators in agriculture – and that you can never bee sure what the next assignment will bring when interning for the National Farmers Union.

Here’s some of the information I learned during my time as a bee:
Q: Who is the bee’s favorite singer?
A: Sting!

Q: Who is the bee’s favorite pop group?
A: The bee gees!

Q: How does a queen bee get around her hive?
A: She’s throne!

Q: Why do bees hum?
A: Because they’ve forgotten the words!

Q: What kind of bees hum and drop things?
A: A fumble bee!

Q: What did the bee say to the flower?
A: Hello honey!

Q: What’s a bee’s favorite flower?
A: A bee-gonia!

Q: What did the confused bee say?
A: To bee or not to bee!

Q: What do bees do if they want to use public transport?
A: Wait at a buzz stop!

Q: What is a baby bee?
A: A little humbug!

Q: What do bees chew?
A: Bumble gum!