Cool Careers: Student Edition – Agribusiness

Agriculture is all around us. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, agriculture has an impact on our everyday lives. Hi, I'm Briley Walter, and I'm Faith Schradter, and we're from Hayes, Kansas. And for us, agriculture has been the backbone of our life for as long as we can remember. We both grew up on cattle operations, spending countless hours with our cattle. We also have been showing livestock from a very young age. For us, we've been around cattle so much, so the smell doesn't even phase us. And those experiences have shaped who we are and inspired us to learn more about the many careers that keep agriculture running. When most people envision agriculture, they picture working cattle, driving tractors, or spending long days in fields like these. While those jobs are essential, nearly nine out of ten agriculture-related careers actually take place off the farm, supporting producers and keeping the industry moving. But behind every farm is a network of people working hard to keep agriculture moving forward. Today, we're meeting someone whose job helps connect agriculture business and communities across Kansas. Meet Tessa Beeman, Agri Business Development Coordinator with the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Hi, my name is Tessa Beeman, and I'm the Kansas Hay Market Reporter. So I work for the Kansas Department of Agriculture in the Ag Marketing Department, and I am the Hay Market Reporter for the state of Kansas. So what that entails, um, I call hay producers and hay buyers across the state every week and talk to them about hay prices, what they're buying hay for, what they're selling hay for. Um, primarily alfalfa, prairie hay, and brome, but there's some other types mixed in there. Um, and then at the beginning of every month, I talk to some feedlots in Kansas and talk about how much hay they used the month before and at what price. And in addition to that, with all of that information that I gather, I collect it all and I put it into a report that I send out weekly. And then bi-weekly, I send a report to the USDA, and that gets posted online. And then I record a couple spots for the radio, and it plays on about a dozen radio stations every week just to keep everybody across Kansas informed. Wow, it's really interesting to see how much communication and data goes into keeping the Kansas producers informed about the hay market. When I know that your job consists of everything, we talk with producers and feedlots, taking reports and sharing information on the radio. It shows how important keeping accurate hay market information is to agriculture. With your job covering so many different areas, what are some of the projects you've been working on recently? So some projects that I've worked on recently, I'm currently working on the Kansas Junior Livestock Show Lead Challenge. So that's put on by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. So I help put together the skill station and set up job interviews and speeches and things like that. Another one is I'm helping wool producers in Kansas try to find a market for their wool products. It's not a very big market here in Kansas, so having meetings with them and trying to figure out something that we can do with their wool. That's neat. Bradley and I actually have both competed in the lead challenge ourselves, so it's fun to hear about all the behind the scenes work that goes into creating such an awesome event. We think it's really interesting to hear that you're helping Kansas wool producers find new markets. It shows that Kansas agriculture is much more than just producing a product. Since your work connects to so many different parts of the industry, what kinds of businesses do you work with? In terms of businesses that I work with, I just work with a lot of farmers. That's primarily the people that I work with. I talk to a lot of farmers every single day. But in addition to that, hay grinders. I speak to a lot of hay grinders, pellet mills because they buy a lot of hay, dairies because they buy a lot of dairy quality alfalfa, and then I also talk to hay brokers, so people that buy hay from producers and then sell it on a bigger scale. And then finally feedlots. Feedlots use a lot of hay, so I talk to them on a monthly basis as well. We didn't realize how many different types of operations rely on the hay industry and how many people you get to work with every day. It really shows how connected every part of agriculture is. So what inspired you to work in agriculture? And did you always know this is something you wanted to do? I've always known that I wanted to work in agriculture. I grew up in the Flint Hills on a cow calf operation, and then it moved to more of a backrounding operation. So, my family backgrounds cattle and runs stockers. So I've always been involved in agriculture. Grew up on judging teams, so I know that is always something that I really wanted to do. And I interned with the Kansas Department of Agriculture my senior year at K State, and from there I moved into a position as the Agribusiness Development Coordinator, and then took on more of a role with international marketing. And while I loved that and it was great, and I learned a lot of things, the position opened up for me to be the hay market reporter, and so that was more direct contact with producers across the state and talk about more of the the challenges that they deal with, and being involved in the forage sector that was more closely related to my cattle background. Since we're both looking to pursue careers in agriculture, it's really encouraging to see how your internship led you to who you are today. The favorite part of my career so far has been connecting with agriculturalists across the state. In my job before, I was traveling across the state talking to agricultural businesses, and so I got to connect with them daily in person, and that was a lot of fun to see all the different sides of agriculture and agribusinesses. And I got to go to other countries and also see agriculture in other countries, and so that was great learning experiences for me. And now my favorite part is just talking to the same producers every week. We talk about the weather, we talk about life, we talk about hay, and so making those connections across the state has been my favorite part of my career. That's such a unique opportunity. Being able to travel to other countries and experience agriculture from a different perspective must have been an incredible experience. It's really neat to hear how your career has allowed you to build lasting relationships with Kansas producers. What kind of traits do you think someone would need looking at a career like yours? For my specific career in agriculture, the most important part has been communication skills and being personable with people. Like I said multiple times, I talk to people on a daily basis. In my position before this, I was traveling across the state talking to people. So communication skills is one of the most important things, and just building connections is one of the most important things that you can do, especially in the agriculture sector. Agriculture, the agriculture world is very small. You will always find somebody that you know. So just making meaningful connections is incredibly important, and will get you just as far as almost anything else that you can do. That's great advice. Communication and building relationships are such important skills, especially in agriculture, where new connections can open so many doors. It's a good reminder that success isn't just about what you know, but also how you work with and support the people around you. With that in mind, do you spend more time in the office or out meeting new people? So currently, I spend more time in the office. Not actually in the office. I work remote now that I moved to this new position. So I work out of my home office primarily. I go to the main office once a month or any other time that there's meetings. In my job before, I would say I was about 50 in office, 50 traveling internationally and domestically across the state. So you can with agriculture, you can really choose what you want to do. You can choose if you want a career more in the office, but with the ag marketing division at the Kansas Department of Ag, we are almost always on the road out meeting producers and meeting people and agribusinesses and growing connections. It's really neat that no two days look the exact same, and that agriculture offers so many different career paths. Whether you're working from a home office or traveling to meet producers, it sounds like there's always something new going on. We have to admit, traveling around Kansas, let alone internationally, sounds way more fun than sitting at a desk all day. What kind of degree or training did you need to get you to where you are today? So for my current position, they needed someone with a bachelor's degree, preferably agricultural related. So I have a bachelor's degree in animal science with a business option from Kansas State. So that was right up my alley. And then training-wise, for my current position, I use Excel every single day. So they wanted somebody with training and experience in Excel and Microsoft Office, which is something that I have experience in through some classes at K State. And then on my personal time, I've also taken some classes as well, just to get more proficient in all of those. That's really cool to hear how the degree, and the skills you learned in college helped you prepare for this career. It really shows how the skills you learn along the way, even the ones you don't expect to use, can make a big difference in agriculture. And of course, go cats! To finish up, what advice would you give to high school students in an agriculture career? Some advice that I would give to high school students wanting to get into agriculture is to go out and make connections. That is the one hundred percent most important thing that you can do. I got my internship because of a connection that I made volunteering for the symphony in the Flint Hills. I met the director of ag marketing, and he offered me an internship. And the internship moved to a full time job, and I'm now. I've been with the Department of Ag for three years now, and I'm in a career that I love. So the most important thing that you can do is make connections. Whether you're nervous to do something, you're not sure if you want to do it, if you want to go to a camp or go to something related to agriculture, just go out and do it and make connections. I meet people and talk to people every single day that I have a connection with somehow. Whether it's once or twice removed, you know I know somebody that they know. But either way, you've got to go out and make connections. That will get you so far in life. That's great advice and is something we will definitely remember as we continue to explore careers in agriculture. It really shows how one connection can open many doors to new opportunities. Tessa, thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us and share your insight on your career path. Agriculture is more than what happens in the field. It takes leaders, innovators, and people like Tessa Beeman to help Kansas agriculture continue to grow. Whether you're interested in farming, business, or making a difference, there's a place for you in agriculture.