UNL Feedlot Internship Program

Cargill Founders Author

04/22/2021 Added

97 Plays

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Cargill founders describe the UNL Feedyard Internship Program and how it started.

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[00:00:01.668](upbeat music)
[00:00:16.690]When we started this program, I think it was unique.
[00:00:21.030]And we got a group together and talked about it
[00:00:24.530]and including the group of cattle feeders that I met with
[00:00:28.220]that were mentors for me.
[00:00:30.560]Nobody signed us up to do to this.
[00:00:35.200]It's not in our job descriptions.
[00:00:38.910]Terry Klopfenstein just did a tremendous job of
[00:00:42.220]evaluating and listening to feedlots
[00:00:44.640]about how you would set this program up,
[00:00:46.600]what they need to learn,
[00:00:47.970]when you want to have them in the feedlot.
[00:00:50.380]So we turn them out into feed yards about July 4th
[00:00:53.420]and then when the fall run of calves comes
[00:00:56.600]they're ready to really be part of the crew and help out,
[00:00:58.830]right?
[00:01:00.331]So that the design of the program
[00:01:01.164]has worked really, really well,
[00:01:02.840]and the criteria that had been developed
[00:01:05.390]and the reputation that it has,
[00:01:07.640]all of that stuff just builds on itself where,
[00:01:10.080]we're really fortunate to get high quality students
[00:01:12.620]and put them in a good position
[00:01:14.120]to go have an impact on the industry.
[00:01:17.049]The University of Nebraska program is
[00:01:19.070]strictly one of a kind.
[00:01:20.350]I mean, we have had students from a lot of states.
[00:01:23.580]You don't have to be from Nebraska,
[00:01:25.460]you don't have to be a student at the University of Nebraska
[00:01:27.680]in order to go through this program.
[00:01:29.320]If you're a student in animal science or ag business
[00:01:32.550]in any university in the country,
[00:01:34.210]you are welcome to apply to this program,
[00:01:36.230]and we'd love to have you.
[00:01:37.600]Number one reason for having this program
[00:01:39.160]is because of the large need for increased numbers
[00:01:42.180]and ability of our managers across the state
[00:01:44.510]and across the country for feed yards.
[00:01:46.920]And this is a great way for them to start that career choice
[00:01:50.870]for them.
[00:01:51.750]It's like having a four month interview.
[00:01:53.740]And so there's always opportunities for them
[00:01:56.120]when they're done with the program.
[00:01:57.540]We need more students
[00:01:59.820]and especially we need the students
[00:02:01.570]that want to be in feedlot management.
[00:02:04.760]Again, the opportunities are tremendous.
[00:02:07.250]Almost every year, somebody has contacted us and said
[00:02:11.170]we really want an intern.
[00:02:13.250]when we take on a new feedlot.
[00:02:15.208](upbeat music)
[00:02:25.020]We're the beef state and I think that's why we need,
[00:02:28.670]if we want to grow,
[00:02:31.000]I think we need to be interested in helping them.
[00:02:34.750]We're really indebted to Norm and Sharon Timmerman
[00:02:38.560]for their gift in honor of his parents,
[00:02:40.760]Leo and Irene Timmerman.
[00:02:42.810]I believe that gift, it helps us offset
[00:02:46.640]some of the costs of students to do the internship program
[00:02:50.200]'cause imagine they've been in college
[00:02:51.850]or they've been in school
[00:02:53.330]and then ask them to do another five or six months of time,
[00:02:56.970]and then incur some costs here at the University of Nebraska
[00:02:59.840]to do that,
[00:03:01.390]we think it's excellent and a big help
[00:03:04.870]to offset some of those costs
[00:03:06.810]for the students that are doing the program.
[00:03:08.230]So essentially the costs are zero for students
[00:03:10.550]to do the Feedlot Management internship program.
[00:03:12.570]In addition Norm's gift has allowed us to
[00:03:16.149]do more active recruiting.
[00:03:17.940]We actually have a recruiter
[00:03:19.680]to take care of attracting more young people.
[00:03:22.950]I think Norm's vision,
[00:03:24.320]and that of many in the feedyard industry
[00:03:26.800]but obviously his gift is really a way to show that
[00:03:30.080]we need to attract more young people,
[00:03:32.340]get them better prepared to go into middle management
[00:03:35.800]and management options for them
[00:03:38.410]as well as other feedyards across the region.
[00:03:40.710]And so really it's his philanthropic gift
[00:03:44.060]that allows us to do more recruiting.
[00:03:46.920]It was brought up to us
[00:03:48.110]and it's something that intrigued myself and my wife,
[00:03:52.420]we got these young people coming up and I think
[00:03:55.520]they need more than just going out to a feedyard
[00:03:58.150]and going to work.
[00:04:00.540]I mean, again, there was a lot more going on
[00:04:02.870]in this beef or feed yard industry,
[00:04:05.310]than there was when I got into it.
[00:04:06.940]If it's going to go, we got to have the younger generation.
[00:04:09.760]I would define the success of the program in a few ways.
[00:04:14.200]One, it's been a long standing program
[00:04:16.130]and it's gained a lot of support.
[00:04:17.720]And I believe that the reason
[00:04:18.900]that it's gained a lot of support is because
[00:04:20.490]it's put a lot of good people into the industry, right?
[00:04:23.320]So the program's old enough now
[00:04:25.160]that some of those guys that went through early on
[00:04:27.680]they own the feedlot or they're managing the feedlot
[00:04:29.810]or they're high up,
[00:04:31.070]and so they want to see it continue to be successful.
[00:04:34.920]We want to celebrate the history
[00:04:37.300]and the legacy of the program,
[00:04:39.640]but then also what are we going to do now?
[00:04:43.280](upbeat music)

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UNL Feedlot Internship Program

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