Celebrity Blog Post: Natalina Sents

tell me I’m nuts, or that it sounds scary. I feel up to the challenge. In part, because as a student member, Iowa Corn has invested in me over the last four years. Here’s five ways they’ve grown my passion for agvocacy and prepared me to road trip across the nation.

1. AgChat Conference: Last November, Iowa Corn generously opened the doors for me and three other Iowa bloggers to attend AgChat Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. You can read more in this blog post. Long story short, it was an amazing event with plenty of networking opportunities and tons of inspiring speakers. I came home with lots of new ideas for my blog and supportive new friends from around the country. When I have a question about agvocacy or another part of agriculture, I can always lean on someone in the AgChat community.

2. Internship: In the summer of 2014, I interned in Market Development at Iowa Corn. I could write a whole blog post about all the things I learned. Being a part of the ethanol powered weekend taught me about teamwork, partnerships, and event planning. That summer, I began to wrap my head around all the ways corn impacts our world, from feed to fuel. I got comfortable telling farmer’s stories to all kinds of people, for the first time. I know these lessons will serve me well as I travel the country.

3. Iowa State University Corn Growers Association: The ISU Corn Growers Association has been a huge part of my Cyclone experience. Because of Iowa Corn’s support, our club had lots of events to plan. This gave me the chance to learn about budgeting, sponsor relations, and managing a team. Our Farmland screening and annual BBQ gave me the chance to connect with famous faces like the Iowa Nice Guy and Bill Northey, as well as dozens of Iowa farmers. As a member and officer, I’ve had so many opportunities that will prepare me for my road trip and eventual career.

4. Industry Visits: If you follow my personal blog, you know industry tours have been the highlight of my college experience. Thanks to Iowa Corn and the ISU Corn Growers Association, my eyes have been opened to the seed production, egg, ethanol, and dairy industries. Visiting other agricultural businesses has taught me to keep an open mind and how to share Iowa Corn’s work with a variety of audiences.

5. Wardrobe: Last but not least, over the last four years I’ve collected quite a stack of Iowa Corn t-shirts that communicate my agvocacy mission loud and clear. I can’t wait to drive around the country sporting my corn fed, CyHawk, and Iowa Corn 300 gear.

I’m so thankful for Iowa Corn’s influence on the last four years of my life. I look forward to all we can accomplish for agriculture in the road ahead.

Iowa Corn would like to thank Natalina Sents for writing our Celebrity Blog Post for the month. To learn more about Natalina and her passion for agriculture please check out her blog. http://therootsjourney.blogspot.com/