Trade is something the agriculture industry may take for granted or fail to recognize the importance of. The importance of trade was not only discussed in our many visits but we got to see first-hand the importance this summer with trade negotiations and tariff wars. The agriculture industry is global, this evident in a small-town co-op all the way to a billion-dollar agribusiness. No matter where in the industry I end up, this will be evident and important to understand and work with.

- Gracie Danner, West Liberty, IA, agricultural economics with minor in international ag

I most definitely stepped out of my comfort zone by observing the trade and legislative discussions during our Lawrence, Topeka, and Washington D.C sessions. All in all I must say I learned that foreign entities and political associates can radically influence how commodity costs are established. Likewise, I learned that political negotiation is always key in the fight for corn producers everything.

- Trent Frye, Belleville, KS, agronomy

This program gave me a better global perspective of how grain is marketed, traded and utilized. I also gain a better appreciation of the interconnectedness of governmental policy, nothing is black and white. Lastly, I was able to see diversity of corn production across the state and across the nation.

- Keren Duerksen, Newton, KS, agronomy