FAQs: Pennsylvania Farm Bureau: Friends of Agriculture Foundation Internship

During the summer of 2014 I interned at Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) in the Friends of Agriculture Foundation department. I know when I searched for internships I was always looking to asked someone about their experience especially for a specific company. Below is information in an interview setup with questions I asked as a junior in college when inquiring about the internship at PFB.

How did you learn about them?
I heard about PFB through their presence at the College of Agricultural Sciences Career Fair and by reading a previous student's internship experience in the Teach Ag! Blog. Besides knowing the missions and purpose of PFB I learned the rest on the job.

When did you apply?
I applied at the career fair in October in the fall. PFB recruiters attend career fairs in the fall and start their first round of interviews in the beginning of December.

What was the interview process like?
There are two rounds of interviews. The first round took place on campus and then the second interview occurs at PFB's office in Camp Hill, PA. The first round consisted of very standard interview questions and the second interview was more personalized questions for each department.

How long was the internship?
The internship is a minimal of 10 weeks but can last longer.

What did you wear?
I wore business casual daily. On occasions I wore business attire when visiting governmental buildings but on the flip side wore jeans and a t-shirt when I cleaned the Mobile Ag Labs.

Where is PFB?
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is located in Camp Hill, PA, right outside of Harrisburg. The American Farm Bureau is located in Washington D.C. and also has internships available.

What did you do?
I was the intern in the Friends of Agriculture Foundation which focussed on agricultural education throughout the state. I worked heavily with the Mobile Ag Lab program cleaning labs, stocking labs, and supporting the preparatory work for the upcoming school year. I created lesson extensions for the two new lessons that were being added to the Mobile Ag Lab for the 2014-2015 year. I also created an activity for Ag Progress Days and Farm Show on Bees which used my creative skills. In addition to the labs I assisted with the annual golf tournament and the National Ag in the Classroom event which was held in Pennsylvania during the 2014 summer.

My Bee Activity

One unique aspect to this internship is the overlapping of experiences. I was able to work with the three other interns in their departments to help with events. In the Member Relations department the interns worked with the FACE conference to prep and then re-vamp some of the materials for the next conference. With the Government Communications department we were able to travel and visit the state and national capital buildings. We also had the opportunity to visit the American Farm Bureau. The balance of working as a group and as an individual was very even.

Do you have to be a PA Farm Bureau Member? Do you parents?
You and your family do not have to be farm bureau members. When you are done interning you will want to be though!

Do I have to be a farmer to work/Intern there?
You do not need to have any agricultural background. It certainly helps you to have some prior knowledge but PFB is all encompassing and heighten your level of understanding of the Pennsylvania agricultural.

Do they have positions to hire college graduates?
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau has entry level jobs in all departments.

Why PFB?
Honestly I went into my internship at PFB with very little knowledge about PFB. I learned a lot about the organization during my summer there. PFB is a diverse supporter, initiative taking, and resourceful organization whose goal is to heighten Pennsylvania and American agricultural. The internship program PFB is well established and wants to give interns the opportunity to ask questions, see the bigger pictures, and ultimately learn.

2015 Intern Team