Maximizing the Value of Ranch Interns
Shaye Koester 00:02
Hey, hey, it’s Shaye Koester and I’m your host for the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast where we connect you to ranchers and beef industry enthusiasts who can help you build a more profitable operation and improve your lifestyle. Are you looking for a community of ranchers who support and challenge you to be more profitable and proactive? Then sign-up for our monthly RancherMind events. RancherMinds are mastermind events for ranchers to come together once a month and find solutions for their own and the industry's challenges. Stay connected by following @cattleconvos on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and never miss an episode or event update by signing up for our newsletter on casualcattleconversations.com/newsletter.
If you get value out of this episode or any episode drop a comment or tip me by using the link in the show notes. With that let’s see who our guest is today and connect you to a new resource to improve your own operation and lifestyle. Let’s keep tackling this labor challenge folks! Last week we heard from Lance Cox about tips for managing hired hands and today we are hearing from Jaclyn Wilson on the topic of intern programs for ranches! Jaclyn is going to walk us through how her family got started with interns, pros and cons having them, payment options and some other darn good advice. Remember that I have more resources and advice in the show notes as well as a link for tips if you like this episode. I am also open to guest speaking this year so if you need someone to talk on the topic of entrepreneurship, podcasting or education in the ranching space please send me an email or DM.
With that, let’s hear how Jaclyn’s experience can help you improve your operation! Thank you for making time to hop on today. I know you're pretty busy and on the road and whatnot and running all over it looks like but can you talk about your role in the beef industry to start things off?
Jaclyn Wilson 02:11
Oh geez. Um, so I guess probably the best thing would be to introduce myself and a little bit about, you know what I do and where I'm from. So Jaclyn Wilson, a fifth-generation cow-calf producer from Lakeside, Nebraska. It's on the western edge of the Sandhills. I attended school at the University and then came home in 2002. And at that time, I joined my dad and my uncle in our cow-calf operation. And since then, we've gone through succession. So my dad and I are partners now in our commercial operation. And then along with that, I started a recent business that started in 2011 and it just finished up this year, and then a direct to consumer beef business. So kind of got to see all facets of the industry doing the multiple entities. But then along with that, I've been a volunteer and volunteer leadership for many, many years, whether it be with the Nebraska LEAD program, I've served on in a number of our governor's Ag Committee, and a couple of things for US senators and US congressman, along with being active in both Nebraska Cattlemen, and I currently serve as the Vice-Chair of International Trade for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
Shaye Koester 03:20
Well, that's awesome. And it's, it's important to have people like you doing that volunteer stuff, too, because we need that.
Jaclyn Wilson 03:26
Yeah, I think that's one of the things that people you know, sometimes just don't feel like they have the time to do and I, I've learned over the years that, you know, the volunteer aspect is, is, is really big, because being able to have people there on the frontlines that are ranching, or in the cow calf, feedlot sector, or even in the direct to consumer market place, you know, and being able to tell their stories, whether it be in Lincoln at the Capitol or in DC, you know, being able to share that firsthand experience is huge. And so, you know, I probably the volunteer aspect is where I kind of get my motivation to keep doing what I'm doing at home because I love what I do. But at the same time, I sometimes feel like we're beating our heads against a wall. And unfortunately, you know, being able to step outside and, and do some of that volunteer work is definitely very beneficial to and it has been beneficial to not only our operation but some of the people that we deal with.
Shaye Koester 04:20
Well, that's awesome. So you've mentioned that you've been involved in multiple different kinds of sectors or had different entities that are related to beef. But today, since we're going to kind of talk about interns and internship programs, would you describe a little bit more about what your operation looks like?
Jaclyn Wilson 04:36
Sure. So our operation really consisted of dad and I, you know, on our commercial cow-calf, and now he, as of this week will probably be partners it looks like we're going to be partners together on the beef business too which will be great. And so you know, we're all the way start to finish. And over the years, though, we've had full-time help, but because of being so demographically challenged, in all honestly, we live in the boonies. And so, you know, attracting people that want to work full time in the middle of nowhere through harsh conditions, and then not really have the conveniences, I mean, we're an hour to get a gallon of milk, we're an hour and 40 minutes from the closest Walmart. And for some reason, not everybody likes that lifestyle, I don't understand that. (laughter) But especially when the pays like, nothing. So, um, so what we do is we really try to utilize interns or you know, part-time help, maybe some day workers just and in turn, really invest in better equipment and facilities. And so we kind of laugh because, you know, weirdly, we're running the same amount of acres that we did, like 20 years ago like, almost three times the amount of help with what dad and I, and maybe an intern, or a part timer able to do today because we just keep trying to get more and more efficient. And the interns have really filled a void for us. Because I mean, at the end of the day, even even if you just need somebody to stand in the gate, it's a huge help to all that kind of day-to-day stuff that goes on on an operation.
Shaye Koester 06:07
Oh, absolutely. The person standing in the gate or opening, the gate is usually undervalued.
Jaclyn Wilson 06:14
We highly value them here.
Shaye Koester 06:19
So do you want to talk about I mean, I kind of know a little bit I found out that you host interns just through Twitter and other social media a little bit. But do you want to talk about what your intern program kind of looks like, as far as how long do you have them? Is it dependent on the person? What does that look like?
Jaclyn Wilson 06:39
Yeah, I'd like to say we have an intern program, but it's it's just kind of up in the air with what is available and stuff going on in the time of year. So you know, we've been utilizing interns, I remember my uncle getting interns when I was in grade school and we actually get them from the same college that he was getting them from at that point. And so they've always been around. But now, you know, since I've started to do a lot of the managerial decisions and stuff, I try to utilize them a lot more. And so we've got interns from a number of different places. I mean, I've got interns from the majority of them come from a community college in East Iowa called Muscatine community college, they usually send, I like to call them the cream of the crop, because they kind of hand select them for me, because they know our operation is going to be a little bit different. And then a lot of the places that other interns might go just because of the location of it. And so they do an excellent job and sending great great interns out there. For me, I've also used some interns from NCTA. I've also just had parents reach out to me and say, Hey, can my daughter or son come intern for you, which a bit I feel like sometimes that's kind of like, at first I thought, Okay, well, am I a babysitter, but you know, but there's been some great, great experiences, and I've come to you that manner, too. So everything's been a little bit different timeframes have been different too, you know, some of them will stick around for four to six weeks, some of them stick around for the entire summer, and some of them I can't get to leave. So it really varies. So I think that's what I think that's what the great part is, is it allows you to be really flexible, and just kind of I know, for instance, so I really like to have those extra bodies around during calving season because our calving season we have in May, and it's just really go, go go. And so I appreciate having sometimes those extra hands around during that time. And so then also, you know, when we're doing fall work, it's great to have somebody around that may be during weaning or whatnot, too. So those are the kind of the two times that I really push to have someone around.
Shaye Koester 08:44
Well, awesome. So what do some of like, the logistics look behind this as far as like housing or payment? Let's maybe start on like the housing part. How do you navigate that? Because I know, you know, we've had just random cases of interns, right, well, then they, you know, end up taking just one of the spare bedrooms in the house. But I know like, in other instances, there's usually an intern house or a different location. So how have you handled that?
Jaclyn Wilson 09:10
Right, so we actually have what we call it a tenant house, it was my grandparents old house, and it's got three bedrooms. So there's been times that all three beds have been full, which has been fun, you know, and I think the important part too, is really making sure that you have interns, they get along with each other. And sometimes I feel like we're just another step. I feel like we're having a college house or hosting a college house because, okay, this is great. But, um, I've also had them live with me at times. And just because maybe there wasn't that option there. Probably I might have had I think at one time I had a full time couple in the tenant house. And so I had an intern I lived with me and that and that was a great experience for both of us too. But it's really just finding those interns that fit kind of what your program is and your personality is and then you know, I think for payment, we pay them cheap. But at the same time, you know, we do provide housing and electrical, and we try to give them a vehicle to drive back and forth. And you know, and I will try to give them beef or take them out to eat or, you know, just kind of do some of those other things to to compensate for that lack of payment.
Shaye Koester 10:23
Okay, so looking at the type of interns, I know, you said you've worked with colleges, but do you require that they have any agriculture experience? Or do you take some in who like have not had any experience whatsoever.
Jaclyn Wilson 10:39
I'll be honest, I've got more that haven't had experience than those that have, and I think, I think that's for our operation, I like them better if they're greener. And the reason being is because everybody does things a little a little bit different. And if you have somebody that's pretty well versed in ag, sometimes they already are kind of set in their ways. And I mean, I will admit, I'm pretty set in my way. So if I have an intern that's butting heads with me, it's probably not going to work out great. But if I can really teach and show somebody why we do what we do, and I think at the same time that's made us better, better bosses and better ranchers is because we really try to justify why we're doing things the way we're doing them. And sometimes having to vocalize those to somebody is a lot tougher than you think it should be. So I really like to have a green intern. And what I mean by green is, they might have never been around cattle, you know, they might have never drove a manual or set in a tractor before but being able to kind of teach them some of those experiences in the way that I want them taught. And then at the same time, what's been really neat is having them go back to their colleges and getting other jobs. And then they actually, I've got a couple of interns that will always send updates on what they're doing. And they'll be like, I'm doing this because I learned this at your place. And this is how we're doing it now, which is really, really cool to see.
Shaye Koester 12:00
That is awesome. So you kind of brought up a good point there about how sometimes it's harder to vocalize and teach something that you've been doing your whole life to someone new, who's never done it. So that being said, I mean, what's kind of the mindset ranchers need to have when they start working with interns to kind of get around some of those challenges.
Jaclyn Wilson 12:22
It's either you got to go in with having a really, really patient mindset, or your alcohol bill is gonna be really, really high. There's almost no happy medium. So I think, you know, I think that's something that I've been really fortunate, I've got a grip, my dad and I were partners, and he's my biggest role model and mentor in my life. And he's just got such a steady, calm personality. And so, fortunately, it's worn off on me, and I can usually handle the interns with his steady calm mannerisms, you know, really take the time to stop what I'm doing and show them the reason that we're doing something. Or if they've made a mistake, you know, go back and let's correct it, and let's walk them through it instead of having to be push, push, push, which I'm naturally kind of that push, push, push, and want to get stuff done person. And so it's taught me a lot to in terms of having to interact with somebody, you know, from that employee-employer standpoint, but at the same time, I mean, I still want them to consider as friends. And that's, that's a hard hard line sometimes to draw. But it's I think it's become the most rewarding one too.
Shaye Koester 13:31
Yeah. I would agree. I think that's similar in any workplace, though, where you want to have that culture and feel like your bosses and your co-workers are your friends. But there is that line that still needs to be drawn from the who is the manager who is the intern and whatnot.
Jaclyn Wilson 13:48
Yeah, and that's, surprisingly, one of the toughest, I think parts of all of that is, you know, at the end of the day, you have to encourage them, and you have to give them kind of incentive, incentivize it, you know what you're working with, but at the same time, I've had interesting, you know, they've never seen me upset or upset with them or upset in general, which I usually go and do behind closed doors, they're out. But you know, you just have to really be cautious of how you handle it. Because if you think about it, they're just still kids, and they're just starting to get their feet under them. And it would be really bad if their first experience kind of out in the real world was an incredibly negative one.
Shaye Koester 14:27
Absolutely. So what's been the most rewarding part about working with interns?
Jaclyn Wilson 14:35
For me, the most rewarding part is after they leave and what I mean by that is, I can get rid of them. But the fact that you know those, I don't think there's an intern that I haven't that, you know, that's worked for me or dad, since I've been home that hasn't kept in touch with us, you know, whether it is to share exciting news or to ask for references or to ask questions, and I think that's to me is, is the greatest enjoyment I have is that relationship after the fact and seeing what they do with their lives and kind of how we impacted it here at our operation with what we taught them. And yet, what they're able to do was they kind of go out and spread their wings on their own.
Shaye Koester 15:18
Okay, so on the reverse side, and all that's amazing, and it's super important. What's the most what is that most challenging aspect that you have to work through with interns?
Jaclyn Wilson 15:30
Definitely, definitely the most challenging for me, it was just patience, you know, because, trying, I know, there's been times that my patience might have just been on a little bit of a shorter straw, you know, something so simple to me, like making sure a piece of equipment is washed properly, or serviced properly, you know, and having to send an intern back three or four times to redo it until they get it right. You know, just that just that frustrations of maybe, maybe that lack of inexperience that I struggled, I've struggled with that quite a bit, I'm getting better at handling that. But that's definitely something that I've struggled with is just because the fact that they are green, you've just got to keep reminding yourself. Yeah, they might have never been around this before, you know. And so I remember having an intern I had to explain the difference between a flathead and phillips screwdriver, you know, which is something, I think I probably was taught by the time I was probably about four or five. But you know, not everybody was raised like we were, and so they don't have that background knowledge. And it's really tough to remember that sometimes.
Shaye Koester 16:34
Right. And I mean, even people who maybe grew up in that aspect, maybe just weren't taught, sometimes some of those simple things get skipped in the process.
Jaclyn Wilson 16:44
Oh, you're spot on and especially I think a lot with females, you know, I think that's something that I've seen a lot with our internships, I really kind of gravitate towards females, because at the end of the day, from a statistical point of view, females are going to be a little more perfectionist on those tiny details, you know, and granted, guys have more broad, but females sometimes have to think a little bit smarter, because they don't have the brawn. And so you know, that's something that I've seen a lot is, you know, females just having basic, basic things that I would take for granted, like knowing how to change your tire or check your oil, you know, they've never been taught. And so having the opportunity to teach him some of that things is great. I know, there's been a couple of times that, you know, we've seen people stranded along the road with a flat tire or something, and I might have an intern with me in the vehicle, and we'll stop and we'll change their tire for them. And, you know, for me, that doesn't seem like a big deal. But for them, it's a huge deal. Because they've never realized that they actually have that position, they can be in a position to take control of this situation.
Shaye Koester 17:43
Mm hmm. So kind of looking back on, like, your experiences with interns? Is there something you wish you would have done differently, or something that maybe you would advise other ranchers not to do as they start getting involved in this,
Jaclyn Wilson 18:00
I think one of the things that I've probably struggled with the most is, is, you know, those, there's been one or two instances where maybe the interns just haven't worked out, you know, whether they've ended up working for us full time afterwards, or whatnot. And I think there are times that I wish I would have just kind of put my foot down and been like, okay, you know, this isn't working out, let's just have you leave at the end of your internship instead of kind of just caving and say, Sure, you can stay on here longer, I think those, there's been a couple of times that it hasn't been the most beneficial for the operation. I think there's a difference between having an intern and having a full-time employee. And I think we still have work to do there to kind of decipher what the differences is because we have this mindset and an internship that we want to grow and mold them. And sometimes I feel like we treat them almost a little too good. And then they kind of go into that full-time employee role expecting that same, you know, the same kind of forgiveness that they have as an intern and it's, it's different. So I think that's kind of where I've seen some struggles and what we're doing and hopefully, you know, with time and with some thought process, we'll be able to continue to clean that up.
Shaye Koester 19:16
So when you look at, you know, tasks or jobs, you're giving those these interns to, like, get that experience, how do you kind of go in.. Obviously, every person's going to be different, and every experience level coming in is different, but how do you kind of go through navigating, you know, how much freedom can I give this intern on this task? Or you know, when can you leave them alone, when do they have to just come with and watch like, how do you go through and kind of navigate that situation?
Jaclyn Wilson 19:45
One of the things that I always tell our interns prior to them coming out before they start their internship is that the most important thing for them to realize like I have a couple of rules, you know prior to him coming out, but one of them is definitely that nobody's above a job. And you know, and I think they see that too, when they work with us, you know, if we're going to be doing what I call a crap job, you know, Dad and I are going to be right alongside doing it with them, or it's something that we'd have done many times before, too, you know. So it's not like, when they come out, they're only going to get the bottom of the barrel jobs because we still want to be taking them with us at times, too. And I think that's some of it, you know, if you're constantly taking them with you, showing them the different multitude of things that we do in a day as ranchers, or just in the ag industry in general, it really starts to get their minds rolling and work in and then the questions usually start coming in. And I think that's the important part is to always make sure you have time to answer any questions that they have. But at the same time, you know, I have interns that have different areas that they really like to explore, you know, some might want to talk about marketing, some might want to talk about the genetic stuff, some might want to talk about cow-calf stuff, or mechanical or anything. And so just really seeing those areas that they can thrive in, and then really kind of pushing them towards that direction and kind of help them guide and mold them in those ways. I mean, it's all about every intern is going to be completely different. And there's not one rhyme or reason to any of them at all I've discovered.
Shaye Koester 21:14
Well, thank you very much, I guess. Do you have any last advice for other ranchers who are trying to kind of combat that labor challenge through interns?
Jaclyn Wilson 21:27
I think I think the biggest advice I can give you is, is go for it. You know, there is such there's so many young people out there that really are looking for mentors or guidance, or leaders, especially in the ag industry to just show them. And it's really neat to see because, you know, we've had people that have come out that didn't even think that they wanted to end up in the ag industry. And then they've ended up in the ag industry because of just a couple weeks as an intern. And so, you know, I think it's really important for us, you know, for those that are already in the business to really kind of to really mold and guide the next generation and help them out. Because at the end of the day, sometimes it never comes down to what you know, it's who you know, but these internships can have a long-lasting impression on the young minds for sure.
Shaye Koester 22:16
Well, thank you very much. And thank you very much for hopping on the show today.
Jaclyn Wilson 22:20
Yeah, thanks for having me. Appreciate it.
Shaye Koester 22:22
And that's a wrap on that one. Thanks for tuning in for another episode. And remember to give me a tip comment or rating in the show notes to help others find this show to take care and have a great day.
