What to Expect as a Heartland Co-op Intern

Being an intern at Heartland Co-op is more than just a summer job—it’s a chance to gain hands-on experience in agriculture while learning from some of the best in the industry. Interns explore many sides of the business, from agronomy and grain to feed, energy, marketing, and even legal services. Whether your interest is in the field, in the office, or out meeting members, there’s a place to learn and grow.

The program includes team learning outings where interns visit different locations and see firsthand how all the pieces of the cooperative work together. These experiences connect the dots between classroom learning and real-world application, giving interns a complete picture of how Heartland serves its members and communities.

Day-to-day responsibilities vary by role—scouting crops, staging plants, delivering products, assisting with operations, promoting services, or researching laws and procedures. Each day offers something new, and no two internships look exactly alike.

Interns are welcomed into a supportive, team-focused culture that values their contributions and encourages their growth. By the end of the summer, they leave with professional skills, industry knowledge, meaningful connections, and a better understanding of the many career paths available in agriculture. At Heartland Co-op, you don’t just learn about agriculture—you become part of it.

Meet our 2025 Interns:

Legal Intern

Meet Sam, a second-year law student at Drake University. This summer, Sam is serving as a Law Intern with Heartland Co-op, where he’s researching Iowa case law, statutory codes, and procedural rules to support the company’s legal counsel. He’s also reviewing administrative procedures related to a current state proceeding.

Sam enjoys the variety in his work but says the best part of the internship is the people. “The team is kind, supportive, and makes work fun,” he shared. He chose Heartland for the chance to explore different areas of law and work alongside an experienced attorney. His internship is giving him valuable, real-world legal experience and a better understanding of how law supports business operations.

Meet Rylee Wells, a junior at lowa State University majoring in Agricultural Business and Economics. This summer, she's an Energy Sales and Marketing Intern at Heartland Co-op. One of Rylee's main projects has been contacting grain customers in the Fairfield area to promote Heartland's propane and energy services. "We want to make sure everyone who sells grain to us also knows we offer energy solutions like propane fills," she explained. In her marketing role, Rylee also launched a propane tank decorating contest. Customers are

encouraged to paint their tanks white, clean them up, and plant flowers around them. The winner gets 300 gallons of free propane. She's actively promoting the contest on social media and sending out flyers. What stands out most to her is the positive company culture. "It feels like a small family here. Everyone supports each other-it's a great place to be.

Agronomy Sales Intern

Meet Makenna Odegaard, a student at Iowa State University majoring in Agricultural Studies. This summer, she is serving as a Sales Intern at Heartland Co-op. Makenna has been working closely with farmers to get fields ready for fungicide applications—checking for diseases, staging crops, and helping prepare the right chemicals. She’s  enjoys the hands-on experience in the field. “It’s been awesome to learn all about the agronomy side of things—like weed identification, crop staging, and chemical use,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot so far and am having a great summer!”

Agronomy Sales Intern

Meet Maddie Peiffer,  a senior at Iowa State University majoring in Agricultural Business and International Agriculture with a marketing option. This summer, she is serving as a Sales Intern at Heartland Co-op.

Maddie’s internship has given her the chance to experience many different parts of the business. Her responsibilities include checking fields, weighing trucks, helping deliver chemicals, and writing intern spotlights across several locations.

 “My favorite part is getting to travel, connect with other interns, and share their stories,” she said. She also enjoys working directly with farmers: “I enjoy getting to talk with farmers about what I’m seeing in the fields and helping them plan the next steps."

Agronomy Sales Intern

Meet Wyatt Carlson, a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in Agricultural Communications. Wyatt is spending his summer as a Sales Intern with Heartland Co-op, working at both the Prairie City and Mitchellville locations. His day-to-day tasks include pulling tissue samples, scouting fields for disease, and helping determine fungicide needs.

Wyatt enjoys staying busy and appreciates the hands-on nature of the job. “I like being on the move and getting to drive around,” he said. “It’s been great meeting farmers and making connections with the people I work with.” His internship is giving him a closer look at crop scouting and helping him build relationships across the ag industry.

Agronomy Sales Intern

Meet Mallory Tollman, a recent graduate from Northwest Missouri State University with a degree in Agricultural Science. This summer, Mallory is gaining experience as a Sales Intern with Heartland Co-op. She is spending her time crop scouting and job shadowing her agronomist around the Indianola area. One of her favorite parts of the internship is the opportunity to meet new people each day. “Since many farmers stop by this location, I get to interact with customers and meet someone new almost every day.” she said. Mallory is enjoying the fast-paced environment and the chance to see how different parts of the cooperative work together.

Agronomy Sales Intern

Meet Ben Brushaber, a junior at Iowa State University majoring in Agronomy. This summer, Ben is gaining hands-on experience as a Sales Intern with Heartland Co-op. He splits his time between scouting fields and helping at the mix plant in Minburn. Ben enjoys the hands-on learning experience and the fast-paced environment of the mixing plant.  “Working at the mix plant is fun and interesting—I’m always learning new things,” he shared. One of his favorite parts of the job is learning about chemical interactions and proper mixing practices. “I enjoy learning about the proper mixing orders and how different chemicals react and work together,” he said. This internship is giving him a real-world look into agronomy and agricultural sales—and he’s making the most of every learning opportunity. 

Agronomy Sales Intern

Meet Riley Lerdal, a junior at Iowa State University majoring in Agricultural Business and International Agriculture with a minor in Agronomy. This summer, she is serving as a Sales Intern at Heartland Co-op. Her responsibilities include scouting fields, delivering products to farmers, and joining sales calls. Riley enjoys the variety of her internship and the opportunity to experience many different aspects of the cooperative. “I like that there’s a little bit of everything, when it comes to learning about different positions and roles” she said. What stands out to her most is the positive work culture. “Everyone is helpful and welcoming—it really feels like a team.”

Agronomy Sales Intern

Meet Skyler Beck, a sophomore at Iowa State University double majoring in Agronomy and Environmental Science. This summer, he is a Sales Agronomy Intern at Heartland Co-op’s Slater location. His responsibilities include crop scouting, weighing trucks, delivering products, and moving materials between locations. Skyler enjoys the hands-on learning and the variety each day brings. “It doesn’t really feel like work—it’s more like working with family,” he said. What stands out most to him is the supportive environment. “Everyone is willing to help, and you can tell they want you to succeed”

Agronomy Sales Intern

Meet Emma Slate,  a student at Northwest Missouri State majoring in Agronomy with an emphasis on soil studies. This summer, she is serving as a Agronomy Sales Intern at the Nebraska City location.
She loves finding the right solutions to fit the farmers needs. Her first week, she found an insect population in a field that was a head of the season. She was able to make recommendations to the farmer, to take care of the issue before it got out of control.

Meet our 2024 Interns:

Meet Heartland Co-op’s grain Interns, Jacob and Josh. Both are Agriculture Majors, entering their last year at Iowa State University. They’ve been busy working on an upcoming USDA report, communicating with farmers to gauge any price action. Jacob has focused on the direct ship report, while Josh has been creating an acre report and tracking how Heartland’s origination compares to other grain marketers locally and statewide.

Meet the Agronomy Interns of Heartland Co-op. This summer, our interns have hit the ground running and embraced every learning opportunity that has come their way. Throughout the season, they have been actively documenting field observations, including insect activity, disease presence, weather impacts, stand counts, and overall field health. Each intern collaborates closely with an agronomist, engaging in daily learning sessions and seeking valuable insights.

In addition to field assessments, the interns have initiated monthly trials with Holganix.

Meet Abby, Heartland Co-op’s Seed Sales Intern in Mitchellville, IA. 

One of the highlights of her internship has been assisting with the seed treatment process. She helped remove the seed from the box, run it through the seed treater, and then repackage it for distribution. Earlier in the summer, Abby worked extensively with Safeguard Gold and Silver, Heartland seed treatment products, which she found was an exciting experience.

Seeing the seed treatment process for the first time was very educational.

Meet Liz and Grace, Heartland Co-op’s Feed Interns, at our Prairie City location. Grace and Liz are both students at Iowa State University, majoring in animal science. They started their day by updating inventory, which helps the location staff stay informed about product status and allows them to familiarize themselves with the feed shed. Afterwards, they continued working on their product guide project.  The product guide aims to keep different locations aligned on products and provide more information to customers more efficiently.

 Liz shared that she enjoys greeting producers, visiting farms, and seeing how their feed is meeting the animals’ nutritional demands. Heartland Co-op fills the needs for farms of all sizes, so constructing feed plans for operations of all sizes and species has been a significant learning opportunity. Grace added that she loves making new connections in the industry and hearing the experiences of other professionals. Both Grace and Liz have found it very beneficial to learn from other companies and hear about different roles in the industry.

As animal science majors, Grace and Liz have been able to connect their classroom knowledge to the workforce, especially regarding feed nutrition. Heartland Co-op’s Prairie City location has five different mills, each producing unique products. They’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the varying rations of ingredients like amino aids, soybeans, oats, and corn can significantly impact product performance.

For more information on Heartland Co-op’s feed services, call our Prairie City location at (515) 994-2651. 

Meet Claire, Heartland Co-op's Energy Intern. Claire is a junior at Iowa State University, majoring in agricultural studies. This morning, she was at the West Des Moines office, reviewing our customer list and reaching out to potential clients. Claire has been warmly welcoming customers, introducing herself, and offering assistance with any inquiries they may have. This marks Claire's second year as an energy intern at Heartland. Throughout this summer, she has had the opportunity to lend a hand in various departments, including recently assisting the accounting team and gaining valuable experience in payroll processing.

Meet Kaden, the Operations Intern at Heartland Co-op’s site in Avon. Currently enrolled at Iowa State University, Kaden is pursuing a degree in Supply Chain Management with a minor in Business Management. His day typically involves measuring grain bins in the mid-deck, ensuring they do not overflow as corn and soybeans are conveyed up the belt.