The interns sent in their reports, and TCGA sat down with both of them to get an insider’s perspective on their summer and experience with the TCGA Internship program. This Q&A allowed the organization to gain a better understanding of what the interns thought of the job and the industry.
Wesley Neuendorff’s Report
As the TCGA internship ends, I have learned so much from all the different gin managers who keep up with the task of maintaining and operating a cotton gin in Texas.
The internship was very unusual as we were barely able to start up and gin cotton at United-Ag Co-op in Danevang, Texas, before my internship concluded on Aug. 15. With this setback, we also encountered numerous shutdowns because of a blown fan motor, minor electrical issues and two air valve failures near the press box.
Hurricane Beryl set back the production and start up time in the El Campo area, but I was able to see cotton ginned in the final week of the internship. I was also fortunate enough to go to Odem, Texas, to watch Coastal Ag Cooperative (formerly Smith Gin Co-op) operate where I was able to get a taste of how to run and manage a large-scale gin.
Cotton ginning is a very time-consuming job with a lot of different variables that must work right or the gin will have to shut down for a moment, which is extremely costly to do.
When talking to Tyler Cross at the Coastal Ag Co-op, he gave me good insight into how he keeps a smooth-running operation and does all the book work associated with marketing the cotton, cottonseed, motes and cotton trash.
The final two weeks of the internship were busy. The days were long, but the experience was priceless. I would like to thank Aaron Nelsen for this opportunity, the Windstar Group in West Texas and the United-Ag Co-op staff for hosting us at the cotton gin and getting real hands-on experience.
Q:
Knowing all that you know now, would you do it again?
A: I would! Unfortunately, my time down south would have looked different had Beryl not come through, but I did enjoy my time regardless. It was also great getting to be up in the Panhandle and getting to know all the folks up there.
Q:
What did you enjoy most about the program?
A: I really liked how each day was different. I didn’t know much about the industry, so every day I was learning a new lesson and experiencing new things. I also liked how we got to see all different aspects of the industry, such as going up to Samuel Jackson and getting to see the manufacturing side of things.
Q:
How would you describe this experience to someone who is looking to apply?
A: I would describe it as a very laborious summer that is also very informative. You must be ready to work, and although you might not know anything about the industry going into it, you will leave with a good idea of what is going on.
Nathaniel Haden’s Report
During the last weeks at United Ag Co-op Gin in El Campo, Texas, Zack Book took us to Coastal Ag Co-op in Odem to see ginning in action since the weather delayed our season. They gave us a great tour of the gin, and I learned quite a bit about it. Observing how all the machines worked, from extracting the seeds to compressing the cotton into a bale, was very interesting. We had to finish preparing the module yard when we returned to El Campo, so we made sure all the signs were in the correct place so they could start placing cotton modules.
We learned that we would start ginning a few days before our internship ended. When we started ginning cotton, we had to deal with a few small fires. It was a good experience to help put out the fires and to see how fast everyone reacted to extinguishing the fire and getting the machine ready to start up again. Wesley and I learned how to un-choke the gin when too much cotton came through. Overall, this internship was a great experience.
I would like to thank Clay Whiltley and Zack Book for teaching me about the gin industry and Aaron Nelsen and TCGA for this amazing internship opportunity.
Q:
Tell about experiencing two different locations.
A: I enjoyed it, and I think it should stay that way in the future. It gave us a chance to see how gins operate differently and how things vary depending on the area and environment.
Q:
Describe a highlight of your summer.
A: As an engineering major, I really liked going to PYCO, as well as WesTex Co-op Gin. It was pretty cool getting to see how the hydraulics worked, and we got to meet some very interesting people along the way.
Q:
Would you recommend this internship to a friend?
A: I would have to take into consideration their character. This position is for someone who excels in work ethic, and it is not an easy task by any means. You can’t do it halfway. The internship requires full dedication, and it is lots of heavy lifting and hard work. It is rewarding and it is interesting learning all about such a complex industry.