Zane Mrozla-Mindrup – Nebraska Corn Board – Lincoln, Nebraska

Commodity Classic Update

This last week I had the extraordinary privilege of accompanying Nebraska corn growers to the 30^th Anniversary edition of Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas. Starting with a 3:00 AM alarm on Tuesday, February 27^th, I made my way to Omaha. Here, after TSA officially secured the boots I was wearing, I met my first group of growers and staff at the gate to travel down to Texas. Corn growers had taken over the entire aircraft after boarding a connection in Chicago, and upon reaching the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk you couldn’t swing a stalk without hitting one of the nation’s foremost agriculturalists. A quick break for lunch on the River Walk was followed by a meeting with Nebraska’s Corn Congress delegation, where I received an incredible preview of the policy issues the nation’s corn producers will seek to address over the next year. Dinner took us back to the River Walk for some incredible Fish Tacos before a very long and rewarding day one wrapped up with an early trip to bed.

Day two thankfully started later than day one, but its first order of business was of the utmost importance. The first meeting of Corn Congress in 2026 tackled a variety of issues from trade to technology regulation and included a very sobering moment where the entire Congress adjourned to have each member contact their local member of the United States Congress to push for nationwide E15. This key issue was an overarching theme of the entire conference and provided a harrowing reminder of the financial stresses present at this time. As I had a packed event schedule for the afternoon I ducked out of the conference center to grab a quick sandwich for lunch. While trying to orient my maps application to find the sandwich shop I literally stumbled right into the front courtyard of THE ALAMO. As a bit of an American history fiend, it had been a lifelong dream to visit the national historic landmark and my Commodity Classic adventure in San Antonio provided the perfect avenue.

Refreshed on nearly 200 years of the American spirit, I returned to attend an insightful corn economics Q&A with NCGA’s excellent Krista Swanson and Gretchen Kuck. I followed this up with a visit to the cavernous trade show floor, where I took in a variety of demonstrations from the nation’s foremost agricultural companies. While the day was coming to a close, Commodity Classic was just winding up. The official welcome party included food, entertainment, and even two live donkeys, which had been mysteriously transported to the third floor of the convention center. I did not stay long, though, as I had earlier received the privilege of an invite to NCGA’s CornPAC event that evening. A wonderfully light-hearted event where I got a shiny new belt buckle and learned NCGA Vice President Sean Arians moonlights as an auctioneer.

Thursday opened with breakfast and a panel from the Agricultural Coalition for the USMCA, a new, highly motivated group that is rallying industry support for the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, which is due for renegotiation this year. The agreement helps establish vital corridors for the flow of North American agricultural goods that support low prices for consumers and higher demand for producers. I went from this panel to another economic outlook discussion involving chief economists from NCGA and the American Soybean Association as well as the former Chief Economist for all of USDA. After their bearish outlook, I recuperated on the trade show floor, where an unnamed Nebraska corn grower showed me some of the tricks of trade show free stuff, before attending a brilliant panel discussion on how government policy can support pest management.

The final panel discussion of the day was one near and dear to my heart, featuring my NCB mentor and Nebraska’s own Dan Nerud. Titled “Mental Health: Even the Toughest People Need Help Sometimes,” the panel did a fantastic job reiterating the importance of holistic healthcare in rural communities while Dan’s story provided an incredibly important catalyst to the discussion. Lastly, on the official agenda for the day was a general session featuring National Presidents of all the major commodity organizations and a speech from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. Rollins was the headliner among a number of senior USDA officials who came to the conference to work with America’s row-crop producers.

The major event of the evening was the NCGA Yield Contest Winners Celebration where an astonishing level of efficiency was on display courtesy of American corn growers. I believe the winner topped 572 bushels per acre. At the Yield Contest and at dinner afterwards I met several of NCGA’s current crop of student research ambassadors, a truly inspiring group of students committed to advancing the scientific profile of America’s Crop.

The final morning of the conference began with a quick-paced final session of Corn Congress in which the delegates wrapped up business to be reopened in Washington this summer. After its conclusion I made one final trip to the trade floor to take in a few final exhibitors (and maybe score a new hat) before my time at Commodity Classic 2026 officially wrapped up. I had a delicious burger for lunch and prepared for the final event of my time in San Antonio: The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo! Held at Frost Bank Arena, the usual home of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, the hardwood was replaced by a dirt floor as the action-packed rodeo took over. It was followed by a concert by Fast and Furious Star Ludacris. What was a very enjoyable final day, saw me in bed early to catch an early morning flight toward home.

To those of you who have stuck around through the end of this narrative, thank you. I must say my trip to San Antonio for Commodity Classic was absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime experience and as you may have guessed from the text above I sought to make the most out of every second of my time. I would like to issue the sincerest of thank yous to everyone at NCB and NCGA who helped to support me in this experience and who have continued to support me throughout my internship, it simply would not be possible without you.

Fall Update

With the dawn of a new year arriving, I wanted to look back on what has been a truly incredible 2025 spent interning with Nebraska Corn. Having last updated you during the summer there is so much to catch up on as everyday spent with NCB so far has been uniquely special.

July, in a word, was a whirlwind. Straight out of the Independence Day Weekend came the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute and I got some first-hand experience in the communications space with my fellow intern Whitley Rut as we presented to six groups of future Nebraska ag leaders on the function and importance of Nebraska’s corn organizations. That same day, UNL extension hosted its 4Rs Nitrogen Management Field Day, where I attended field demonstrations and tested my knowledge of fertilizer application rates. The next week provided another rewarding, action-packed day as the Combine hosted their AgTech Connect Conference. Nebraska’s premier event for agricultural technology startups. This year’s event focused on advances in aerial application technology, livestock feeding, and artificial intelligence. I even got the chance to host a roundtable discussion with Nebraska Corn Growers Association board member, Quentin Connealy.

The month of August seemed to advance at an even more rapid pace and was somehow more packed with amazing experiences. Kicking off with Beck’s annual Becknology Days event in Goehner. America’s fastest growing seed company showcased plot tours, root reveal demonstrations, and all you could eat ice cream. After a brief pause to catch my breath, the next week brought three wonderfully exciting trips westward along I-80. Beginning with a soil lab tour in Grand Island and the best steak sandwich I’ve ever had in my life, next came a Nebraska Soil Health Coalition field day at Green Cover in Bladen, and ending with the Governor’s Agriculture and Economic Development Summit in Kearney and an awesome pump-up speech from Nebraska Football Coach Matt Rhule!

UNL academic year at the end of the month marked my return to the classroom and the beginning of my part-time status with NCB. Very soon though I was called back to the field for the fantastic opportunity to represent Nebraska Corn and the Nebraska Strategic Agriculture Coalition at Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island. I spent the morning in the Natural Resources building answering questions about the future of sustainable production in Nebraska and the afternoon asking questions to Nebraskans of all ages eager for an exciting corn-related prize. Post HHD, I had the privilege of being featured in an article from UNL’s Institute of Ag and Natural Resources regarding my affiliation with Agricultural Economics Department and the Clayton Yeutter Institute for International Trade and Finance, an opportunity I’m proud of outside of Nebraska Corn. I was next able to attend a Nebraska Ethanol Board meeting with market development director, Payton Schaneman, where we heard a fascinating presentation from UNL’s Formula One Club and their use of ethanol products in their competitive vehicles.

Much of my time was spent in-office over the next two months and was dedicated to the planning of the marquee event of my fall with NCB: the Nebraska Corn Student Research Symposium. The first annual event took place in conjunction with our November board meetings in Lincoln and saw more than 80 attendees as Nebraska producers directly connected with NCB-funded researchers and the undergraduate and graduate students that make those projects so strong.  I was very happy with evening which went off without a hitch, and I was particularly excited to hear that the buffet dining option that I had spent much time and worry selecting for the event was well-received by all attendees.

Week one of my eighth month on the job presented yet another incredible opportunity once again in conjunction with the Combine. They sponsored the Front 40 Tech Conference at the Nebraska Ag Expo and sitting in the audience I was once more blown away at the astounding agricultural innovation incubating right here in Lincoln. Among the presenters were established startups with Nebraska Corn connections like Grain Weevil and Sentinel Fertigation as well as new ventures in the space of solar technology, cattle identification, and farm and ranch management.

The conclusion of finals week and a pleasant Christmas holiday spent with family in Louisville, NE brought a close to my year and left time for reflection on what has been an amazing journey with Nebraska Corn so far. I look forward to recounting my adventures in 2026. Thank you for your attention, support, and well-wishes!

June Update

I thought I’d start this reflection on my first month at Nebraska Corn Board with a confession. I must admit when I first started in the office, I thought that my background in Nebraska agriculture and several years studying the industry on UNL’s East Campus would leave little in the way of surprises for my first couple weeks. After all I have seen corn virtually every day of my life, it grows under pivot between April and October after which it goes into a silo or gets trucked to an elevator, from there becoming feed for livestock and fuel for vehicles, and that’s the end of it, or so I figured. In a very short time working with the research and market development teams at NCB, I was quickly exposed to a variety of professionals and experiences that have delivered an ever-evolving crash course in the ever-expanding universe of corn use and demand.

Giving an FBI Agent my name and job description was not something I envisioned when I applied to an internship with Nebraska Corn. At least not unless something had gone very, very wrong. However, this was a reality three weeks in as I participated in a meeting with the Omaha Field Office, led by Director of Stewardship and Innovation Rachael Whitehair, to discuss an Agricultural Threats Symposium for Nebraska farmers. Perhaps just as frightening for an undergraduate student, but also just as fascinating, was sitting across the table from a meeting with UNL’s Agricultural Economics Department to discuss research partnerships. Engaging with professors whom I had taken classes with and hearing their ideas for future projects was as surreal as it was rewarding. They were not the only UNL team I had the pleasure of speaking with though and a visit to Nebraska Innovation Campus brought me to the lab of Dr. Ozan Ciftci, a leading light in American food engineering research whose fascinating work with corn-derived products has the potential to unlock major new uses for Nebraska’s number one crop.

While the Nebraska State Office at Fallbrook, where we are located, is a beautiful campus, I do believe my most enjoyable experiences this summer have been out-of-office experiences engaging with growers and stakeholders across Nebraska. My first trip in the ultra-stylish Nebraska Corn van was to Henderson, NE, and the farm of Nebraska Corn Research Committee Co-Chair Jason Lewis. Here, NCB worked with Saturn’s Lens Media to assemble a video for dissemination to Nebraska Corn’s international partners to further stimulate foreign trade potential. My next outing brought me to a lunch and learn with growers and industry in Giltner, NE. Among the attendees was the co-founder of French ag start-up Thalya, who had travelled all the way from Paris to learn directly from growers about farming in Nebraska. We helped answer his questions with trips to growers’ farms near Giltner and Litchfield, NE, nearly halfway across the state. My travel is far from over though and most recently, I got a sneak peek at UNL’s state-of-the-art Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center associated with the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center near Mead, NE where University of Nebraska faculty and extension professionals are carrying out world-leading research, some with the direct assistance of Corn Board research grants.

All in all, I have had an incredibly rewarding, and insightful, first month with NCB and I know that I will continue to enjoy my work with Nebraska corn, with the team in the office, with stakeholders in the community, and with growers in the field, as the summer continues to fly by. Thank you for your support!