A Summer of Learning and Growth: The Farm Credit East Internship Experience

Over the past 10 weeks, 16 interns across seven Farm Credit East offices gained hands-on experience through projects, farm tours, employee shadowing and professional development opportunities. Working out of the Batavia, N.Y. office, I had the chance to learn from incredible employees and gain exposure to a diverse range of agricultural operations.

A Summer Defined by Learning, Growth and Opportunity

As an intern, I gained a deeper understanding of Farm Credit East, its services and the strong relationships employees build with customers. I explored different roles, connected with employees across the region, and gained insight into how Farm Credit East supports customers and communities.

One of the most valuable aspects of this experience was the opportunity to shadow and learn from professionals across the organization. These experiences highlighted the importance of meaningful customer relationships and how rewarding the work here is for employees.

Overall, this summer provided countless opportunities to grow professionally and personally, leaving me with new knowledge, valuable connections and a greater appreciation for the work Farm Credit East does every day.

Exploring the Diversity of Northeast Agriculture

A unique aspect of my internship at Farm Credit East was the opportunity to immerse myself in the incredible diversity of Northeast agriculture. From lobster operations and large dairy farms to produce businesses and many operations in between, each visit provided new perspectives on the industry and the people behind it.

These experiences broadened my understanding of agriculture and highlighted the wide range of businesses that Farm Credit East serves. A fellow intern Spencer Stadnicki (Auburn, Maine) noted, “It’s very interesting to see how many different types of farms operate in the Northeast.” Similarly, Ethan Karches (Batavia, N.Y.) shared, “This internship showed me just how diverse Northeast agriculture is and introduced me to many different types of operations.”

Seeing this diversity firsthand gave me an even greater appreciation for the agriculture industry and reinforced how important it is to the communities across the region.

Exploring Careers through Job Shadowing

Over my 10-week experience, I job shadowed employees across various departments. While I started the summer knowing I enjoyed tax work from a previous internship, I quickly discovered several other areas of Farm Credit East that interest me as well.

From Crop Growers and appraisal to credit, consulting, tax, marketing and communications, each shadowing opportunity provided a new perspective on the ways Farm Credit East serves its customers. Beyond gaining technical knowledge, I developed connections and learned from incredible professionals across the organization.

A fellow intern Molly Smith (St. Albans, Vt.) shared, “Through job shadowing, I learned that being customer facing is important to me. Exploring different roles at Farm Credit East helped me realize that building meaningful connections with customers is what makes my work fulfilling.” Her comments reflect one of my most impactful experiences from this summer: exploring different career paths while seeing firsthand the value of strong customer relationships.

Projects That Make a Difference

This summer's projects provided valuable hands-on experience and exposure to different areas of Farm Credit East. A credit-focused project helped us become familiar with the software and processes used by the team. Additionally, the flexibility to connect with employees across the organization allowed us to pursue projects that matched our interests.

Many interns worked on projects with a direct impact on employees and customers. As Kyra Balentine (Greenwich, N.Y.) shared, “I have been working on a financial services project to help improve the tax return intake process for the upcoming season. Implementation of the project will save time and improve the experience for preparers as well as customers.” These opportunities allowed us to apply our skills while contributing impactful work to the organization.

Intern Reflections and Lasting Takeaways

My biggest takeaway from this internship is that, while technology and AI continue to evolve, they can never replace the genuine relationships and trust that Farm Credit East employees build with their customers.

Throughout the summer, I saw first-hand how employees combine their expertise with a personal commitment to helping customers succeed. Equally impressive was seeing how the organization truly invests in and cares about its employees.

As someone who comes from an agricultural background, it was especially gratifying to see the passion and dedication of employees who care deeply about the success of their customers and the future of the industry. At a time when fewer people have a direct connection to agriculture, it was inspiring to see so many individuals committed to supporting the farms, families and businesses that keep the industry strong. I couldn’t have imagined a better place to spend my summer learning!

The internship program is offered to college juniors each summer. During the experience, students have an inside look into Farm Credit East and shadow employees in various roles to learn about different career opportunities. Interns are recruited from college campuses across the Northeast. For more information on the Farm Credit East internship program, visit our Careers Page.