Kate Miller, University of Illinois

Hello! My name is Kate Miller, a senior at the University of Illinois majoring in Agriculture Consumer Economics with a focus on Agribusiness Markets & Management. My roots trace back to a grain farm in Macedonia, IL, located in the southern part of the state. Ever since my early days in 4-H as a clover bud, agriculture has been my unwavering passion. Throughout a decade of active involvement, I cultivated my interest in this field. In high school, I joined FFA and proudly earned my Illinois State Degree. I chose the University of Illinois for its renowned College of ACES, which stands among the world's top agriculture colleges. During my time at Uof I, I became part of the 4-H House Cooperative Sorority and spend my free time engaging in excellent organizations like Orange Krush and ACE Ambassadors. Last summer, I had an internship at ADM in Decatur, where I further developed my merchandising and sales skills. I'm set to return to ADM's St. Louis location in Summer 2024 to dive deeper into basis trading and expand my understanding of commodity markets.  My career goal is to be a commodity trader so I am educating myself further by taking two courses on basis trading and will receive my grain merchandising certification by the end of the year! This experience has helped me further understand grain elevators and the board of trade. During the fall semester, I chose the ADM Elevator in Tuscola, IL to spend my time learning more about their business structure and market opportunities. I spent most of my time learning from Kenny Hadden, Regional Manager and Chase Rhein, Trade Manager. They gave me a general understanding of the Tuscola Elevator and the several market capabilities. We then further discussed the situations on both the corn and bean piles and how quality can become a serious problem when not tarped or picked up in an efficient amount of time. I was happy to be able to relate what I was learning through my basis trading courses to the conversations during this two-day job shadow experience. After learning an overview of the elevator, I received a tour from two operation employees. They explained how the whole elevator is operated by just one computer and how there is many pros and cons to technology advancing in several spaces within agriculture. I was given a tour of the rail load out system and even got to take the operations elevator up to where they go to fill outbound trains. This experience was unmatched as all their staff was welcoming and they answered all my questions. I would like to say thank you to all the employees at Tuscola and especially Kenny and Chase for making my first day educational and enjoyable. I can’t wait to go back for my second day of job shadowing.