Interning Day-By-Day: A Testimonial Journey from the 2025 TFC Interns

Emma Campbell is a sophomore Agricultural Economics major at Texas A&M University. Originally from Corpus Christi, she remarks on her late start in the agricultural industry.

“When my dad retired after 22 years of service in the Air Force, we moved back to South Texas from Northern California. From there, I was able to discover my passion for horses and bringing awareness to the agricultural industry. Looking back, I am thankful to see a cooperative like Texas Farm Credit that supports the future of agriculturalist from day one!”

Throughout the first couple of days of the internship, the interns got to meet with the Texas Farm Credit family. When we were not learning about the rich history and various faucets of support Texas Farm Credit offers, they had the opportunity to meet with clients and their unique operations. From the Harlan’s and their beautiful sunflower crop, to getting the company Tahoe stuck in John Prukop’s watermelon field, seeing the diverse operations that South Texas Valley has to offer, the interns were never bored.

One of the interns, Derek Osburn, remarks on how the internship experience impacted his professional and academic life.

“It was a lot of fun getting to know the other interns through our hours spent packed together in a car, traveling to what felt like every corner of the state and getting to see parts of Texas that I had never seen before,” says Derek. After receiving his master’s from Georgetown University, Derek remarks on how it is impressive, “to see how much the regions of Texas differ, from the weather to the color of the dirt, to the taste of the Tex-Mex. However, it is even more interesting to see how they are all the same. From the Red River to the Rio Grande, grit, tenacity, and fellowship seemed to be at every corner.”

After meeting with Jack Wallace in the Valley, the interns headed north to San Antonio to visit Mumme’s, a family-owned business founded in 1928. We toured their historic feed mill and innovative grain packaging facility, which can seal and wrap a pallet in under 68 seconds! As we learned from Mr. Haby and Mr. Lowe, Mumme’s success is deeply tied to the agricultural community and supported by Texas Farm Credit’s financing.

Blake Koether, one of the interns from Texas A&M University talks about how his “favorite part of this internship has been staying on the road and having the opportunity to meet, interact, and connect with so many great people.”

Blake focus of the internship was to review Passion Forward. For those who do not know about this program, Texas Farm Credit gives 2% of their annual salary back to non-profits and charities across the state of Texas.

“This project has allowed me to understand the support Texas Farm Credit gives to the communities in which it resides,” says Blake.

That following Monday, the interns arrived at the Brenham Texas Farm Credit location, then traveled to Fayetteville, where we met with the legacy owners of the Fritsch Cattle Company. This generational operation highlighted the stocker and cattle order-buying business perfectly. Mr. Fritch reminded us that “You’re not worth anything till you can prove you can earn more than you’re worth.”

Whether it be working with cattle or talking with clients, Mr. Fritsch shows the group that it is important to work hard for what you are passionate about.

Amber was born and raised in Corpus Christi, TX. She is currently attending Texas A&M University and will be a junior agricultural economics major this fall. Coming from that agricultural background, she grew up surrounded by row crop production. Her participation in 4H growing up and her love for the farm led her to pursue a degree and later a career in the agricultural industry. She is super excited to learn about the financial side of the industry and see all the ways in which TFC supports their customers and rural America. 

After exploring Brenham and getting to learn about the real estate and construction opportunities Texas Farm Credit offers, the interns drove to Tyler, Texas. The next day, we were able to visit the Texas Farm Credit Tyler office and learn the importance and history that the title company uncovers daily, to how the Texas Farm Credit strategy for success encourages every person, in every office, to continue to fuel the future of agriculture!

Then, onto Prosper, we met Clint Whipple of Whipple Performance Horse and Ranches, whose story was incredibly moving. Born on a reservation in South Dakota, he built a $6 million equine facility through hard work and Texas Farm Credit’s partnership. He told us: “Training horses has a lot to do with your attitude. If you can build with high integrity, you will succeed.”

Later in the day, we went down the road to Whitesboro, where we met with the McCraw’s and their family operation, Hope Plantation Sod. This 4,000-acre sand and sod operation showcased how vertical integration, with the partnership of Texas Farm Credit, can expand the business’ footprint in retail. It was a great experience to visit and learn from the generational operation and see how it has grown since day one.

To close the tour, the interns participated in a service day at the NRG Dewey Prairie Garden with Melanie Cooper. Avery Fohn says that, “one of the most rewarding aspects of this experience has been the opportunity to travel across the TFC territory and visit various locations. Each office offered a unique culture and perspective, and it became clear that the heart of Texas Farm Credit lies in its people.”

Avery is a junior Agricultural Economics major at Texas A&M University. Coming from a dense agricultural background, she strives to bring awareness for rural communities and contribute to the agriculture industry. Throughout her internship, Avery was able to work with Lauren Lyssy on projects related to Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings. “I have learned so much through research and collaborative efforts to ensure the most efficient strategies are being implemented within the organization. This experience strengthened my appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work that supports agricultural lending,” says Avery. 

For the duration of the internship, while the interns were working on their projects, they were also able to attend networking events and conventions! From the Independent Cattlemen’s Association 51st convention in June to the Texas State FFA 97th Convention in July, our interns were very involved! “It was a wonderful experience to be able to engage with the Texas Farm Credit family and friends, while forming new relationships and my own connections across the state,” says Emma Campbell.