Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, January 2007
Policy Internship

I spent January Term of my senior year in Madison, WI working with the MFAI policy office. Margaret Krome, Policy Director, and Jeanne Merrill, Associate Policy Director supervised me for the month. I researched sustainable agriculture topics such as the Conservation Security Program, the 2007 Farm Bill, appropriations and authorizations, and the local foods movement. I also had the chance to participated in the Wisconsin Local Foods Summit, the January Wisconsin Agriculture Board meeting, the Emerging Agricultural Markets meeting, and the Chicago Local Foods Summit.

I also wrote two articles, “Making Healthcare Affordable” and “Innovations in Food Systems" for the MFAI newsletter.

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Spring Semester 2007
Farm Bill Internship

My main project with the IATP was scouring all the news sources for news about the 2007 Farm Bill and related topics and then compiling them into a weekly newsletter, "Farm Bill Watch." Farm Bill Watch -- April 3rd, 2007 Farm Bill Watch -- April 20th, 2007 Farm Bill Watch -- May 1st, 2007

I also researched connections between NAFTA, immigration and farm policy as well as the 2008 presidential candidates' stances on trade and agricultural policy.

Dayna Burtness -- Senior CIS Web Portfolio -- 2007