Today is National Intern Day, and we’re excited to introduce the six talented interns spending their summer with us at Foremost Farms: Bergen Wagner, Brooke Wegerer, Doug Woyak, Grace Meinel, Isaac Oberman and Sydney Anderson. Each of them brings fresh ideas, enthusiasm, and a passion for learning to our teams across the organization. To celebrate their contributions and get to know them a little better, we asked them three fun and thoughtful questions:
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- What team are you working with this summer, and what’s your role? Are there any projects or tasks you’ve especially enjoyed so far?
- What has been your favorite part of your internship experience at Foremost Farms?
- July is National Ice Cream Month! What’s your favorite flavor, and does it bring back any special memories or traditions?
Read on to learn more about their experiences and how they’re making the most of their time with us!
MEET BERGEN WAGNER
University of Wisconsin Madison
This summer, I’m working with the Food Quality and Safety team as a Food Quality and Safety Intern. One part of the project I’ve especially enjoyed has been the representative sampling section.
My favorite part of this internship has been the opportunity to work at multiple different plants throughout the summer. I really enjoy traveling between sites and getting to experience the unique operations and teams at each location.
My favorite flavor is Seroogy’s Mint Meltaway custard from Zesty’s. It always reminds me of getting ice cream with my grandma as a kid.
MEET BROOKE WEGERER
Virginia Tech
This summer, I’ve been working with the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) team as an EHS Intern, with a specific focus on wastewater management. My primary project has been reworking the Lancaster plant’s wastewater handbook.
My favorite part of this internship has been the opportunity to connect with professionals across various departments. It’s been incredibly valuable to see how the entire organization collaborates to achieve its goals.
My favorite flavor is French Silk Pie!
MEET DOUG WOYAK
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
This summer, I’m working with the Finance team as a Finance Intern. I’ve especially enjoyed being part of the Margin by SKU team.
My favorite part of this internship has been gaining real-world experience while learning about the dairy industry—it’s been incredibly rewarding, especially working alongside such fantastic people.
My favorite flavor is Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. I discovered it a few months ago and love that it’s named after one of the greatest guitarists, Jerry Garcia, and includes one of the best fruits—cherries!
MEET GRACE MEINEL
University of Wisconsin Madison
This summer, I’ve been working with the Planning team as a Supply Chain Intern, collaborating closely with Jameson a Supply Chain Analyst. One of the highlights has been continuing the request process project, picking up where last year’s intern – now full-time team member – Jackson left off. Working alongside Jackson and Jameson to design our ideal process – and watching it come to life – has been a surreal and rewarding experience. I’m hopeful we can complete the rollout before the end of my internship and that it brings lasting value to Foremost Farms employees.
It’s tough to choose just one favorite moment! I’ve really enjoyed the site visits, learning to bake pizzas and test cheese quality and the insights I gained on sustainability day with our Corporate Sustainability Manager. But if I had to pick one standout experience, it would be the farm tour – getting to pet calves that were born just that morning was such a heartwarming, once-in-a-lifetime moment.
My favorite flavor is coffee chocolate chunk, which is also a favorite in my family. Some of my best memories are from late nights in the kitchen, all of us sharing a tub of ice cream, laughing and swapping stories together.
MEET ISAAC OBERMAN
Yale University
This summer, I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Finance Department as a Financial Planning & Analysis Intern. I’ve been able to significantly broaden my horizons of understanding by seeing the real effects from the economic principles in my classes play out in financial markets. My main project this summer has been building a position tracker for the brokerage accounts we maintain through Ever.Ag. Dairy markets have many moving pieces, and prices can fluctuate quite rapidly day to day. Understanding how these fluctuations impact our hedge positions is essential for proper risk management and good accounting. Digging into these markets – how each piece is computed, the different ways they can be reported, and how the history of agricultural policy has changed milk pricing and selling over the past century– has given me a thorough versing in the ways finance paints a picture: not just for Foremost Farms, but for every piece of the milk stream.
Foremost Farms, as a cooperative, has a special emphasis on the importance of people. Member farms are the owners and suppliers of our company, giving the company a homely flair. The intern farm tour is an essential part of that experience, where we can connect with the food we produce and the people who produce it. Not to mention the numerous friendships I’ve developed with coworkers over the years. The environment of collaboration and community is felt when you walk in the door and see interns, executives, and everyone in between engaged in conversations seemingly meaningless to the work of the day and thus even more meaningful to the workers themselves.
I have always enjoyed mint ice cream, especially when paired with some sort of chocolate topping like Oreos or chocolate pieces. Ice cream reminds me of home, where it is a favorite dessert, and of my friends at school. We have a group dinner every Monday, and a few of us use the dining hall ice cream and the milk dispensers to create shakes. Some get creative with peanut butter and bananas, and others (like myself) load up with chocolate. It’s a great way to bond over delicious dairy products.
MEET SYDNEY ANDERSON
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
This summer, I’m working with the Quality team as a Quality Intern, alongside fellow intern Bergen Wagner. We’ve been traveling to various plant locations to test salt content in cheese for different projects. One project I’ve especially enjoyed was trialing the Mettler Toledo T5-Auto Titration and comparing the results to the traditional methods we’ve been using. It’s been exciting to explore how new technology can improve accuracy and efficiency.
My favorite part has been traveling to different plants and being hands-on in collecting data. I’ve always loved working in a lab setting, so being able to gather and analyze my own data has been especially rewarding. I’ve also really appreciated the strong sense of community at Foremost Farms—everyone I’ve interacted with has been incredibly welcoming and supportive.
My favorite flavors are a mix of Cotton Candy and Birthday Cake. They always remind me of stopping for ice cream after softball tournaments growing up.