Home › Internship Opportunities › ASTE Internships
Internships
Potato Production Internship
Job Description
Assistant Field Manager responsible for helping with potato crop production in southwest Michigan including: Planting, irrigation scheduling, fertigation, disease and insect scouting, and harvest. Ideally, we would like to have someone with experience operating and repairing equipment, and an interest in learning more about agronomy and the potato industry. The job would start in April and end in early November, it could continue into December if Storage experience is desired.
Compensation
Pay would be $10/hour and is negotiable depending on experience. Expect about 60 hours of work per week. A $500 per month housing allowance and compensation for moving expenses is also included.
Background
Walther Farms is a large family farm headquartered in southwest Michigan that primarily grows potatoes for Frito-Lay. We grow 6,000 acres of commercial production in Michigan, Illinois, and Florida, and 500 acres of seed in Michigan.
Opportunities to gain experience:
- AutoFarm GPS-RTK Autosteer on John Deere tractors GPS field mapping
-
Record keeping software
-
Irrigation scheduling and pivot operation
-
Fertigation applications and calculations
-
Quality and Bruise Prevention associated with harvest
-
Hansen-Rice storage buildings
-
Gehlert and Fancom storage controllers
-
Storage management
-
Repair and maintenance
-
Financial reports
-
Tour of hydroponic tissue culture greenhouse used for minituber seed production
-
Tour a Frito-Lay factory
Walther Farms continues to expand and we are always looking for good people. Your internship could provide employment opportunities down the road. If interested please contact: Wade Meek 269-279-2450 ext. 109 or at wmeek@waltherfarms.com
National Pork Board Internships
The National Pork Board is seeking candidates to apply for our 2008 internship program. To learn about these exciting opportunities, please see the descriptions below. The Pork Board is funded through a market checkoff collection on sales of market swine in the United States. We are charged with effectively serving U.S. pork producers through the development of educational programs, coordination of research projects, and increasing the demand for pork meat in domestic and international markets.
Our internships will begin approximately May 19, 2008 and continue through approximately August 15, 2008.
All internships are paid, and candidates are expected to work full-time for 12 weeks. All positions are based at our office in Clive, IA.
Interested candidates should forward resume, cover letter, and writing samples if needed, via email to Intern@pork.org (Microsoft Word or PDF formats only). No phone calls please.
Producer Services/Outreach Intern(s) (2 positions):
The successful candidate(s) will assist with the development and delivery of pork producer education programs offered by the National Pork Board. He or she will complete special projects and will work at various education activities during World Pork Expo. He or she will also work with the Pork Quality Assurance™ Plus (PQA™ Plus), Trucker Quality Assurance™ (TQA™) Program, and the Youth PQA program as assigned.
The job(s) also involves some travel to meetings, state fairs, and/or junior swine shows to represent Pork Checkoff. There is the potential to be work with the distance learning program, Pork Leadership Academy, or other producer outreach activities. Some of the projects include development of PowerPoint presentations, brochure development, graphics inventory, exam management for the e-learning courses, curriculum development, as well as other educational projects as they arise.
A familiarity with the pork industry is recommended; an agriculture education major is preferred. Candidates should possess strong communication skills including written and telephone skills. Additionally, the successful candidate should be goal oriented and excel in leadership skills. Some overnight travel may be required.
Marketing Intern (1 position):
The candidate selected for this internship will assist in the various activities and programs implemented within the Marketing Department. Outreach efforts are executed within the specific areas of consumer advertising, public relations, retail, foodservice, and market research. Different components of this internship include assisting in the development and coordination of specific programs, compiling and evaluating market research, contributing ideas and feedback regarding different program initiatives, and participating in various departmental activities.
Ideal candidates will have an academic emphasis on marketing and/or public relations, while also having an interest in and desire to learn about advertising principles. Ag background is not required. Strong communication skills are a must. Some travel may be required.
Communications Intern (1 position):
The Communication Department Intern will assist with day-to-day activities that include print, audio and visual communications about the pork industry and related news on a national level.
Specific experiences include:
- Working with producers and in media relations at World Pork Expo and at the Ag Media Summit
- Assisting with development of Pork Checkoff news releases, Pork Checkoff’s national magazine Pork Checkoff Report, the national newsletter Pork Leader and the October Pork Month media kit
- Managing and creating weekly podcasts
- Contributing content to the Pork Checkoff’s Internet site
- Assisting with special projects
Applicants must be interested in the pork industry. Applicants will benefit from having an agricultural background and/or an academic emphasis in animal science, agriculture journalism, agricultural communications or journalism. Photography skills, broadcasting skills and familiarity with AP style writing are a plus.
**Applicants interested in the Communications position are required to send two writing samples with their resume.
Science and Technology Intern(s) (3 positions):
The Science and Technology department includes eleven staff members that work in the areas of swine production systems, swine welfare, swine health, pork safety, public health, worker safety and environmental science. A number of different programs are active within these areas in response to producer needs. Management of unanticipated issues that arise and that have the potential to impact the viability or health of the U.S. swine industry is an important function of the department.
Candidates selected for these positions will be expected to participate in various aspects of departmental activities. These activities may include:
- Participation in the planning and operation of meetings at local, state, and national levels.
- Assistance with NPB activities at World Pork Expo.
- Working with individual staff members to complete various new and on-going projects or independent projects within the program areas listed above.
- Attendance and participation in technical working group, producer committee, departmental and organizational staff meetings.
The nature of many of the activities within the Science and Technology department requires the completion of both planned and unplanned tasks. Flexibility and the ability to become rapidly acquainted with new issues are important skills necessary for successful completion of departmental objectives. Candidates for this position are expected to possess the following skills:
-
The ability to work on several projects at one time.
-
Have competence in MS Office software programs.
-
Be willing to travel two to four days per month, including some overnight travel.
-
Be comfortable working in an environment that demands flexible scheduling, independent work, and shifting priorities.
-
Have the ability to become rapidly familiar with new topics, issues, or projects.
Interested candidates should be enrolled in, or have recently completed, an agricultural-related degree program. This may include, but is not limited to agriculture, veterinary and environmental sciences. An interest and commitment to the U.S. swine industry is required.