Vertical Farming Innovation Award

As believers of big, bold solutions that will help feed 9+ billion people, Thought For Food is very excited about the potential of vertical farming to help feed the world’s growing urban population. It offers some amazing water-saving technologies like hydroponics and aquaponics, as well as control over variables such as lighting and atmospheric content. At the same time, Vertical Farming can perform as decentralized agriculture in and around cities, thus guaranteeing a consistent supply of fresh food in the face of a changing climate.

If you are interested in the future of farming you may win $5,000 and a trip to Amsterdam to present your vertical farming ideas. At the same time, our partners Illumitex and Association for Vertical Farming will be hosting educational webinars to share industry knowledge about irrigation systems, lighting, crop selection, and financial feasibility.

Please let me know if you have any questions - the deadline to apply is March 30th.

Jared Yarnall-Schane
Thought For Food
Email: jared@TFFChallenge.com

Center for Leadership and Service (CLS) Ambassador Applications are open

 The Center for Leadership and Service (CLS) Ambassador Applications are open!

The CLS is looking for outgoing, motivated, and personable students dedicated to representing the CLS as an office and hub for service and leadership on campus. This group of students is responsible for promoting our mission and raising the profile of the CLS. Ambassadors participate in and assist with major CLS initiatives, give presentations on leadership and service across campus, and focus on both student and alumni outreach.

Candidates who enjoy public speaking, have excellent interpersonal communication skills and a desire to learn about leadership, personal values, service, reflection and social change are encouraged to apply by March 20th! bit.ly/CLSAmbassador

Grant Opportunity From The UF Bob Graham Center

The Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida and the UF Division of Student Affairs invite UF students to propose projects that will enrich our campus and Florida’s communities. Healthy civic campuses and communities are characterized by involved citizens, responsible leadership, and actions and initiatives that assist fellow citizens and students. They promote high levels of trust, connection, confidence, and engagement, and their members volunteer, stay informed, and express themselves in a civil manner.

Selected proposals will be creative and innovative and will aim to strengthen the University of Florida campus, our Florida communities, or both. Projects can take many different forms, with a focus on social, economic, educational, health, and political issues, or on some combination thereof. They can also examine a community in Florida or some aspect of student life on the UF campus, or both, but they must be collaborative, groundbreaking, and promote achievable objectives. 

Applications are open to all interested undergraduate and graduate students on campus. Grants of up to $5000 will be awarded to selected proposals. The deadline for entries is March 18. 

For more information, please visit http://www.bobgrahamcenter.ufl.edu/students/healthy-civic-campus-community or email Kevin Baron at kbaron76@ufl.edu.

AmeriCorps VISTA with the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program

Are you a first generation student graduating in May 2016? Are you interested in college access and working with underrepresented populations? The Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program is looking to hire a new AmeriCorps VISTA to do a year of service from May 2016 to May 2017. AmeriCorps members who complete a year of service are eligible for the Segal Education Award (approx. $5,700), which can be used to fund graduate school or repay student loans. There are other benefits associated with completing a year of service with AmeriCorps, including professional development opportunities and non-competitive eligibility for federal jobs. Official start date is May 23rd.

If interested, or if you have any further questions, please email Marile Quintana (MarileQ@ufsa.ufl.edu) by March 15th.

Wayne Farms Internship Program

At Wayne Farms we offer internships across all functions of our business. Wayne Farms provides interns an opportunity to work alongside experts in the poultry industry while applying their knowledge to real-world business situations. An Internship is typically 10 to 12 weeks long, culminating in a final presentation to the Senior Leadership Team at the Corporate offices in Oakwood, Georgia. Interns are paid a competitive hourly wage PLUS a monthly living stipend of $300 to a local intern OR $1,200 to an intern living outside a reasonable commuting distance from the assigned internship.

PROGRAM GOALS:
The future success of Wayne Farms will require talented, high caliber individuals with strong business acumen and the energy to take on tough challenges. The goal of our Internship Program is to provide a fulfilling and valuable experience in the poultry and food industry. Interns are assigned specific projects with clear objectives and deliverables that have a significant business impact within the sponsoring functional area. This allows interns to explore career options while developing skills and relationships that will help them in succeeding after graduation.

REQUIREMENTS:
• Candidates must be (at minimum a rising Junior) currently enrolled in an undergraduate or
graduate program at an accredited college, and possess a strong academic record.
• Leadership, initiative, and high ethical/moral standards will be weighted heavily.
• Candidates should be flexible to work when needed, and travel as necessary.

GENERAL PROGRAM GUIDELINES:
All interviews and selections will be conducted at the plant level. Once a student is offered an Internship position, a manager will be assigned to support the Intern’s development throughout the program. This leader will be accountable for the development of the Intern throughout the program. Interns will work to accomplish specific project tasks and achieve established learning objectives. Interns receive constant performance feedback during the assignment and a written performance review at the end of the internship. Wayne Farms believes performance feedback must be ongoing in order to fully develop an intern’s potential. We are looking for students genuinely excited about developing a career path in the poultry industry.

SELECTION:
This is a highly selective program. Offers will be made using evaluations from previous internship  opportunities, campus and on-site interviews, and manager assessments. Wayne Farms does not use interns as a supplemental workforce, rather we give you an opportunity to gain experience within your prospective field and an idea of what it is like to work with a team focused on business objectives. We use internships to identify talented individuals that we’d like to have join our team after graduation.

WAYNE FARMS FACILITIES:
Internships will take place at one of the following locations: Decatur, Albertville, Enterprise, Dothan and Union Springs,Alabama; Danville, Arkansas; Pendergrass and Oakwood, Georgia; Laurel, Mississippi; Dobson, North Carolina.

How to Apply: See a Wayne Farms recruiter at career fairs or when we visit Poultry Science Clubs at our partnership schools. Internship positions are also posted on the Wayne Farms LLC Career site: http://waynefarms.com/careers.

UF Field and Fork Program - job openings

JOB POSTINGS:

• NEW: Farm & Gardens Manager – Field and Fork Program (University of Florida)

The University of Florida is hiring and Farm and Gardens Manager for the Field and Fork Program. This program seeks to provide students, faculty, staff and visitors with the opportunity to engage in a community of collaboration and learning about sustainable food systems. The vision is to offer spaces at UF where individuals can take courses, engage with demonstrations, and participate in activities that focus on sustainable practices and food systems at multiple scales from a home, community garden, or small/urban farm to large scale production. The position will manage the Field and Fork Farm and Gardens, which are two spaces located on the University of Florida Campus, and total approximately 10 acres. This position manages staff and oversees and performs land cultivation and production, coordinates with faculty for course needs, staff for outreach programming, and manages infrastructure and equipment maintenance and repair. To see the position description and apply, please visit: http://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/cw/en-us/job/496310/field-fork-farm-and-gardens-manager

• NEW: Farm & Gardens Coordinator – Field and Fork Program (University of Florida)

The University of Florida is hiring and Farm and Gardens Coordinator for the Field and Fork Program. This program seeks to provide students, faculty, staff and visitors with the opportunity to engage in a community of collaboration and learning about sustainable food systems. The vision is to offer spaces at UF where individuals can take courses, engage with demonstrations, and participate in activities that focus on sustainable practices and food systems at multiple scales from a home, community garden, or small/urban farm to large scale production.​ This position will coordinate activities of the Field and Fork Farm and Gardens, which are two spaces located on the University of Florida campus, and total approximately 10 acres. This position works with the farm manager to perform land cultivation and production, and coordinates with staff, students and volunteers to maintain the spaces, infrastructure, and equipment and programming. This position supports the Field and Fork staff in implementing the goals for the Farm and Garden. For more information on the position and to apply, please visit: http://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/cw/en-us/job/496311/field-fork-farm-gardens-coordinator

International Summer Lab - application deadline 31st March!

International Summer Lab is an application oriented programme in the field of food technology, offered by Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL).

In 2016 2 courses will be offered:
- "Special Food Technologies" for advanced Bachelor students
- "Plant and Process Design" for Master and PhD students

Please visit www.summer-lab.de for information and application.