Monday, July 19, 2021

Positions now available at Suwannee River Water Management District

The Suwannee River Water Management District currently has two open positions in our regulatory office. Full details can be found on the website:

Engineering Specialist or Engineer I: https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/Jobs.aspx?UniqueId=78&From=All&CommunityJobs=False&JobID=Engineering-Specialist-OR-Engineer-I-Reg-131

Environmental Scientist I or II: https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/Jobs.aspx?UniqueId=78&From=All&CommunityJobs=False&JobID=Environmental-Scientist-I-OR-II-132

Landing page with all of our open positions listed: https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/Jobs.aspx

ABE Robotics Team wins ASABE award!

 Congratulations to the ABE Robotics Team which won the 'Best Written Report Award' for ASABE.

The members of the team are Bryce Askey, Congliang Zhou, Robert Herring, Xue Zhou, Ruoyao Qin, Songzi Wu and Chi Zhang. The team’s advisors are Dr. Ampatzidis and Dr. Lee.



Friday, July 16, 2021

BE student wins KK Barnes Competition!

Congratulations to Juan Daniel Cornu Sanchez for winning 1st place in the KK Barnes Competition at AIM. 

The title of his research was "Establishing a Method for Investigating Microbial Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) Production from Anaerobic Digestion Biproducts and his advisor was Dr. Ana Martin Ryals.

Monday, July 12, 2021

Positions Available - Oklahoma Water Resources Center

The Oklahoma Water Resources Center has several open positions that will be headquartered in Stillwater, OK and serve as an integral part of a new collaborative research effort between the Oklahoma State University-OWRC, USDA-Agricultural Research Services (ARS) and the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  This new joint effort, titled Dam Analysis Modernization of Tools, Applications, Guidance and Standardization (DAM-TAGS), will develop engineering tools, design guidance documents, and computational software and applications for monitoring, inspecting and rehabilitation of aging dams. 

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Graduate Position Opening - University of Kentucky

Dr. William Ford is seeking a Ph.D. student interested in studying source, fate and transport of sediment bound contaminants in agroecosystems at the University of Kentucky starting in Spring/Summer 2022. The position will be partially supported by a recently funded NSF project. A summary of the project can be found here. The student supported in this position will have a unique opportunity to perform extended site visits (up to 6 months over 2 years) collaborating with scientists at the USDA-ARS National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory in West Lafayette Indiana, located on Purdue University’s campus.

Applicants will need a degree in engineering from an ABET accredited institution and background in one or more of the following areas: agricultural, biological, civil, and/or environmental engineering. Candidates with strong hydrologic and water quality modeling skills spanning field to watershed-scales, strong technical writing records, and enthusiasm for research are encouraged to apply. Ability and interest to work in both field and laboratory settings will also be an important aspect of the position.

Dr. Ford and his team are committed to an inclusive lab environment and highly encourage students from underrepresented groups to apply. The University of Kentucky has numerous resources to create a welcoming environment for all people (e.g., CAFE Office of Diversity, UK Counseling Center, Behavioral Health at University Health Services). Further, the city of Lexington has several exciting and unique social settings including an expansive microbrew and food scene, miles of bike trails, Keenland Horse Track, Red River Gorge, and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Students will join the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department. Information on the graduate programs and admission can be found at: https://www.engr.uky.edu/research-faculty/departments/biosystems-agricultural-engineering/graduate.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. William Ford directly at bill.ford@uky.edu with their resume or CV and research interests.

Friday, July 2, 2021

Arden Home Owners Association - Farm Manager Job

Arden, an award winning master plan, agrihood community in western Palm Beach County, is seeking a dedicated, full-time farm manager to work alongside its two Farm Directors. This is a unique opportunity to be a leader in the agrihood community movement.

The Arden Farm grows organic vegetables for a 200 share CSA that will eventually become a 600 share CSA once all of the homes are built. The farmers also maintain a Childrens’ Garden, two You-Pick Gardens, a Butterfly Garden, a Community Garden, Orchard and General Store.

Working Relationships
Reports directly to Arden Farm Directors. Occasionally works closely with Community Manager, Arden Lifestyle Director and General Store Attendant. Responsibilities

● Support farm directors in all aspects of vegetable, fruit and herb production, including but not limited to seeding, planting, pest, disease and fertility management, field cultivation, irrigation planning, installation and repairs, harvesting and post harvest handling, record keeping, upholding product, food safety standards, etc.
● Manage CSA pick ups on-site in the Barn on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings from November to May
● Maintain farm infrastructure and landscape with support from contracted vendors, including the cleanliness and orderliness of the store, barn and its surroundings
● Prepare and maintain budgets, as well as supply ordering
● Lead workshops and presentations
● Provide tours of the General Store and Farm
● Provide friendly customer service both in person and by phone
● Support the General Store Attendant in maintaining a positive experience for customers while performing an array of vital functions that include produce handling, merchandising, stocking, cleaning/organizing, maintaining food permits and most importantly, customer service
● Practice and foster team spirit and positive productive working relations with HOA, Developer staff and resident volunteers
● Provide feedback to Management
● Reconcile and report resident issues and concerns
● Maintain dress code
● Complete assigned tasks, phone calls and research to assist farm directors
● Assist HOA team with workshops/events as needed

Required Qualifications and Skills

Qualified candidates must be able to work in various weather conditions, stand for extended periods of time, and are required to repeatedly lift and move up to 50 lbs. This position also requires occasional nights and weekend work.

● At least 3 years of organic vegetable production and farm management experience on a similar or larger scale
● Proven experience independently operating a tractor with various implements
● Excellent work ethic and time management skills
● Strong interpersonal communication skills
● Demonstrated attention to details, experience building efficient systems and record keeping
● Carpentry skills, general “fix it” know how, and is familiar with basic tools
● Enthusiasm for local and sustainable agriculture
● Experience working in a team environment with proven leadership skills
● Timely and dependable
● Able to use retail technology and CSA logistics platform
● A problem solver with a focus on continuous improvement, who is always learning, open to feedback and takes action as required

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

● College Degree in Organic Crop Production, or related field
● Experience growing and managing production for 3+ seasons in a tropical/subtropical climate
● Proven experience writing and maintaining food safety plans and procedures
● Knowledge of tropical fruit production
● Bilingual English/Spanish

All prospective employees must pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check. Salary is based on experience.

Accepting applications until July 31st. Please email Cover Letter, Resume and three references to farm@myardenfl.com.

No phone calls please. Candidate must be able to start on September 1, 2021.

Thursday, July 1, 2021

USDA Engineering Technician

 Please see the following opportunity:

Title: Engineering Technician

Term: 2 years, with further employment depending on funding

Location: USDA ARS lab at Univ. of Toledo

Grade: GS-6 / GS-7

Qualifications: US citizenship and bachelor’s degree.  Software or hardware engineering experience is a plus, but considerable on-the-job training will be provided.

About the lab: This lab is part of the Application and Technology Research Unit of USDA ARS.  Our technicians, post-docs and scientists work on several different research projects related to greenhouses and other aspects of controlled environment agriculture, in collaboration with UT students and faculty.

Duties: use modeling software to simulate energy consumption in greenhouses; hardware/software support of various hands-on engineering projects, including UAV sensor platforms, lighting measurement systems, environmental control systems, and hydroponic systems; utilize 3d printing and CNC machines. 

Contact info: Kale Harbick, Research Agricultural Engineer, USDA-ARS, email address: Kale.Harbick@usda.gov