Environmental and Social Equity Fellow Program

Are you passionate about tackling the biggest environmental and social equity challenges facing communities today? Do you want to gain experience and launch your social purpose career? If so, CivicSpark, a Governor's Initiative AmeriCorps program, may be right for you!

Apply to be a 2019-20 CivicSpark Fellow!!

CivicSpark places 90 Fellows throughout California for 11 months to build capacity for local public agencies to address emerging environmental and social equity resilience challenges such as: climate change, water resource management, affordable housing, and mobility. CivicSpark is a unique opportunity for emerging professionals to gain experience in the community resilience fields, as well as knowledge of the public sector space, all while while developing their professional skills.

Apply Today!

Fellow applications for the 2019-20 service year are open! The priority deadline is June 1, 2019. If you're interested in learning more about CivicSpark, visit our website and register for one of our upcoming informational webinars to learn about the program and our hiring process.

Benefits

Fellows receive a wide range of benefits from their service with CivicSpark, including: $20,000+ living allowance spread evenly across the 11 months $6,095 Segal Ed Award at completion of service Access to SNAP/food stamps Health insurance Loan forbearance Significant professional development training Networking opportunities And more!

CivicSpark is a Governor's Initiative AmeriCorps program implemented by the Local Government Commission in partnership with the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. For the 2019-20 service year, 90 Fellows will be placed across California to implement targeted projects that build capacity for local government agencies to better address community resilience issues. Learn more about CivicSpark at www.civicspark.lgc.org.

US National Park Service Summer Internship

The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) National Capital Region (NCR), Office of Natural Resources and Science (NRS) is seeking to fill a paid summer internship position. Students must be enrolled in a degree program at the University of Maryland. The position is a University of Maryland paid internship. Students should consult with their academic advisor to determine if they can also receive academic credit for their internship.

For more details on the internship, click here. Applications are due May 17th, 2019 at 5pm. Feel free to contact Megan Nortrup, Megan_Nortrup@nps.gov with any questions.

American Public Gardens Association Volunteer Needed

We are looking for people to volunteer at the 2019 American Public Gardens Association Annual Conference, Thrive Together: Diversity Grows Gardens, June 16-21, 2019. This is an opportunity for interested individuals to engage in conversation with like-minded public garden professionals and enthusiasts from all over the country while providing excellent visitor service and sharing pertinent logistical details. As a special benefit, volunteers may attend conference sessions when they are not on-duty on the day(s) they volunteer.

Online sign-ups are currently open at this link: https://signup.com/go/UnZmedo. For details about conference volunteering, click here. Thank you for helping to create an excellent conference experience, and please reach out to 301-314-1823 with any questions!  

NEW Introduction to GIS in the Era of Big Data Summer Course

The Center for Geospatial Information Science (CGIS) at the Department of Geographical Sciences is going to offer this 1-credit online course on "Introduction to GIS in the Era of Big Data” this summer, which is cross listed for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Clark Elioak Farm Assistant Farm Manager Position

An assistant farm manager is wanted for 500-acre farm in Howard County, Maryland. Candidate will be supervised by the farm’s manager and work closely with its two owners. Duties include maintaining the health of a grass-based herd of 100+ Angus cattle and 20 feeder hogs as well a smaller number of animals living on the petting farm portion of the property. Duties may include driving heavy equipment, building and maintaining fences, seeding and upkeep of pastures, rotationally-grazing animals, mowing and baling hay, performing basic plumbing and mechanical repairs, and other duties as assigned. Candidate may also be asked to assist with general property upkeep which may include mowing, weed trimming, trash removal, and building maintenance.

Our ideal candidate would be a self-starter, fast learner, and comfortable working independently at times. S/he should have some experience operating equipment, like a lawn mower or tractor. S/he should have experience or an interest to learn how to maintain plumbing, repair equipment, or weld. Candidates should be able to lift at least 50 lbs and work outdoors in all types of weather. Preference for those with large animal handling experience as well as candidates who have an interest to work in regenerative, pasture-based operations.

Full time, year-round paid position. May include weekday and weekend hours. Housing may be available. 

Located in the Washington, DC and Baltimore metro areas. 

Visit our website at http://clarklandfarm.com/

Please email resume to George gk.angus@gmail.com

Mid-Atlantic Certified Crop Advisers Scholarship

The Mid-Atlantic Certified Crop Advisers (MACCA) have established a scholarship program, which will award up to two deserving students with scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each ($500 for each semester) enrolled in an agronomy related program at an accredited junior college, college or university. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide financial support to students interested in pursuing a career in plant and soil sciences. Given the declining number of students enrolled in agronomy related programs in our region, the Mid-Atlantic Certified Crop Advisers believe it is important to encourage students to consider careers in agronomy by supporting their education needs through the use of scholarships. 

Eligibility: Applicants must be a resident of or attending school in the Mid-Atlantic region (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, or West Virginia). Applicants must be enrolled or accepted to a 2-year or 4-year institution working toward a degree in agronomy or related field.   

Selection: The Mid-Atlantic Certified Crop Advisers Scholarship Committee will select the scholarship recipients. The selection will be based on the student’s agricultural background, relevant field involvement, financial need, grade point average, agronomic related studies, career goals, and extra curricular activities.

Interested students should return a completed application. Click here to view the application The Mid-Atlantic Certified Crop Advisers Scholarship Committee may request additional information prior to the selection. Applications must be received by June 1st.  Please mail to the address below, or email to danielle.mdag@gmail.com 

The awards will be presented during lunch at the Mid-Atlantic Crop Management School, Wednesday November 20, 2019 at the Princess Royale in Ocean City, MD. Winners are invited to attend.

University of Delaware - UDairy QA Laboratory Coordinator II

For more information and to apply, visit http://careers.udel.edu/cw/en-us/job/493912/laboratory-coordinator-ii

Under the general direction of the Dairy Plant Manager and UDairy Creamery Director in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Lab Coordinator operates the QA lab for the UDairy Creamery Production facilities. The Lab Coordinator is responsible for updating and maintaining the UDairy Creamerys Food Safety Plan and ensuring the plant is meeting USDA, FDA and FSMA guidelines to ensure the creamery is producing the safest and highest quality products possible. The Lab Coordinator works closely with the Plant Manager and Plant Operators to assist in production when needed, maintain documents and records from daily operations, and regularly inspect and ensure safety standards are met by plant employees.
Assists with the operational and administrative functions of the QA Lab including inventory and ordering of supplies, sending samples to proper labs, testing all raw and finished products for quality, and managing interns and student employees. Conducts quality and food safety audits. Assists with the scheduling, use and operations of QA lab, Test Kitchen, and plant with academic needs requested by faculty, students and staff and outside business requests.

Major Responsibilities:

• Maintains the laboratory’s state certification and all permits and licenses for product testing, employee certification, and permits for processing. 

• Maintains documentation required by FDA and USDA, including but not limited to: pasteurization charts, sanitation records, records of manufacture for all products, certificates of analysis for ingredients, and packaging information.

• Accompanies inspectors during plant audits and inspections.

• Performs required tests on raw product, ingredients, and finished product to verify compliance with federal and state standards of identity and food safety. These include (but are not limited to) antibiotic residue, bacteriological (coliform and aerobic plate counts), compositional (fats, solids, protein), environmental testing, enzymatic assays on products made and distributed by UDairy Creamery, and chemical testing of cleaning solutions.

• Provides dairy farm with reports on each tote of milk picked up from farm and coordinates milk check.

• Assists in producing nutritional information and labeling in accordance to FDA and FSMA guidelines.

• Conducts quality and food safety audits of the lab, plant and records.

• Implements corrective action based upon audits and daily testing results.

• Prepares food quality and safety reports and submission of necessary documentation to various state and federal agencies detailing milk usage and product manufacture.  Prepares separate reports detailing the allocation and disposition of raw milk and cream to necessary agencies.

• Develops and maintains a Food Safety Plan including but not limited to HACCP procedures, SOP’s, SSOP’s, Material Data Sheets, Food Safety Plans and requirements for compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act.

• Provides support functions for the Creamery production plant and its personnel, including preparation of cultures and preservatives, providing product formulas when needed, calibrating instruments, calculating vitamin additions, maintaining inventories, and ordering supplies.

• Assists in the production of cheese and/or other dairy products when needed.

• Supports the educational mission of the UDairy Creamery and Food Science Department  

• Trains, teaches and supervises faculty, staff and students on equipment in lab and plant and ensures proper record keeping.

• Supervises interns, undergraduate and graduate students working in the lab.

• Assists in giving tours of the facility.

Fiscal Responsibilities:

• Assists with recording and management of the QA lab purchasing expenses and income.

Leadership:

• Supervises, motivates, develops, and trains undergraduate and graduate students and interns.

• Coordinates and supervises student interns and graduate students using the facilities or conducting research.

• Trains staff and students on areas of Food Safety Plan including but not limited to production, FSMA, GMPs, SSOPs, SOPs, Record Keeping

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Food Science, dairy science or closely related field with at least four years of related work experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Experience or academic background working in a QA or microbiology lab.

• Advanced knowledge of USDA, FDA, DHSS and FSMA regulations.

• Knowledge of computer programs and computerized information systems.  Ability to develop, plan, implement and analyze written plans, documentations, records and procedures.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Special Requirements:

• Must be or become PCQI certified within 3 months of hiring.

• Must be or become ServSafe certified within 60 days

• Must be or become a certified milk hauler/sampler within 60 days

• With or without assistance, must be able to lift or move up to 50 pounds

Applications close: May 15 2019 Eastern Daylight Time

US Pork Center of Excellence Proposal Request

The Pork Information Gateway (www.PorkGateway.org) is a free, web-based library, featuring fact sheets, “how-to” guides, videos and other resources related to pigs and pork production. The information is split into 8 categories covering a wide variety of pork industry topics. The Pork Information Gateway is managed by the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence, a non-profit organization. The U.S. Pork Center of Excellence is a partnership of the National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council, State Pork Associations, Land Grant Universities, and allied industry. 

The U.S. Pork Center of Excellence is seeking proposals that will identify up to three graduate/postdoctoral students to serve as year-long editors and content creators for specific categories on the Pork Information Gateway, with the expectation that the faculty mentor/supervisor will oversee student work before final submission to the Pork Information Gateway. Each $20,000 stipend is to be used by a faculty mentor/supervisor to help support a graduate student or post-doctoral student. The funds are renewable for an additional year upon satisfactory progress. Funds will be distributed in 3 equal installments: 

• Following attendance at P.I.G. Content Creator Fellowship Training Session in Des Moines (August/September) 
• Completion of satisfactory, Mid-Year Report (January) 
• Submission of satisfactory 9 Month, Final Report (May) 

The stipend will follow the academic fiscal year of July 1 to June 30. 

The U.S. Pork Center of Excellence encourages identifying matching funds to reach full funding.

Submitted proposals must bring fundamental knowledge and application to maintain and improve the Pork Information Gateway through serving as a temporary editor to several categories as well as authoring new fact sheets and “how-to” guides. Student and faculty must identify up to 5 categories compatible with faculty/student knowledge and interest. The Pork Information Gateway Proposal Selection Committee will make final determination on which category(s) will be selected for the student. 

For more information, including proposal submission, click here. Proposal submissions are due May 15th. 

Black Gold Farms Field Agronomist Internship

Are you looking to gain the knowledge and skills required to enter your future career? Black Gold Farms invites you to grow and learn with us! Internships provide a real world experience to promote academic and career development, and at Black Gold, we strive to provide our intern's work with a purpose. You will have the opportunity to work with many skilled and talented individuals, while assisting with some of our daily operations so that we are able to successfully grow, harvest, sell and distribute our crops throughout the United States. We work on the farm, in the field, at the office, and on the road. We do what we can to be good stewards of the land, good community members, and good industry partners. Black Gold Farms has been in operation for over 85 years. The company has evolved into a global industry leader in potato production, sales and service. Please join us in serving our customers, sustaining our business, and feeding the world!

This is a paid internship in Rhodesdale, Maryland, occurring at different times throughout the months of January through August. Interns will also have the opportunity to receive up to $800 in tuition reimbursement upon completion of the internship. 

This position will assist with raising high quality, profitable potatoes through the duties described below.

1. Collect data and generate reports from information gathered through scouting and tissue collection.
2. Familiarize themselves with the stages of potato plant growth, potato insects, diseases and weeds.
3. Assist with crop yield and quality monitoring.
4. Participate in seed cutting monitoring and seed placement during planting.
5. Assist with irrigation management by monitoring field moisture, irrigation & rainfall amounts on a daily basis.

For more information and to apply, click here. Applications are due May 31st, 2019. 

National Milk Producers Federation - (FARM) Program Coordinator

National Milk Producers Federation

National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program Coordinator

Role Summary

The FARM Program Coordinator will lead efforts to help ensure the FARM Program is being implemented with the highest level of integrity. The Coordinator will be responsible for managing the day-to-day functions of the program including interaction with program participants and records/database oversight. The Coordinator will also work with the Stakeholder Relations Manager on educational and operational outreach and customer support to dairy cooperatives and processors to monitor, assist, and where appropriate, intervene to maintain the expected standards of the FARM Program. The Coordinator will work jointly with FARM’s database consultant to build system monitoring and controls, and ensure proper administration of randomly sampled third-party evaluations. The Coordinator will also support the FARM Program Area leads as directed to ensure successful program implementation

Role Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage day-to-day program activities of the FARM Program
• Assist in updating educational and outreach materials
•  Provide support to all program participants and stakeholders
• Manage the FARM Program Inbox, providing prompt responses to queries from FARM Program participants
• Develop and maintain processes for the design, communication, validation and maintenance of data and functionality of the FARM database
• Develop and prepare detailed monthly and quarterly data summaries to enhance communications materials
•  Conduct regularly scheduled oversight, data analysis and other program management activities
•  Work collaboratively with all FARM team members and database consultant to oversee task priorities related to the FARM Program database and mobile entry apps
• Supervise the selection, administration, and communication of FARM Program third-party 
• evaluations
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

•  Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to work as part of a team.
• Positive attitude and customer service oriented
• Familiarity with agriculture and/or the dairy industry strongly preferred.
• Strong communication skills required.
• Strong attention to detail required.
• Strong understanding of data analysis and database management required with previous experience preferred.
•  Familiarity with database management software/web services helpful, but not required
• 1 to 2 years of experience preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Animal Science, or Data Management related field of study preferred
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
• 95% in office located in Arlington, VA, 5% travel

To Apply

Please send cover letter and resume with references to The National Dairy FARM Program at dairyfarm@nmpf.org with subject line of “ [Last Name] FARM Program Coordinator Position Application.”

About National Milk Producers Federation

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), established in 1916 and based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well-being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

NMPF provides a forum through which dairy farmers and their cooperatives formulate policy on national issues that affect milk production and marketing. NMPF's contribution to this policy is aimed at improving the economic interests of dairy farmers, thus assuring the nation's consumers an adequate supply of pure, wholesome, and nutritious milk and dairy products.

The policies of NMPF are determined by its members from across the nation. Therefore, the policy positions expressed by NMPF are the only nationwide expression of dairy farmers and their cooperatives on national public policy.  Please visit www.nmpf.org for more information.

About National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM)

Created in 2009 by NMPF, with support from Dairy Management, Inc. (DMI), the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program raises the bar for the entire dairy industry – creating a culture of continuous improvement on our nations’ dairy farms. The FARM Program is comprised of dairy farmers, cooperatives and processors across the United States. Our efforts currently center around four program areas: Animal Care, Antibiotic Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship, and Workforce Development. Please visit www.nationaldairyfarm.com for more information.

5/2/2019                                                                                         
                                             

Tea with Title IX

On Thursday, May 2nd come to the Student Involvement Suite in Stamp from 2:00-4:00pm for Tea with Title IX- an opportunity to meet the new director of the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct and have an open discussion with her and her staff. Food will be provided!