Potato Agronomy Intern

Location: St Anne, IL
Position Type: In-person, Internship
Compensation: $17/hour

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Work with farm agronomists to make treatment decisions based on thresholds, economics, weather and additional IPM centered factors. Collecting wheat population density, growth stage and disease data.

  • Scouting potato, corn and soybean fields for weeds, insects and diseases. Majority of time is spent in the potato crop looking for plant diseases and quantifying Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, pressure. There will also be work with the farm manager on farm operations projects.

  • Reporting all data into a mobile phone scouting app, farmQA.

  • Collecting weekly potato petiole and soil samples for nitrate tracking and nutrient levels. The intern will help manage the sampling, paperwork and shipping samples every week.

  • Soil sampling using GPS technology for nematode populations and soil health properties in potato fields. The interns will take the lead on the nematode tracking project. This includes collecting, keeping records, storing and transporting samples to the university testing lab or personnel.

  • Attending a scout classroom training day in Mecosta, Michigan. Attending field training sessions with other interns throughout the summer.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants should be enrolled college students or recent college graduates interested in plants, insects, plant disease, agronomy, precision agriculture or farming as possible career interests.

Applicants must have:

  • a reliable vehicle and valid Driver’s License

  • the physical ability to walk over potato hills for 8 or more hours each day

  • a positive attitude and a willingness to learn

  • the physical ability to work outdoors in humid and warm summer weather

  • the availability to work some long days for periodic trips to the Michigan location.

To Apply

Contact Casey Carr, Senior Agronomist, at casey@SackettPotatoes.com