Summer Internship Program: Augusta - Position 2

Primary Program Area Focus:  ANR

1. Describe your plans for this internship.  (i.e. What specifically will the intern be doing?)

The intern will work on various Agriculture and Natural Resources program initiatives including:

• Assist with monitoring VCE Corn Silage test plots and monitor invasive crop pests
• Assist with collection of responses for Virginia Farm Voluntary Ag BMP Survey
• Assist with Pre-side-dress Soil Nitrogen Testing (PSNT) for local fams
• Attend and facilitate on farm crop production producer meetings
• Assist with forage sample collection on first cutting  hay and data anaylsis of hay quality
• Assist with the Augusta Sheep and Wool Producers Wool Pool
• Updating ANR beef, sheep, goat, horse, and crops mailing lists
• Analyze and report on historic SVAREC/McCormick Farm Cow Herd Data to develop cow calf performance benchmarks
• Collect data on standard performance anaylsys for beef herds using a VCE Cow Calf Herd Performance Survey and help conduct economic data for averaging annual cow carrying costs per year
• Analyze SVAREC/McCormick Farm hay feeding data for comparison between spring calving herds and fall calving herds
• Assist with distribution and data collection of Virginia Quality Assured Feeder Cattle producer survey
• Assist with planning and carrying out the Augusta County Fair Livestock Shows
• Assist with Community Garden crop harvesting and garden maintenance
• Assist with distribution of food from garden to clientele in need
• Assist with promotion of Community Garden and services and resources to area residents
• Provide educatonal opportunities to clients regarding selecting healthy foods

2.  Describe the knowledge / skills you expect the intern to gain from this experience.  

As a primarily focused Agriculure and Natural Resources internship, he intern will gain experience in collecing and analyzing research and  production data from and for producers.  These duties will include assistng with collection of  PSNT soil testing for farmers gowing silage and grain corn and analyzing available research herd data from the Shenandoah Valley AREC/McCormick Farm.  Additionally, the intern will gain experience in distribuing surveys to producers and evaluating survey data from producers.

Additionally, the intern will gain experience designing flyers and marketing programs.  The intern will gain experience in demonstaration and reasearch data analysis in both crop and animal porjects.  Below is a bulleted summary.

• Public relations and communications - updating databases and contacting clients
• Marketing skills & VCE branding - program advertising materials
• Organizaton skills - juggling programs, scientific data collection
• Analytical thinking - assisting with ANR field studies

3.  How will the internlearn about the breadth of VCE and our arious program areas?

The internship is ANR focused, the intern will be given the opportunity to gain experience working in the field of Animal Science and Crop Science Extension.  Additionally, Augusta County has a large youth 4-H/FFA livestock program.  The agent will have the opportunity to work with 4-H/FFA youth, assisting with a locally hosted “Judge Like a Champ Camp” 4-H/FFA Livestock Judging Clinic and the Augusta County Fair Livestock Shows.  Additionally, the intern will have the opportunity to assist in plannng and cultivationg a community garden.