Summer Internship Program: VCE Northwest Office/Department of Biological Systems Engineering

Primary Program Area Focus: ANR

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

The intern will support the development of curriculum materials for a value chain analysis training program by assisting with background research, data collection, and synthesis of regional argicultural value chain information.

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

The intern will gain practical skills in agricultural and community systems analysis, including value chain mapping, market research, and applied economic assessment.  Representative value chain analysis methodologies this program plans to appy include:  participatory approaches, market facilitation, qualitative and quantitative analytical frameworks (e.g., market facilitation, priortizing, mapping, production margins, income distribution, employment distribution, upgrading options, Ansoff matrix, market opportunity identification, and similar).

3. How will the intern learn about the breadth of VCE and our various program areas?

The intern will work directly with Extension faculty across multiple disciplines and help to develop materials for cohort activities that span agriculture, community development, and agribusiness.  Through collaboration with regional partners and exposure to different Extension initiatives, the intern will gain a broad understanding of how VCE Suports farmers, communities, and businesses across the commonwealth.  Additionally, program partners will look for opportunities for the intern to schedule time to support other VCE program activities from the NW District office (external to the value chain program work), and with local VCE offices in Augusta and Rockingham counties for broader exposure to VCE programming.

Virginia Value Chains for Valuable Change:  Catalyzing Network Capacity for Better Analysis, Better Insights, and Bigger Impact

This project proposes a two-year pilot to strengthen the analytical capacity of Extension and research faculty to apply agricultural value chain and market systems analysis in supoort of rural community viability in Virginia.  Building on Extension's established role in community needs assessment and enterprise analysis the program will develop and deliver a cohort-based training model that equips participants with practical tools to map regional food value chains, identify system-level bottlenecks and opportunities, and translate findings into actionable priorities for Extension programming, applied researh, and partnership development.  Through two cohorts of faculty participants, the project will generate a portfolio of Virginia Food Value Chain Analysis Briefs that document regional market dynamics and provide insights for future interventions.  By enhancing how Extension and research professionals diagnose challenges and priortize opportunities, this initiative aims to improve the relevance, effectiveness, and long-term impact of agricultural and community develoment efforts across the Commonwealth.