NE. Junior Farm Planner & Field Technician

Do you enjoy working with farmers, learning about how people grow their crops, and offering practical feedback and solutions? Are you confident balancing days in the field and days in front of the computer? Are you collaborative and supportive of your teammates? Are you open to learning? If you answered yes to these questions, then please consider this Junior Planner / Field Technician opportunity with FCS. Farm Compliance Services (FCS) FCS provides advanced agronomic consulting support to farms. For over fifteen years, our firm has focused on helping our clients succeed in reaching their own production goals, while meeting environmental protection requirements and improving overall farm efficiency. We work with our clients to track on-farm practices, at the farmstead and field level, and help them utilize their farm data in a variety of ways. Sometimes this is for permit and compliance reporting, but many times farm data can help drive farm investment for the future. We spend time on farms, with farmers, gathering farm data, analyzing it, and providing feedback and insights. Using the FCS approach to long-term data management, we are better prepared to help our clients obtain permits and participate in public and private incentive grant opportunities. FCS also serves as expert agronomic consultants for a wide range of clients – from award winning cheese makers to some of America’s largest dairy producers – we help in their success. We consult with processors and milk purchasers on how today’s U.S dairy (our clients) are positively working toward reducing Greenhouse gas emissions and supply chain efficiencies. FCS agronomists assist clients as part of a collaborative team approach that is dedicated to helping the farm raise healthy herds and producing excellent milk, while maintaining environmental stewardship goals. This means that our insights must demonstrate more than obvious summaries and pretty charts. We must ask questions, pursue conditional variables, and consider both the micro- and macro-elements at play in each given scenario. FCS generates IP through a combination of the “FCS Process” (the specific ways that we deliver our services) and “FCS Insights” (custom data, reports, and breakthroughs). Geographically, we primarily work with farms in three states: Michigan, New York, and Vermont. That said, we have national and international partnerships and work with farms in other U.S. states. FCS continues to grow along with our client’s and we strive to provide unique, high-level, farm-specific consulting to help our clients meet the challenges of today’s marketplace. If you are still reading this job description, then here are some details for your consideration. Purpose: This role's purpose is to support the NE Agronomy Team in service of Farmers. Role: This role includes the obvious responsibilities you would expect and which you can anticipate balancing out each day, week, and month. Assist in the development of NMPs/CNMPs for regulatory and cost-share programs – i.e. CAFO compliance/USDA-NRCS and State cost-share programs Communicate with clients and collect on-site farm data (field and production area baseline data) Manage soil and manure sampling needs; Collect manure and soil samples on an as-needed basis (on-field activities required) Grow into Leading the FCS Northeast Soil Sampling/Support Program: Provide A-Z soil sampling services to clients Review client soil sampling needs – ALL NE FARMS annually Coordinate with ALL clients to determine if FCS will conduct soil sampling Track hours, expenses, and number of samples per client to support FCS billing dept with invoices to farms with billing department Annual cropland mapping with GIS/R+ interface Assist clients in record keeping; Send/deliver record keeping templates to clients Data entry in all agronomic platforms FCS uses Assist Agronomists in responding to State/Federal CAFO compliance concerns and submission of compliance documentation; Attend annual NMP/CNMP deliveries and State/Federal inspections with Agronomists Education: Background in plant science, livestock production, horticulture, soil science, environmental science, or related field Experience: One year in the plant science, livestock, horticulture, soil science, environmental science, or related field Skills: Highly organized and self-motivated. Attention to detail and pleasure in process. Ability to use databases/conduct data entry and reports. Travel – up to 3-7 days/month, including multiple day/over-night, required throughout NY and VT Perennial cropland to be sampled during summer months; Annual cropland to be sampled after fall harvest/before manure or fertilizer application Field work can be intense – from hours to full days pulling soil samples, doing field assessments, etc. In many cases, especially if the weather is uncompromising, this requires considerable physical stamina and a personal affinity for being outside in the elements (sun, heat, rain, wind, cold, etc.). Deliverables/KPIs: Specific KPIs will be determined collaboratively as part of the final stage in the HR process. Location: This position is based in New York. Field work is conducted on farms in NY and VT, and computer work is performed remotely (somewhere in NY). Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 – 5 EST. There are exceptions based on events, travel, client emergencies, etc. Compensation: FTE. Salary range: $45,000-$60,000 Health Insurance – FCS will cover 50% of annual health insurance cost Computer & work phone Home office items as required HR Process: Email resume and cv with your cover letter to eric.davis@farmcomplianceservices.com. Steps: Submit your resume/cv and cover letter. Name your cover letter/resume with your initials. Virtual introduction – 15-minute chat to ensure the HR process makes sense to both parties Virtual interview – meeting with 2+ FCS Team Members Project – a sample project which offers a chance to showcase your approach Final Discussion – Project & Open questions Offer farmcomplianceservices.com FCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer