Conservation Agronomist (CFE)
Full-Time Farmers Coop Association posted 5 years ago in Agronomy Email JobJob Description
OBJECTIVE: The Conservation Agronomist will work with Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) ag retail partner Cooperative Farmers Elevator (CFE) to engage landowners and farmers in northwest Iowa and surrounding areas. The purpose of this role is to provide conservation and agronomy technical assistance to local farmers and landowners. This technical assistance will result in increased farmer participation and engagement in programs and projects that improve production, profitability, and natural resource outcomes.
This ISA staff position will be officed with CFE at their location in Rock Valley, Iowa, and will work closely with CFE’s agronomy and precision team. The person in this role will provide conservation and agronomy expertise to ISA farmer members, CFE farmer members, and area landowners. This person will also provide conservation expertise to the CFE agronomy team. An important aspect of this role will be to build relationships with CFE agronomy and precision staff, local watershed projects, soil and water conservation district staff, and other conservation partners. This person filling this position must reside or be wiling to move within reasonable daily commute distance of Rock Valley.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Serve as a conservation and agronomy technical specialist.
- Identify appropriate in-field and edge-of-field agronomy and conservation practices for soil and water resource improvement.
- Promote management practices and systems to address resource concerns, farmer/landowner conservation, production and productivity goals, and grant project goals.
- Execute on-farm research, including collection of data and management information.
- Monitoring agronomic and conservation practice performance.
- Connect farmers and landowners with financial assistance and secure necessary technical design standards for practice application.
- Build relationships and serve as a technical agronomy and conservation liaison between watershed coordinators, other local conservation organizations and CFE.
- Build relationships and coordinate projects with project sponsors and a variety of audiences in the ag retail territory including farmers, landowners, CFE staff, CCA’s, USDA Service Center personnel, local partners, and other commodity organizations.
- Successfully engage CFE staff in building relationships, conducting outreach to their farmer members in a cooperative manner, and providing conservation expertise as requested.
- Participate in ISA, CFE, and other relevant meetings, trainings, events, and field days.
- Prepare work plans, budgets, quarterly and annual reports, and support grant development and implementation.
- Coordinate with other ISA departments and staff including communications and outreach, producer services and finance and accounting.
COMPETENCIES
- Practical understanding and application of agronomy and environmental science
- Prioritizing and organizing work
- Establishing relationships
- Customer service
- Evaluating and implementing ideas
- Navigating organizations
- Acting as a champion for change
- Communicating effectively (written and oral)
TRAVEL
- This position requires remote work in the field and requires up to 50% regular travel, typically in northwest Iowa. Occasionally travel is outside the local area and overnight. Occasional travel to the ISA office in Ankeny, Iowa is required.
