Foremost Farms USA’s Post

Internship opportunities are essential for career development!

Mila Kocic (Emory University) learned a lot about life and #science, not to mention #pennycress, during her summer internship experience with IPREFER at Western Illinois University. Here is what Mila had to say about her summer experience, "The most important thing I learned during my internship was that research is unpredictable. No matter how well you plan, equipment will malfunction unexpectedly, or the weather will change at the last minute, so you have to be flexible, adaptive, and willing to improvise. You can learn more about Mila's project, "Impact of Sulfur Fertilization on Sinigrin Levels in Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.)," at https://lnkd.in/gFRsNZru USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Win Phippen Mary Phippen Tad Wesley

Great article by Mamie Hertel!

This week, our Plantrician Library features a new article from Tina Speros, MS, RD Candidate at Andrews University! Tina recently completed an internship at The Plantrician Project, working with our Director of Education, Jill Edwards, on Plantrician University, and did fantastic work! "My advice for any plant-based student in the healthcare industry is to not lose touch with your passion. It can be discouraging to be in environments that do not share your beliefs and follow evidence-based research. Therefore, you must take it upon yourself to actively seek involvement in plant-based projects. Share your expertise with others even when it feels uncomfortable... you do not know the extent of the impact it may have on that person." -Tina Speros Read more about Tina's dietetic internship experience, advice for plant-based students in healthcare, and an epiphany while completing her internship: https://loom.ly/Gp66W8A #plantricianproject #education #healthcareeducation #internship #dietetic #plantbased #healthcarestudents #medstudents #PlantU #andrewsuniversity #followyourpassion #plantbasednutrition

“Guess what we get to do today?” my mentor will say “Lemme guess, lemme guess, tests for salmonella?” “Bingo!” If I so dare say, by the end of my internship I am going to be a salmonella master. The Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory receives a wide variety of samples from around Utah and occasionally out of state. Out of all the samples we receive, we by far get the most test requests for salmonella, currently speaking at least. So far, for the first couple of weeks at the lab, I have become a salmonella test expert. I've used HE, XLT, Brilliant green, THI, LIA, VITEK, API, you name a test. Tests for salmonella have become so frequent that it has become somewhat of a joke to me my mentor Chani Christensen. Regardless, it is a lot of fun and I am getting better and better at analyzing test results, remembering test names and what they test for, and conducting said tests. Overall is has been a lot of fun. Everyone there is super nice and willing to let me observe what they are doing, let me ask questions, and even let me do whatever test they are doing at the moment. I'm glad I have been given the opportunity to be a student intern! It has benefited me to have the chance to really get an understanding of what actually goes down in a lab. #nebointerns #utahcteinternships #internships #shhsinterns

Today, the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service publicly released the 2022 Census of Agriculture Data findings. Notably, the USDA NextGen program was highlighted within the first ten minutes of the announcement: https://lnkd.in/e_Dqi82m Through the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University, I have been selected to participate in this transformative initiative working with the Arizona Department of Agriculture. What is the USDA NextGen program? It's a 262.5 million dollar investment in the future of our food systems. The focus is to provide comprehensive training and support to a diverse cohort of students, enabling them to pursue impactful careers in food, agriculture, ecological management, and human sciences. The program's significance is highlighted by the emphasis on the aging demographic of farmers and the loss of farmland. Over the past five years, 142,000 farms have closed down, equating to a staggering 20 million acres of inactive farmland. Recognizing the pivotal role of youth in shaping the future, coupled with the compounding effects of the pandemic and climate-related disasters, there is a pressing imperative to cultivate more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food systems. The insights shared during the release by The Honorable Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack closely resonates with my personal experiences working with and visiting peri-urban farms in the Phoenix area. A few months ago, a farmer told me, “Growing lettuce isn’t enough.” I don’t think that’s the first time I have heard that. The data reveals that a majority of farmers report need “off-farm” income to keep the farm operating. Exemplifying this trend locally is Amadio Ranch, which leverages their produce to operate a bakery, enhancing revenue streams beyond traditional farmer's markets. He also noted the urgent need to adopt circular waste management systems and innovative approaches for repurposing waste into valuable commodities. Another local example pioneering this work is the Arizona Worm Farm, which converts waste from commercial kitchens into fertilizer and animal feed, thereby contributing to environmental sustainability while creating economic value. I am eager to continue engaging with farmers and ranchers to learn about the practices that have proven effective for them and what they struggle with most. And, I'm excited to further my commitment to advancing sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems through the NextGen program! Access the 2022 Census of Agriculture Data: https://lnkd.in/eiSq3EEC

Discover how Allan Bros. Fruit in Washington is empowering the next generation through meaningful internship programs, enriching the agricultural industry with hands-on experience, and nurturing future leaders. 🌱🚀 Curious how you might do the same? Read on for more details on how it was accomplished.

Check out my internship spotlight on TSU College of Agriculture page!

Wendy Sangucho Loachamin, an #OASEIntern at Ever Fresh Fruit Co, writes: I had an “aha” moment while observing how pails were cleaned. Since I already knew what kind of nozzle (pressure and flow) was used and how many pails were cleaned annually, I can estimate how much water is used to clean pails in a year by measuring the time it takes to clean one pail. Up to this point, I thought that the only way I could obtain this data was using an ultrasonic flow meter, but then I realized that there are other approaches as well, each with advantages and disadvantages. The #OASE program has provided opportunities to learn from people with years of experience in the food and other industries, improve my communication skills, and become less shy and more assertive. Wendy is participating in the Oregon Applied Sustainability Experience: Internship Program, which is run by Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Learn about the program at  bit.ly/OASEinternship. #pollutionprevention

Hi All, I have completed my 1 month Internship with Farm to Fork Solutions and CASMB in the duration from 20-07-2023 to 16-08-2023. . . . #foodtechnology #foodblogger #beverageindustry #dairyindustry #foodandbeverageindustry #foodhygiene #foodadditives