Grazing Specialist

Overview

What We Can Achieve Together A shift to a more regenerative food system - one that supports resilient farms and supply chains, builds thriving agricultural communities, and positions agriculture as a solution to our most pressing environmental threats - necessitates investing in integrated crop and livestock systems. Integrated crop and livestock systems, including perennial and grass-based livestock operations, have been demonstrated to improve environmental outcomes (e.g., improved nutrient cycling and water quality, enhanced soil health, increased biodiversity) and reduce on-farm economic risk (e.g., increased yield efficiency, diversified production).

Farmers have flexible options for integrating crops and livestock on their farms, including through adaptive and integrated grazing. Adaptive and integrated grazing represents a particularly important opportunity, wherein farmers can graze livestock on diverse grass-based systems, diverse perennial crops, or cover crops. In the Upper Mississippi River Basin Foodscape, adaptive and integrated grazing aligns with the historical land use of the region, complements the current agricultural system, and could help us to reach soil health, water quality, and biodiversity goals in the region.

The Grazing Specialist will be responsible developing, managing and advancing regenerative agriculture projects – specifically focused on accelerating and scaling adoption of integrated crop and livestock systems – in the Upper Mississippi River Basin Foodscape. The position will work within a highly matrixed, multidisciplinary team, as well as with external partners and staff in a variety of TNC state programs/Chapters. The position will network, build, strengthen, and convene relationships with partners, stakeholders, and landowners / farmers in the Foodscape geography to support and develop new models and provide assistance to increase adoption of integrated crop and livestock systems.

The position will support TNC state ag programs and existing regenerative agriculture projects, integrating findings and successful projects into the regional strategy. To be successful in this position, the Grazing Specialist must be detail-oriented, highly organized, a good communicator and have experience with and/or knowledge of agriculture and integrated crop and livestock systems, key partners and stakeholders, farmer networks/engagement, and farmer incentives and technical assistance.

This is a 3-year fixed term position currently funded through March 30, 2029.

This is a remote position based in WI, IL or IA. Preferred locations include Southwest WI, Northeast IA, or Northwest IL.

Responsibilities and Scope

The Grazing Specialist provides technical leadership and support to the North America Agriculture, Wisconsin, and Upper Mississippi River Basin Foodscape teams by assisting, planning and executing projects in service of our programmatic goals to accelerate adoption of integrated crop and livestock systems. In collaboration with and under the guidance of the Wisconsin Director of Agricultural Strategies and the Upper Mississippi River Basin Foodscapes team, the Specialist will be responsible for advancing project activities to meet outcomes, identifying and developing key performance indicators, monitoring and measuring progress, communicating information to stakeholders and ensuring all organizational and divisional standards are met.

The Specialist may be responsible for managing contracts, tracking budgets and deliverables, producing reports, meeting planning and facilitation, and may serve as the liaison for external partners and TNC staff.

• Designs and implements projects to accelerate adoption of regenerative agriculture and integrated crop and livestock systems and achieve grant objectives.
• Performs tasks with minimal supervision and makes independent decisions based on analysis, experience and context.
• Act independently within broad program goals to prioritize tasks in the absence of specific instructions and exercise independent judgment to identify and solve problems;
• Manage projects with multiple variables and stakeholders -…