Soil​/Crop Technical Planner

Location Off Campus Location - Opportunities across Idaho

Division/College College of Agricultural & Life Sciences

Department Soils and Water Systems

FLSA Status Non-Exempt

Pay Range $28 an hour or higher depending on experience

Full Time/Part Time Part Time

Schedule will be determined upon hiring. The identified hire(s) will work no more than 20 hours per week.
End date for work is undetermined

This position is available through the Innovative Agriculture and Marketing Partnership ( IAMP ) project at the University of Idaho. The IAMP project offers per acre incentive payments for producers to adopt conservation practices within their cropping systems, see (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). Implementing partners including Idaho soil & water conservation districts, The Nature Conservancy, Desert Mountain Grassfed Beef, Nez Perce Tribe, and Coeur d’Alene Tribe work directly with enrolling producers in the program.

Potential funded conservation practices include various nutrient management strategies such as reduced synthetic fertilizers or the replacement of synthetic fertilizers with organic (e.g. compost) sources, 4R strategies, reduced and no-tillage practices, conservation crop rotation strategies which incorporate more legume crops into a crop rotation or through inter-cropping strategies, cover cropping, grazing, and biochar addition. Producers enter a multi-year contract to implement a cropping plan that includes one or more of these practices.

Annual verification of implemented practice and assessments are conducted with each producer to evaluate compliance issues with

the contract. Producers are encouraged to engage in novel marketing opportunities that recognize and promote climate-smart attributes associated with the commodities grown in the program.

This posting may hire more than one

• Assist implementing partners and/or work directly with producers on developing nutrient, tillage, and cropping strategies which implement conservation practices on specific agricultural fields.
• Assist planners and/or work directly through a two-phased application process that includes compliance documentation as required by the USDA to ensure producers do not receive duplicate payments from multiple USDA programs for the same practice on the same field.
• Perform advanced compliance modeling to ensure unintended environmental impacts are not occurring within an enrolled field, including soil erosion modeling ( RUSLE , WEPS ) and nutrient losses ( INTRA ).
• Train, assist, and/or be directly involved in end-of-year meetings with producers to evaluate the impact of implemented practices on crop performance, profitability, soil carbon, and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Participate on a Review Advisory Committee that provides advice and evaluation on potential contracts and any compliance issues that are associated with grower contracts and agreements.
• Participate in meetings with IAMP project management and implementing partner meetings associated with technical issues of the grant.
• Attend and work with UI Extension on providing materials and information for field days.
• Assist in communication and engagement with producers on marketing opportunities for the commodities grown through the IAMP project.

Percentage Of Time

Percentage Of Time 100%

• A Bachelor’s degree in soil science, agronomy, crop science, agroecology, biological systems engineering, or closely related field relevant to the project, or 5 years experience as a crop or technical service provider to producers.
• Experience with historic and innovative cropping systems of the region
• Experience conducting research independently and collaborating as part of a research team
• Experience working on large, integrated research projects
• Experience preparing and delivering scientific presentations and technical reports