What are the responsibilities and job description for the USDA-ARS Advancing Harvested Forage Systems for Small Farm Sustainability position at Zintellect?
*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.
ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Booneville, Arkansas.
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency with a mission to find solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day from field to table. ARS will deliver cutting-edge, scientific tools and innovative solutions for American farmers, producers, industry, and communities to support the nourishment and well-being of all people; sustain our nation’s agroecosystems and natural resources; and ensure the economic competitiveness and excellence of our agriculture. The vision of the agency is to provide global leadership in agricultural discoveries through scientific excellence.
Research Project: Small farms represent 82% of all farms in the United States, making their success essential to the nation's agricultural resilience, rural economies, and environmental stewardship. The Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center plays a role in supporting these producers by developing strategies that reduce production risks, improve profitability, and encourage adoption of innovative and sustainable farming practices. The participant will review all relevant literature concerning impacts of baling high-moisture hay on long term storage and forage quality, and trade-offs of potential solutions. With this information and under the guidance of the mentor, the participant will create a decision support tool to develop a systematic model that considers producer needs, technical aspects of the hay making process and their interactions, and the action of consequences of various options for managing high moisture hay.
The DST will be customizable, allowing farmers to input scenarios and assess the outcomes and impacts of potential solutions. For example, input may include hay baled at 22% moisture, the tool will provide solutions such as acid application and rate of application or bale wrapping and describe the trade-offs for each solution such as costs and impacts on forage quality ( /- crude protein availability, /- fiber digestibility, /- dry matter losses, etc.) and long term storage ( /- heating, /- mold).
Learning Objectives: The participant will gain experience with modelling complex interactions, develop proficiency in the platform used to build the model, and improve technical communication and transfer.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Christine Nieman (christine.c.nieman@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $48,000 - $55,000 annually.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and ARS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email ORISE.ARS.Southeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Salary : $48,000 - $55,000