Farm Advisors Share Skills with Summer Interns

This summer, four students worked closely with four veteran pomology farm advisors in almond-growing regions of California, learning about production practices and technologies pertaining to almonds and other tree crops, and the potential for a career in Cooperative Extension once they graduate. The Farm Advisor Internship Program is sponsored by the Almond Board of California.

The idea to provide paid internships for potential farm advisors was raised two years ago by Almond Board staff member Marsha Venable, who saw that the number of farm advisors serving the almond industry was in decline, and that one way the ABC could help provide for the future was to motivate and steer students with an interest in ag sciences towards careers as farm advisors.

The Farm Advisors, interns, ABC committee chairs and staff representatives were part of a "meet and greet" held at the Almond Board of California this summer. In the picture above, from left to right: Gabriele Ludwig, Environmental Committee staff representative; Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor; Kevin Brooks, intern; Dave Baker, Environmental Committee chair; Bob Curtis, Production Research Committee staff representative; Matt Billings, Production Research Committee chair; Jennifer Matthews, intern; Joe Connell, UCCE Farm Advisor; Brent Holtz, UCCE Farm Advisor; Rebecca Wheeler, intern; Roger Duncan, UCCE Farm Advisor; Kristin Warda, intern.

"While almond yields have increased significantly, we are currently faced with a shortage of UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors," says Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs, Almond Board of California. "Furthermore," he adds, "the almond industry has begun to lose farm advisors to retirement, and within the next 10 years, 66% of our UC Extension farm advisors will retire."

The four interns and their farm advisor mentors are:

• Kevin Brooks, CSU Fresno—Farm Advisor Brent Holtz, Madera County.
  
  
• Rebecca Wheeler, UC-Davis—Farm Advisor Joe Connell, Butte County.
  
  
• Kristin Warda, Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo—Farm Advisor Roger Duncan, Stanislaus County.
  
  
• Jennifer Matthews, Texas State University.— Farm Advisor Franz Niederholzer, Sutter/Yuba Counties.