Feature: Plant Materials Program Relies Heavily on Seasonal Workers to Meet Demands of Farm Work

Summer time and the “livin’” isn’t easy, especially for seasonal workers at the NRCS Plant Materials Program, and they like it that way. 

Located at 27 regional facilities or Plant Materials Centers (PMCs) across the nation, these dedicated students perform an age-old-labor-intensive routine of agricultural work experienced by many of our grand parents and great grand parents and fondly or not so fondly remembered by past generations as: tending the farm during the summer break. 

But the big difference with these young people is that they’re doing all this work willingly. 

So why do these young men and women, many of them college students with unrelated majors to agriculture, spend their time in the fields?  

Two college students at the Aberdeen, Idaho PMC have interesting and practical insights into why they chose to work on a farm year-after-year rather than doing something more related to their coursework.

"There aren't a lot of options that college students have for summer work in southeast Idaho.  Most jobs are agriculturally related.  Most of us students move water lines all summer,” said Jared Reed a senior majoring in secondary education at Idaho State University (ISU) who has worked five summers (and some winter work) at the Aberdeen PMC. “At the PMC we move lines, rouge fields and help harvest plants.  It’s nice to have a variety of tasks all summer long.” 

While Jared is finishing up his degree at ISU his buddy Walt Satterfield, who has worked three summers at the Aberdeen center will be graduating this fall.  However, Walt intends to pursue a career in public administration.

"Working at the PMC is a great summer job,” said Satterfield. “Even though it does not pertain to my major in school, I enjoy the work because agriculture is something I have been around all my life and have grown to appreciate.  This job gives me a chance to work outdoors and involves manual labor which is a refreshing change from the college lifestyle."

Across the country from Idaho, on a farm just outside of Washington, D.C. in Beltsville, MD, Anthony Dieguez drives a tractor (among his many farm duties) as he charts his career course for a job in the film industry.  This is Dieguez’s first summer at the Beltsville PMC and his fourth with the NRCS. 

Working at the Beltsville, PMC was at first instigated by Dieguez father but after spending many hours in the fields the younger Dieguez appreciated the time he had working outside and had this to say when asked why he was working like, well, a field hand: As a film student, I spend a lot of time indoors in editing rooms, and once film making is my fulltime career, I’ll be spending many more hours in an editing room.  Working at the PMC gives me a chance to connect with nature before my career’s demands will make it difficult to get outside on a regular basis.

However, not all student interns are in unrelated fields (or are even students for that matter) and for those that are seeking degrees in agricultural like Dominique “Domo” Colberg an internship can really help drive home what area of agricultural they find more interesting.  Dominique has worked several summers at one of the Program’s far flung PMCs in Palmer, Alaska, and plans to get her degree in range management.

“I chose to work for the PMC because it provided me with the opportunity to see what people with range management degrees get to actually do and it provided me with an excellent jumpstart to a future career in range management,” said Colberg. “Working for the Division of Agriculture is an excellent resume builder for someone like me wishing to continue work in an agriculture related field.”

Because the Program is often struggling to meet budget challenges, these student workers play a crucial role in assisting the Program in meeting its yearly goals.  Consequently, whatever motive students have in signing up to work at a PMC is just fine with the Program’s managers as long as they give it their all--which doesn’t seem to be an issue with this year’s summer interns.

Last Modified 8/1/2005

 < Back to Features