Small Farms Staff Research Associate 2 Fresno, CA, Job ID 81947University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources • Fresno, CA, United States

Small Farms Staff Research Associate 2 Fresno, CA, Job ID 81947

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources • Fresno, CA, United States

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Small Farms Staff Research Associate 2 Fresno, CA, Job ID 81947

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources

Job Description

The Small Farms Sustainable Agricultural Production Staff Research Associate will assist in conducting research in sustainable production practices including integrated pest management, irrigation and groundwater management, water and energy conservation, nutrient management, and soil conservation practices to support sustainable agricultural production on small-scale and diversified farms in Fresno and Madera Counties. The Research Associate will work across multiple grant funded projects under the supervision of the Small Farms Soil and Water Conservation Staff Research Associate 3 and will collaborate closely with the Small Farms Advisor and the Small Farms Water Conservation Academic Coordinator in Fresno County. The Research Associate will manage research plots on participating farms and at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension (KARE) Center. Research duties include data collection, organization, and analysis, soil, water, plant, and insect sample collection, preparation, and shipping, preparing and organizing datasets, setup and maintenance of field research plots and infrastructure, maintenance and transportation of equipment for research, bilingual technical assistance, extension demonstrations, presenting results of research at extension meetings, and participating in local research collaborations with partner institutions.

The Staff Research Associate will assist UC ANR academics and staff in communication with farmers participating in on-farm research trials, the extension of applied research results, and the development, delivery, and evaluation of Spanish bilingual, culturally appropriate, research-based educational materials and extension programming to support small-scale, diversified, and historically underserved farmers. The Associate will develop and conduct effective methods to increase outreach and participate in program evaluation, needs assessments, and strategic planning for outreach and extension efforts in the assigned county or counties. Applied research duties include assisting with survey development and translation, recruitment of farmer participants, and data analysis to inform needs assessment and evaluation for outreach, educational programming, and applied research projects.

This position is a career appointment that is 50% variable.

Pay Scale : $28.88 / hour to $37.36 / hour.

Job Posting Close Date :

This job is open until filled. The first application review date will be 10 / 31 / 2025.

Key Responsibilities :

50%

Assist with establishment and management of field research and demonstration plots.

Prepare, install, and maintain equipment and supplies necessary for field work, data collection, and sustainable production practice demonstrations.

Collect, process, and ship soil, plant, water, insect, and other types of samples from research plots and on-farm demonstration sites and learn new procedures for sampling, processing samples, and operating equipment.

Contribute to experimental design of research trials.

Order supplies for research and demonstration projects.

Assist with on-farm participatory research activities including communication with farmers in Spanish.

Assist with coordinating research activities with UC ANR staff and academics as well as collaborators from partner institutions.

Assist with transportation and maintenance of equipment needed to implement sustainable production practices in on-farm research and demonstration plots.

Comply with safety training and procedures and prepare and organize materials, supplies, documentation, tools, and equipment to ensure a safe work environment.

35%

Keep accurate and timely records, collect, organize, and analyze data, and prepare data summaries.

Download data from in-field monitoring equipment and prepare data for analysis.

Conduct literature reviews and summarize information from external sources.

Summarize research findings for use in articles using Microsoft Excel and prepare graphs and tables to present data.

Prepare workshop evaluation forms in Spanish and collect, organize, and analyze evaluation data from participants at workshops and individual farm visits.

Assist with survey development and data collection for needs assessments to inform strategic planning of outreach, training, and applied research efforts. Assist with translation and review of survey questions in Spanish.

Recruit farmers to participate in on-farm research trials and assist with communication in Spanish to facilitate research activities.

Track research and extension activities and farmer contacts for reporting on grants and UC ANR required reporting.

Collect and analyze data to identify barriers for small-scale farmers in implementation of sustainable production practices and access to grants, incentives, and disaster relief programs.

Keep academics, staff, and other project collaborators informed of data collection status, pertinent results, and issues affecting research projects.

Contribute to ongoing needs assessments to prioritize areas for research to support small- scale and underserved farmers in the Fresno area.

15%

Assist in the delivery of educational programs related to sustainable production practices on small-scale farms.

Present results of research on sustainable production practices and demonstrate implementation of practices at extension meetings in English and Spanish.

Assist farmers with on-farm implementation of research-based sustainable production practices and compliance with environmental and health regulations, providing Spanish translation.

Coordinate bilingual outreach through radio, social media, newsletters, farm visits, and networking. Organize, promote, and assist with extension workshops.

Provide growers with bilingual technical assistance and extension support in English and Spanish for sustainable production practices, regulatory compliance, and access to grants, incentives, and disaster relief programs.

Contribute to presentations at meetings in English and Spanish with nonprofit partner organizations, regulatory agencies, and policy makers to provide research-based information on challenges and opportunities for sustainable production on small farms.

Assist in developing bilingual educational materials in English and Spanish to promote research-based sustainable production practices and regulatory compliance for small farms.

Requirements :

A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in plant science, agronomy, horticulture, agroecology, or a related field and / or equivalent experience or training.

Coursework and / or experience relevant to water, soil, and nutrient management in agricultural production systems; coursework and / or experience relevant to pest management, including entomology and plant pathology.

Coursework and / or experience relevant to pesticide use and compliance.

Experience in applied agricultural research.

Experience in agricultural production systems and / or crops relevant to the San Joaquin Valley, including field setup and equipment required for agricultural practices.

Excellent organizational skills to collect data and maintain integrity of data.

Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Excellent time management skills and the ability to manage multiple project tasks to ensure successful completion.

Experience in extension, adult education, project coordination, community development, or community outreach.

Proficient bilingual communication skills including the ability to read, write, translate, and effectively communicate technical agricultural information in Spanish.

Experience working with field research equipment such as sensors and monitoring devices for data collection and sampling.

Experience working with small-scale farms, diversified farming systems, and / or niche crops.

Special Conditions of Employment :

Must possess valid California Driver's License to drive a County or University vehicle. Ability and means to travel on a flexible schedule as needed, proof of liability damage insurance on vehicle used is required. Reimbursement of job-related travel will be reimbursed according to University policies.

Overtime and occasional weekend work as needed, usually on short notice to meet operational needs may be requested.

Travel including travel outside normal business hours may be requested.

The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check. This is a designated position requiring a background check and may require fingerprinting due to the nature of the job responsibilities. UC ANR does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities.

As of January 1, 2014, ANR is a smoke- and tobacco-free environment in which smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes), is strictly prohibited.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement : As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

a. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct :

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

To apply, please visit : https : / / careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu / psc / ucanr / EMPLOYEE / HRMS / c / HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&JobOpeningId=81947&PostingSeq=1&SiteId=17&languageCd=ENG&FOCUS=Applicant

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Research Associate • Fresno, CA, United States