Mower County Soil and Water Conservation District
What does your ideal job candidate look like?
The SWCD work in our region is grass roots, community based service that has a strong historical connection to agricultural producers in Mower County. The ideal candidate has a working knowledge of agricultural needs in our region. They also have a fundamental appreciation of sustainability and natural resource protection. Most importantly, the candidate needs to be a willing communicator and dedicated to improving those skills.
What job positions/titles do you hire/look for?
Common positions in our office include:
District Technician: Assist ag producers with conservation design and implementation. General engineering and design of practices the restore or protect land from erosion.
Monitoring Technician: Water quality monitoring coordination, development field work and general analysis of water monitoring trends.
Outreach and Communication: Communicating the work of the district, connecting the community with programs, opportunities and impact of the conservation related work. Grant writing and conservation planning.
Resource Specialist: Coordination of Soil Health programs. Research, coordination of finding profitable solutions for conservation efforts and healthier soils. This position also specializes in soils management. Identifying good soils for construction management. Also providing administration of wetland regulation programs.
Precision Ag associate: Working with ag retail and other private business to support conservation and production objectives. This is an innovative and pilot project. We get involved with new programs as ag and conservation trends occur.
Project Management: Facilitation and organization of large scale projects. Working with contractors on bids, construction oversight and contract management.
What are expected starting salaries/wages for these titles?
Entry level positions start at $18/hr for technical work. Management positions top out at $45/hr. Range of work for staff is everything in between. The advantage of local government work is the flexible schedule and good benefits. This is a family friendly work environment that allows staff to arrange their work schedule to attend kids programs and other family activities.
What opportunities for advancement/promotion are available within your company with an Ag Science Degree?
Advancement can vary a great deal based on the different districts around the state. There 88 districts state wide. Most have few staff. If you’re willing to move around and work hard, advancement will be available. Most require a two year degree for entry level positions. Advanced degrees for management or to be competitive in a first job. However, hard work and reliability will be far more valued than education after your first job.
How does starting their education at Riverland prepare them for a career with your company?
Riverland is a direct partner with the Mower SWCD. We’re looking for extraordinary young people that are passionate about agriculture and natural resources in this community. We hire seasonal employees and look for opportunities to identify local talent to backfill attrition with positions. Our office is willing to take great lengths to support young adults that demonstrate uncommon effort to volunteer or become involved in our programs. The Riverland Ag Program will provide the tools you need to get started working with Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Riverland students that are eager to learn, work hard and communicate will be very well suited to pursue a career in Soil and Water Conservation careers.
Justin Hanson
District Manager
About Mower County Soil and Water Conservation District
SWCDs are local units of government that manage and direct natural resource management programs at the local level. Districts work in both urban and rural settings, with landowners and with other units of government, to carry out a program for the conservation, use, and development of soil, water, and related resources.
Read more at https://mowerswcd.org/what-is-a-swcd/