Contact:
Scott Crockett
PALMER, Alaska – (May 13, 2020) – The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alaska is seeking volunteer farmers, ranchers, forest owners and other agricultural producers with a passion for conservation and teaching for on-farm mentoring.
Through the new Conservation Agricultural Mentoring Program (CAMP), participating producers would be paired up with new NRCS employees and potentially with other conservation partners such as Soil and Water Conservation District or Tribal Conservation District staff to engage in an informal mentor/mentee relationship.
Producers will have an opportunity to mentor employees through “on-the-land” hands-on learning to help them develop their knowledge of common agricultural practices, equipment, inputs, and other agricultural factors in the local area, including:
• The types of challenges and decisions producers face day to day.
• Local resource problems and concerns.
• How NRCS and local producers address resource problems and concerns.
The program provides the opportunity for mentor producers to engage with mentee employees several times over the course of the program, which lasts 1-1.5 years for each participating employee.
By focusing on field-based, hands-on learning, CAMP aims to accelerate employees’ early career development and increase their ability to provide customer service of the highest quality, while also increasing their confidence, connection to their local communities, and their understanding of producers’ needs.
“There are many challenges unique to Alaska agriculture that require localized learning on-farm for conservation professionals,” said State Conservationist Alan McBee. “The majority of NRCS employees as well as partner organizations come to Alaska from the lower 48 and require more time to get up to speed on Alaska agriculture and resource concerns. We see this program as a win-win for volunteer producers and conservation professionals to learn from one another and help shape the future of NRCS conservation implementation throughout Alaska’s diverse landscapes.”
For more information on CAMP, visit the Alaska CAMP webpage or contact a local District Conservationist. Locate NRCS service centers online at: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?agency=nrcs
Alaska CAMP Coordinator:
Scott Crockett, State Resource Conservationist
Email: Scott.Crockett@usda.gov
Phone: 907-761-7758
