Description:  Cow-calf or feedlot operations.  Size ranges from small beef/crop farms (50 – 200 head) to large beef/crop farms (200 – 1000 head) to large beef operations or ranches (200 – 1000+ head).  Smaller farms are mostly in the Midwest, with large ranches located in western states.  Most beef farms also grow crops; therefore most students work in the field.  There are a very limited number of beef placements without crops.

Activities:  general care and feeding of cattle, calving, treating disease and injury, castrating, branding, artificial insemination, fencing, building and equipment repair, activities related to crop production.

Note: Typical placement period is from January/February to December.  Limited number of placements at other times.

Crops

Description:  Row crop farms grow corn, soybeans, sugar beets, potatoes, edible beans, etc.  Small grain farms grow wheat, oats, barley, alfalfa hay, etc. Farm sizes range from small (1200 – 2000 acres) to medium (2000 – 5000 acres) to large (5000+ acres), with great variety in size and age of farm machinery.  Some placements also have livestock.

Activities:  preparing soil, applying fertilizer and pesticides, seeding, irrigating, harvesting, machinery upkeep and repair, storing crops, hauling produce or seed.

Note: Typical placement period is from March/April to November/December.  June and August placements provide harvest-related activities.  Limited number of placements in January, February, and October.

Dairy

Description:  Farm size ranges from small family farms (50 – 150 cows) to medium size farms (150 – 400 cows) to large dairy farms (400+ cows).  Large farms have milking parlors while small farms have either milking parlors or pipeline milking systems (tie-stall).  Some dairy farms grow crops; however in most placements students do not work in the field.  Each farm may have a different focus (i.e. milking, nutrition, genetics, herd health, or a combination of these), so be sure to indicate the area of skill development in which you are most interested.

Activities:  milking, calving, ration formulation, treating disease and injury, feeding, artificial insemination, cleaning barns, building and equipment repair

Note: Typical placement period is 6 – 12 months beginning in January or August.  Some placements are available at other times.

Equine Husbandry

Description:  Great variety in horse placements.  Types of placements include racehorses, pleasure horses, or western horses.  Most placements do not include riding.  Each operation is highly specialized (i.e. stud farm, thoroughbred racing, boarding of dressage or western horses, etc.), so be sure to indicate the area in which you are most interested.

Activities:  foaling, general care and feeding, ration formulation, treating disease and injury, cleaning, exercising horses, preparing animals for sale, building and equipment repair.

Note: Typical placement period is 6 – 12 months beginning in January or August.  Some placements are available at other times.

Fruits and Vegetables / Farmers Market

Description:  Crops include tree fruits (citrus, apples, and cherries), small berries, grapes, or vegetables (tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, etc.) Some operations sell their products at Farmers Markets.

Activities:  planting, fertilizing, irrigating, weed and insect control, pruning, propagation, harvesting, processing, packaging, and distribution.  Farmers Market placements prepare, package, and sell fruits, vegetable, and other agricultural products.

Note: Typical placement period is from March/April to November/December.  June and August placements focus on harvest-related activities.  Limited number of placements in January, February, and October.

Greenhouse / Nursery / Garden Center

Description:  Size ranges from small family operations to large operations with many employees.  Products grown include annual flowers, perennial flowers, shrubs, and trees; few of the plants grown are fruit and vegetables.  On small operations trainees take part in all activities; large operations have separation of duties.  Many, but not all, placements are in metropolitan areas.  Each operation may have a different focus (i.e. retail, wholesale, growing, or a combination of these), so be sure to indicate the area of skill development in which you are most interested.

Common activities and skills developed: preparing soil, planting and propagation, watering, insect and disease control, weed control, pruning, retail sale and customer service, shipping.

Note: Typical placement period is 6 – 12 months beginning in January or August.  Some placements are available at other times

Landscape

Description:  Placements with small landscape companies or large garden centers.  Trainees work at a variety of public, commercial, and/or residential sites.  There are limited opportunities to do landscape design.

Activities:  planting trees, shrubs, and flowers, laying sod, using small machinery (small lawn mowers, tractors, earth moving equipment), building landscape structures.

Note: Typical placement period is from March/April to November/December.  Limited number of placements at other times.

Sheep

Description:  Size ranges from small family farms (50 – 300 head) to large ranches (300 – 5000+ head).  Most sheep farms also grow crops.

Activities:  general care and feeding, treating disease and injury, lambing, castrating, branding, artificial insemination, shearing, fencing, building and equipment repair, activities related to crop production.

Note: Typical placement period is from January/February to December.  Limited number of placements at other times.

Swine

Description:  Confinement operations in breeding, farrowing, and finishing.  Some swine farms also grow crops; however in most placements students do not work in the field.  On many farms students take part in all activities; large farms have separation of duties.

Activities:  general care and feeding, cleaning, treating disease and injury, artificial insemination, castrating, building and equipment repair, taking animals to sale.

Note: Typical placement period is 6 – 12 months beginning in January or August.  Some placements are available at other times.

Specialized Placement

Description:  Specialized production, agribusiness, and research placements.  Specialized production placements include golf courses, florists, landscape design, wineries, poultry farms, food processors, organic farms, fish farms, and forests.  Agribusiness placements include agricultural cooperatives, grain marketers, agricultural finance companies, and environmental companies.  Research placements involve both lab and field work.  Limited number of placements for highly qualified trainees.  Excellent English required.