Who we are
Vitidore is a climate agriculture technology startup working to make agriculture part of the solution to the global warming challenge. We are driven by the question: How can we support global food security while reducing agriculture's environmental impact under a changing climate? We regard ecological, economic, and communal sustainability as pillars of an agricultural future we are helping to build.
What we do
Vitidore combines expertise in agriculture, environmental science, remote sensing, and data science to accurately model soil carbon sequestration at a large scale using a proprietary combination of precision monitoring and machine learning modeling. Vitidore is dedicated to developing and advocating for sustainable agricultural practices and acting as a boundary organization that connects farmers, NGOs, and other companies with emerging sustainable agriculture technologies and revenue streams through the California Soils Restoration Project.
Program Scope
Our internship program offers a unique opportunity for students to gain real-world experience in a small startup developing solutions to address climate change. Interns will be exposed to sustainable agricultural practices and field data collection through hands-on training and implementation. The program's primary focus is to participate in the company's monitoring program, which aims to track soil carbon levels in specialty crop systems in California. The Vitidore fieldwork monitoring program is structured to collect various types of field data year-round, including soil carbon, plant water stress, nitrous oxide emissions, and plant nitrogen allocation.
Monitoring activities:
- Soil Carbon: Collect soil carbon data for new and existing field sites, including collecting soil cores, bulk density samples, and infiltration readings.
- Plant Water Status: Assist in collecting and developing a robust dataset of plant water status using a pressure bomb.
- Plant Nitrogen Allocation: Assist in collecting and developing a robust dataset monitoring the changes in nitrogen levels of cash crops using a SPAD meter.
- Nitrous Oxide Emissions: assist in researching nitrous oxide emissions from synthetic fertilizer applied when planting a cover crop.
Data management:
Interns will learn and actively participate in the field data management workflow, conduct quality assurance and quality control procedures to ensure that all field data collected is accurate and correct. The flow of data management is a critical effort to support the development of our modeling platform and reduce delays in data transfer to the software team. Vitidore’s data management includes collecting, storing, and maintaining all field data in an organized structure, as well as tracking the progress and stage of field data from site selection to data storage and transfer.
Analytical activities:
All interns will participate in analyzing all field data collected to explore patterns and outliers. Interns will also be required to summarize the results and draw conclusions to determine significance. The company is interested in tracking and understanding changes in soil carbon levels, as well as nitrous oxide emissions associated with planting a cover crop. Additionally, it aims to monitor the benefits of adopting cover crops and no-till practices in specialty crops.
Expectations and Requirements
A motivated and passionate individual with an interest in conducting fieldwork.
- Interested in sustainable agriculture and climate change.
- Strong communication and teamwork skills.
- Ability to work 6-8 hours in the field under extreme weather conditions and lift 50 lbs.
- Lives in California (CA) and near the following regions.
- Sonoma and the Napa area
- Sacramento area
- Merced area
- Willing to travel regularly.
- Access to a computer and a personal cell phone.
- A valid driver’s license.
- A working vehicle or access to a working vehicle.
Availability: All interns are expected to work an average of 5 to 15 hours per week, depending on the sampling activities. During the Summer, interns can expect to be available at around 3 days per work week, allowing them to fully participate in and travel for fieldwork. During the academic year, interns will go out an average of three times a month on the weekend or during the workweek, when possible; however, this may vary due to weather or other factors. Consistent availability is essential for our Field Operations team to manage sampling event schedules.
Compensation
The internship provides a compensation of $18 per hours and covers work travel expenses.
Important Information and Resources
We are looking to fill each position in the internship program promptly, and the listing will close on Friday, September 26 or once all the available internship positions have been filled. Applicants can expect a brief hiring process, which typically includes at least one interview before a job offer is extended. Any interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Application deadline: The application deadline for the internship will remain open until Friday, September 26 at 5 pm (Pacific Daylight Time) or until qualified candidates have been selected.
All interns are required to attend and participate in a program kick-off meeting and an in-field training day for each monitoring activity before they can participate in field data collection. The dates of the kick-off meeting and field training will be announced at a later date.
For more information about the cooperative, please visit the company's website.
