Kevin Kreher

Electrical & Computer Engineering, Class of 2016

CALS NYS Internship Program 2015

CCE of Genesee County & the Greater Genesee Community

CALS NYS Internship Program: http://blogs.cornell.edu/calsnysinternshipprogram/

Contact: Heidi Mouillesseaux-Kunzman, hmm1@cornell.edu

CaRDI (Community & Regional Development Institute): www.cardi.cornell.edu

CALS (College of Agriculture & Life Sciences): www.cals.cornell.edu

Community Engagement &

Workforce Development in

Genesee County

Community Profile

Learning Action Plan

Biographical Information Host Profile

Survey of WNY Agricultural Technology Adoption

Moving Forward

Hailing from Akron, NY planning to pursue a career in agricultural technologies such as automation and robotics.Career objective is to be a design engineer for either a startup or a well established company.

▫ Genesee County has experienced a relatively constant population for the last 30 years with nearly 60,000 residents.

▫ 90% of population has a high school diploma.▫ 55% of high school graduates continue on to

higher level education.▫ The region has benefited more recently from

an influx of food production companies with manufacturers moving closer to their supply sources, the local farms.

▫ The county is largely rural, outside of Batavia.Source: Headwaters Economics

Professional Goals:▫ Gain experience managing projects of various

size, from a large team to independent work.▫ Gain knowledge relevant to my planned future

career related to agricultural technology.Personal Goals:▫ Develop communication skills that give me

confidence in casual and professional conversation.

▫ Discern when consultation is important and, if not, confidently make a decision on my own.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County was founded in 1917 as part of Cornell’s mission as a land grant institution. This mission, to bring local experience and research based solutions together to help NYS residents and communities, has been put into action through various programs that Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County has created and supported over the years. Through initiatives like the 4-H Youth Development program, the NWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team, and Leadership Genesee, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee has been and continues to be an irreplaceable resource for the greater Genesee County community.

▫ Developed a project that assessed opportunities for skilled trades workers in the community, especially related to agriculture.

▫ Met with Genesee County farmers, agribusiness owners, manufacturing businesses, educational directors, and local government employees.

▫ Formed a comprehensive picture of workforce development trends in the region.

▫ My biggest takeaway was the lack of awareness among some, but not all, government and educational leaders with respect to jobs and opportunities in agriculture and related economic segments.

▫ The lack of understanding stood out in a region with a largely agricultural economy and local farms and agribusiness that are some of the most advanced in New York State.

My main project while working for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County was a survey of precision agriculture technology in the 10 county region that is covered by the NWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team. I was given the opportunity to travel across WNY and visit more than 40 different farms and agricultural business. My visits ranged in scope from established 6th generation dairy farms to startup companies using cutting edge agricultural technology and data to increase yields. The survey data that I collected over the course of my internship provides an in-depth understanding of how precision agricultural technology has developed in the region, how it is being used currently, and where farmers, consultants, and business owners expect it to go in the future. The survey data was summarized in a report for the benefit of NYS farmers, and the report and raw data will be used as a preliminary working point for a study of agricultural technology commissioned by the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets.

Source: NUAIR Alliance

The skilled trade work of today is far different from the stereotypes of old thanks to technology. Continued efforts to raise public awareness of the opportunities through public education will be necessary moving forward. With this work Genesee County is poised to provide jobs that are highly technical, productive, and fulfilling well into the foreseeable future.