Department of Civil Service

Description:

The Marketing & Promotion Team at the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is seeking a Local Foods Intern who values New York State agriculture and has a passion for local food, beverage, and agricultural products. Through a wide range of activities, the intern will support the State's local branding programs (NYS Grown & Certified, Taste NY) to enhance connections between the State's producers and consumers.
General Duties:
* Support Task Force whose mission is to facilitate Update/Downstate Procurement and Distribution of local food, beverage, and agricultural products.
* Assist with development and management of comprehensive statewide database of agricultural producers and their products.
* Assist in auditing the Grown & Certified and Taste NY programs to ensure high quality performance and continued results.
* Recruit new marketing and promotion program participants through outreach to associations and producers.
* Support successful implementation of federal and State grant programs, including timely collection of performance metrics for annual and final reports.
* Conduct site visits of Taste NY markets and Grown & Certified retail displays to assess the customer experience and make recommendations for improved merchandising and consumer outreach.
* Assist with the creation, development and editing of educational and marketing materials.
* Assist with effective distribution of program information and resources.
* Assist with planning and on-site management of local and regional promotional events.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills:
* Areas of study or interest: food systems, marketing, agricultural communications, food/beverage business development, agri-tourism, etc.
* Analytical and evaluative skills
* Interpersonal and communication skills
* Organizational skills, efficiency, and flexibility
* Extensive experience with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
* Familiarity with Adobe Design Suite and/or InDesign (preferred, but not necessary).

Background Information:

NYS Grown & Certified (www.certified.ny.gov)
The New York State Grown & Certified program helps consumers to identify local, safely handled, and environmentally responsible agricultural products. Grown & Certified is a statewide food certification program to promote quality locally grown products and to strengthen confidence in New York agriculture. This voluntary program is a cooperative effort among producers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants to meet consumer demand for high-quality food and agricultural products.
To qualify, producers must meet the following certification criteria: * Products are grown and produced in New York State * Farms participate in a third-party food safety verification program, if applicable * Producers participate in an environmental management program

Taste NY (www.taste.ny.gov)
The Taste NY program was created in 2013 to:
1) promote New York's farms, food, and beverage industries; and
2) drive agri-tourism throughout the State.
Since its launch, Taste NY has helped more than 1,800 New York food and beverage companies reach consumers across the globe. The program has created opportunities for local producers to showcase their goods at retail location and public events.
The exposure from Taste NY helps farmers and small businesses reach more customers, increase online sales, and in many cases expand the processing capacity of their business. Taste NY's food and beverage businesses also support the State's farmers by using New York grown and produced ingredients in their products.
Taste NY products are now available in over 70 locations, including:
* 11 NYS Welcome Centers
* Stand-alone Markets, such as Todd Hill, NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center
* Thruway Travel Plazas
* State Parks
* Airports
* Train Stations
* Concessions at Sports and Entertainment Venues
* New York State Office of Trade and Tourism in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Skills:

Analytical and evaluative skills

Interpersonal and communication skills

Organizational skills

Experience with Microsoft Office

Adobe Design Suite and/or InDesign

Internship Areas: Agriculture