Swine Production Internship

Christensen Farms; Sleepy Eye (MN); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing provided

Paid internship

Job summary

Christensen Farms in Sleepy Eye, MN offers a paid 10-week Swine Production Internship designed for students exploring a career in modern pork production. Interns work seven weeks on a commercial sow farm and three weeks in nursery grow-finish, gaining hands-on experience with animal care, herd health, breeding, biosecurity, and production management.

Under supervision of Farm Managers, interns receive mentorship, participate in shadowing and development activities, and may be placed in farms

Qualifications

• Must be currently enrolled in a post-secondary agriculture-related educational program.
• Swine experience is a plus, but not required.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and exercise independent thinking and judgment.

Responsibilities

• Play an active role in herd health by observing animals daily and learning proper care.
• Learn proper animal care techniques while following SOPs.
• Assist with sow heat detection, breeding schedules, and reproductive management.
• Assist with processing piglets and the weaning process.
• Contribute to farm operations by helping maintain a clean, safe facility.
• Receive training and mentorship from Farm Managers and Farm Specialists.
• Collaborate with a team to achieve daily production goals.
• Participate in internship activities and learning sessions.
• Gain exposure to nutrition, feed milling, research, veterinary services, and welfare.
• Develop understanding of career opportunities within Christensen Farms and the industry.

Skills

Curiosity

Hardworking

Team-oriented

Leadership potential

Willingness to learn

Education

Post-secondary agriculture program enrollment

Job description

The Christensen Farms Swine Production Internship is a paid, 10-week, hands-on learning experience designed for students who are interested in exploring a career in modern pork production. This internship provides practical experience working directly with animals, employees, and production systems while developing a deeper understanding of the swine industry and the opportunities available within it.

Interns spend approximately seven weeks on one of our commercial sow farms and three weeks within our Nursery-Grow-Finish (NGF) production system, gaining exposure to multiple phases of pork production. Working alongside experienced Farm Managers and production teams, interns will learn animal care, herd health, breeding, biosecurity, and production management practices.Through mentorship, job shadowing opportunities, and professional development activities, interns gain a 360-degree perspective of the pork industry while building the skills needed for future career success.

We are looking for individuals who are curious, hardworking, adaptable, team-oriented, and interested in building a long-term career in swine production.Participation in the Swine Production internship program requires flexibility regarding work location. Interns may be assigned to a farm in any of our five operating states. While location preferences will be considered whenever possible, final placements are based on business needs and cannot be guaranteed.

What You Will Do:

• Play an active role in herd health by observing animals daily and learning how to provide proper care and treatment.
• Learn proper animal care techniques while following Christensen Farms SOPs.
• Assist with sow heat detection, breeding schedules, and reproductive management.
• Assist with processing piglets and the weaning process.
• Contribute to farm operations by helping maintain a clean, safe, and bio secure facility.
• Receive training and mentorship directly from experienced Farm Managers and Farm Specialists.
• Collaborate with a team to achieve daily production goals while learning the business of modern pork production.
• Participate in internship activities and learning sessions designed to enhance your professional and technical development.
• Gain exposure to support areas including nutrition, feed milling, research, veterinary services, animal welfare, and other business operations through shadowing and educational opportunities.
• Develop an understanding of career opportunities within Christensen Farms and the broader pork production industry.

What You Offer Us:

• Desire to learn from others and apply new knowledge and skills.
• A genuine interest in pursuing a career in swine production.
• Demonstrate our core values of Respect, Innovation, Adaptability, Excellence, and Integrity.
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for new experiences.
• Demonstrated leadership potential through work, school, organizations, community involvement or other activities.
• Must be currently enrolled in a post-secondary agriculture-related educational program
• Swine experience is a plus, but not required
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and exercise independent thinking and judgment.

What We Offer You:

• An opportunity to experience a 360-degree perspective of live operations as well as exposure to other areas such as animal welfare, veterinary, nutrition, research, and more!
• Program length is 10 weeks, with 7 weeks spent on one of our commercial sow farms, and 3 weeks working in our nursery grow-finish system.
• Be an active part of an organization that gives back to the community in many ways – including feed programs that support local farms, food shelf programs, food support for veterans, agriculture education and promotion, FFA/4H support, charitable contributions, etc.
• A company that has a passionate purpose for food safety, animal welfare, and for living its core values every day – respect, integrity, excellence, adaptability, and innovation.
• A culture that fosters employee growth, hybrid work options, promotion from within, and a highly team-oriented workplace environment.
• Christensen Farm's interns are paid a rate of $20/hr. and housing is provided at no cost to the intern.

Reports To:

Farm Manager

Christensen Farms promotes a culture of inclusion and strives to attract a diverse set of candidates for each of our open positions. We are an equal employment opportunity employer and proud to offer employment and growth opportunities to all candidates without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, gender, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or veteran status.

Learn more about how you can put your passion and talent to work with us at:

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