Desert Research and Extension Center Welcomes International Agriculture Students

Caring for feedlot cattle, examining onion irrigation practices, and teaching preschoolers about agriculture aren't part of the typical school curriculum. But for the five student interns at the Desert Research and Extension Center, these activities fill their days.

Located on 255 acres of Southern California desert, DREC focuses on promoting irrigated desert agriculture, livestock and feedlot management, and pest control. It is also home to the Farm Smart agricultural education program, which reaches approximately 7,800 participants each year.

In February, DREC hosted the Student Interns - creative thinkers working at the intersection of experimental research and agricultural education. During the internship, students work on-site under the mentorship of academics and staff on applied projects. After years of COVID restrictions, the center is delighted to welcome students in person for hands-on engagement with research and the public.

"Welcoming students to DREC helps us fulfill our mission while training the next generation of professionals," said Jairo Diaz, Director of DREC. "I am particularly motivated to provide experiential learning activities to underrepresented groups in agricultural and STEM careers."

Read on to learn more about each of these budding agronomists.

Dianely Alba performing a lab analysis

Dianely Alba is majoring in agronomy at the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Mexico (this university is about 20 miles south of the DREC). She is working under the mentorship of Jairo Diaz-Ramirez on a project focused on improving irrigation and nutrient management practices in onion production in Imperial County.

Dianely Alba collects information from the field

Melina Munoz hosts a table for the kids to 'milde a cow' at the Farm to Preschool festival

Melina Munoz is a student at Imperial Valley College studying elementary education. She is an intern at DREC's Farm to Preschool Festival. Munoz is in charge of the development and translation of activities, planning and implementation of the festival, as well as data entry for participant registration and evaluation information.

Melina Munoz has prepared over 500 Farm to Kindergarten kits

Lester Nolasco grew up on a farm in Honduras, so he was involved with animals and farming from an early age. He works under the mentorship of Pedro Carvalho, the feedlot management specialist. Nolasco is currently working on feedlot cattle management and beef cattle nutrition.

"Although my passion is livestock, when you work with these animals you indirectly learn about agriculture and crops in general, as it is also an important part of the diet livestock,” says Nolasco. Alongside the other feedlot management trainees, Nolasco feeds animals, cleans pens, mixes feed, weighs livestock, and performs lab work. “It's such a great experience for me because I've only worked with dairy cows in the past and this internship teaches me a lot. I would like to know as much as I can about beef cattle nutrition. I hope that in the future I will be a teacher and share the knowledge I have acquired with other professionals in my country. »

Heitor Otávio Martins de Oliveira has worked with animals throughout his life, starting with his parents' farm. He attended veterinary school, where he continued to learn agriculture. At DREC, Otávio Martins de Oliveira works on beef cattle nutrition management. In addition to the daily maintenance tasks, he weighs the cattle monthly and provides the necessary treatments.

"I will...