Agricultural Technicians

Set up and maintain laboratory equipment and collect samples from crops or animals. Prepare specimens and record data to assist scientist in biology or related science experiments.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

1. Receive and prepare laboratory samples for analysis, following proper protocols to ensure that they will be stored, prepared, and disposed of efficiently and effectively.

2. Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, and animal care.

3. Collect samples from crops or animals so testing can be performed.

4. Prepare data summaries, reports, and analyses that include results, charts, and graphs to document research findings and results.

5. Adjust testing equipment, and prepare culture media, following standard procedures.

6. Operate laboratory equipment such as spectrometers, nitrogen determination apparatus, air samplers, centrifuges, and potential hydrogen (pH) meters to perform tests.

7. Measure or weigh ingredients used in testing or for purposes such as animal feed.

8. Provide food and water to livestock and laboratory animals, and record details of their food consumption.

9. Plant seeds in specified areas, and count the resulting plants to determine the percentage of seeds that germinated.

10. Supervise pest or weed control operations including locating and identifying pests or weeds, selecting chemicals and application methods, scheduling application, and training operators.

11. Measure and mark plot areas, and plow, disc, level, and otherwise prepare land for cultivated crops, orchards and vineyards.

Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Agricultural Technicians. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Agricultural Technicians, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In NY the average wage for this occupation was:

$25,390 for entry level workers, and $41,720 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Least Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 1,050 Agricultural Technicians employed in NY.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 1,020  employed in NY. This represents a decrease of 0 job(s) each year, and a total of 20 job openings each year.

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) - Established in 1988 as a national resource for molecular biology information, NCBI creates public databases, conducts research in computational biology, develops software tools for analyzing genome data, and disseminates biomedical information - all for the better understanding of molecular processes affecting human health and disease.

Let's Talk About Insects - Let's Talk About Insects is designed to help students ages 9 to11 years of age gain an appreciation of insects; learn how insects grow and develop (metamorphosis), and learn the importance of insects in our environment.

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) - The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers is an educational and scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems.

Plant Genomics Classroom Resources and Activities - Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University and the Curriculum Development Workshop developed plant based classroom activities. They are formatted to be ready to use for the classroom, with appropriate hand outs and teacher background information.

EurekAlert! Science for Kids Portal - The EurekAlert! Science for Kids Portal is a central, online source for kid-friendly news and resources. The Portal is housed within EurekAlert!, the editorially independent, online news service operated by AAAS, the science society. Content for the Portal is provided by hundreds of universities, associations, medical centers and other research organizations worldwide.

Inside Cancer: Multimedia Education Resources For Cancer - Inside Cancer is a multimedia guide to cancer biology. Cancer causes, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and more.

National Biological Information Infrastructure Your Home for Biological Information on the Web - The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources.The NBII links diverse, high-quality biological databases, information products, and analytical tools and topics that include Habitats, Plants, Animals and Other Organisms, Ecological Topics and more.

Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program (BCAP) - At Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program, campers 9 to 12 years old interact with and touch living plants and animals, create art, and explore historic sites.

Garden Apprentice Program - Become a dynamic, energetic part of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Education Department.The Garden Apprentice Program provides students in grades 8 to 12 with opportunities for personal growth and career development. The four tier program includes training and volunteer placements with increasing levels of responsibility focused on gardening, environmental issues, science, leadership, and career skills.

Science NetLinks: Lessons - Science NetLinks provides a wealth of resources for K to 12 science educators. It is your guide to meaningful standards-based Internet experiences for students. The matrix includes lessons in heredity, agriculture, energy sources, structure of matter and more!

Building a Presence for Science (BaP) - Building a Presence for Science (BaP) was developed with and administered by the National Science Teachers Association beginning in 1996. The BaP goals include: having one teacher in every U.S. school driving improvement in science teaching standards and establishing state networks to promote standards-based science teaching and learning. The New York State initiative was designed to bring standards-based education into every classroom in the state. The Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS) coordinates the project.

LiveScience - LiveScience is an original content site focusing on the innovative and intriguing in Science and Technology. The website covers news, views and scientific inquiry from an original, provocative point of view. With articles by respected science journalists and contributors, LiveScience looks at new discoveries, intellectual adventures and the idiosyncrasies of the world that surrounds us. The main topics include Animal Domain, Health SciTech, Forces of Nature, Environment, Technology and Science of Fiction.

Biology Lesson Plans - Are you looking for complete, well written K12 lesson plans to add to your biology lessons? The topics at this site include: Neuroscience, General Anatomy and Physiology and Environmental Sciences and Animal Biology Activities.

Animated Periodic Table of the Elements - Browse through the alkali metals, the alkaline earth metals, and both the lanthanide and actinide series and with continue movement of the mouse across the table learn each element's boiling point, its oxidation states, its atomic weight, and its density.

Teacher Education Programs at Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Teacher Education Programs are offered at Brooklyn Botanic Garden year round and are designed to help you integrate plant studies in your own classroom and extend your lessons to the Garden and other green spaces in your community. Programs include Kitchen Botany: The Plants We Eat , Starting With Seeds: Beginning Investigations Through Inquiry and Worm Composting in the Classroom.

PLANTS Database - The PLANTS database includes information on the vascular and nonvascular plants of the United States and its territories. It includes checklists, species abstracts, distributional data, crop information, plants symbols, growth data, references and a variety of other plant information.

Science technicians - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

Discover Cornell Plantations Children's Tours - Throughout the year, Cornell Plantations hold children's guided group tours. Children investigate an assortment of temperate and tropical plants that feed and clothe the world's population, use their sense of smell and match herbal products to plants while exploring some of the myriad ways herbs have enriched our lives for thousands of years, and pick, smell, and taste their way through the history of vegetable growing in the northeastern United States.

Curriculum Development Workshop in Plant Sciences 2007 - We are offering a workshop for pre- and in-service educators to work with scientists to develop classroom laboratory exercises related to various aspects of plant biology. In addition to developing original projects, we will be reworking ?cookbook? labs to make them more current and inquiry-based. During the week, there will be hands-on plant-based activities, tours of the Boyce Thompson Institute research facilities and seminars on current topics in plant biology. Applications due March 15, 2007.

Rader's Biology4Kids - Biology4Kids.com is a website that teaches the basics of biology to all ages. It has sections on cell structure, cell function, the scientific method, classification, microorganisms, invertebrates, plants, vertebrates, and animal systems.

Science Adventures Summer Camp: New York City, Long Island and Hudson Valley - Get excited about science with fresh, fun, hands on science programs for K6 grades at Science Adventures. This summer go wild and investigate extreme plants and animals, invent with electronics, launch the Comet Rocket and solve an egyptian mystery.

Columbia Education Center's Science Mini-Lessons (High School) - Youth Net is a server on the Internet that sponsors this group of lesson plans that came from the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshops. They were done by a consortium of teachers from 14 states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States.

ScienCentral News: Making Sense of Science - From broadcast news features to educational products, ScienCentral News not only knows how to communicate complex ideas about medicine, health, technology, and the environment, but they also know how to tell a good story!

Bugscope - The Bugscope project is an educational outreach program for K12 classrooms. The project provides a resource to classrooms so that they may remotely operate a scanning electron microscope to image bugs at high magnification. The microscope is remotely controlled in real time from a classroom computer over the Internet using a web browser.

Project Green Reach at Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Project Green Reach (PGR) is an outreach program for K to 8 teachers and their classes from Brooklyn's Title I schools. PGR provides: a curriculum package for the topic of your choice, inquiry based instruction in your classroom with a plant for each student, transportation and a guided tour of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, as well as teacher training and supplies for a community horticulture project.Teachers must apply for acceptance into PGR.

Adventures of Herman: The Autobiography of Squirmin' Herman the Worm - The Adventures of Herman will help you learn the basic vocabulary of biology: biological composition, digestion and reproduction told through a guided study of the worm. You will gain knowledge of the principles of basic scientific research and application through the creation, observation and maintenance of a worm bin and read critically and analytically by first viewing the biological life of the worm and creating an environment to support life.

Columbia Education Center's Science Mini-Lessons (Elementary) - Youth Net is a server on the Internet that sponsors this group of lesson plans that came from the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshops. They were done by a consortium of teachers from 14 states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States.

Columbia Education Center's Science Mini-Lessons (Intermediate) - Youth Net is a server on the Internet that sponsors this group of lesson plans that came from the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshops. They were done by a consortium of teachers from 14 states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States.

Garden Mosaics - To learn more about the science behind gardening, Garden Mosaics, a youth and community education program, combines science learning with intergenerational mentoring, multicultural understanding, and community action. Garden Mosaics provides diverse learning opportunities for youth aged 10 to18, educators, and gardeners.

Plant Genome Research High School Summer Internship - Interns that join Cornell for the summer not only gain a broader knowledge of plant genomics, but also learn new techniques, participate in lab meetings and scientific discussions, and take away a better understanding of genuine scientific research. Application materials are due postmarked by March 1, 2007.

Programs for Teachers and Students: Exploration Tours - Exploration Tours include Sensory, Ecological, Flower, and Exploring for Plants We Use. The Tours take students preK to 5 on a planned journey that includes a hands on planting activity and a tour of the grounds and possibly Steinhardt Conservatory.

Sci4Kids - Bridging the gap between science, agriculture, and kids, Sci4Kids is geared to children ages 8 to 13. The site is a series of interactive stories based on research projects featured in Agricultural Research. Themes include transportation, weird science, cities, aquaculture and more!

Hands-on Activities for Teaching Biology to High School or Middle School Students - These hands-on activities cover a broad range of biological topics, including genetics, natural selection, microorganisms, and human physiology. These activities are designed to:help students understand important biological principles and concepts, develop student understanding of the scientific process, and improve students' writing and math skills.

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists - Study the origins, behavior, diseases, genetics, and life processes of animals and wildlife. May specialize in wildlife research and management, including the collection and analysis of biological data to determine the environmental effects of present and potential use of land and water areas.

Nonfarm Animal Caretakers - Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise care for pets and other nonfarm animals, such as dogs, cats, ornamental fish or birds, zoo animals, and mice. Work in settings such as kennels, animal shelters, zoos, circuses, and aquariums. May keep records of feedings, treatments, and animals received or discharged. May clean, disinfect, and repair cages, pens, or fish tanks.

Animal Breeders - Breed animals, including cattle, goats, horses, sheep, swine, poultry, dogs, cats, or pet birds. Select and breed animals according to their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring. May require a knowledge of artificial insemination techniques and equipment use. May involve keeping records on heats, birth intervals, or pedigree.