By Maggie Jelliff, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Justin Groshek is spending his second summer at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Bloomsburg Technical Center as an engineering intern.

Originally from Berwick, Pennsylvania, Groshek will be a junior at Gannon University this upcoming fall where he studies environmental engineering.

“Justin is a really hard worker, has a great work ethic, and strives to do his best no matter what assignment he is given,” said Robert Deecki, Agricultural Engineer at the NRCS office in Bloomsburg.

Groshek gained interest in NRCS when he was in high school and had the opportunity to job shadow at the Bloomsburg Technical Center.

“When I heard there was an [internship] here in Bloomsburg, I could not pass up the opportunity to learn and gain valuable experience,” said Groshek.

Students that go through the internship program with NRCS have a chance to accel in their career development and gain a better understanding of what NRCS does while they are still in college. Most interns are offered full time positions upon graduation.

“Any training prior to being hired full time better prepares the employee for what is expected of them when they become full time,” said Deecki; “once full time, they [become] very productive very quickly.”

While working with NRCS, Groshek has been able to gain field experience by working on several projects and surveying in the field.

He has gotten to work on projects from start to finish: beginning with the digital designs, to going out in the field to survey the land.

Groshek has worked on two watering system projects that he says are not only “important to the welfare of the cattle, [but] also to the farmer” by allowing him to manage time more effectively.

He has also helped work on a poultry manure storage facility to allow “the farmer to store manure which makes the whole ecosystem…much healthier,” said Groshek, rather than “having [to] hire an external company to pick up the waste.”

Groshek recalls working on a lined grass waterway project to help “conserve the soil that was being washed away” from storms and harsh weather.

Working with NRCS has allowed Groshek to gain “exposure and experience to the vast number of projects that are being engineered,” he said.

His end goal is to become a state engineer or work for the National Office in Washington D.C.

“My ultimate goal is to come up with new ways to help the farmers conserve the land and make their livelihoods healthier through new and exciting engineering practices,” said Groshek.

“Being able to not just work in the office and being able to go work outside is a big thing that I was looking for in a career and the NRCS allows me to do [that],” said Groshek.

For more information on NRCS landowner services, visit the PA NRCS webpage.

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