EPIC: California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) – Sacramento, CA

Job Title: Climate and Working Lands Intern

Department/Team: Climate and Working Lands Team at the California Department of Food and Agriculture

Location: Sacramento, California (hybrid preferred)

Duration: 40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer

Reports to: Virginia Jameson, Deputy Secretary for Climate and Working Lands

Areas of Interest: Agriculture, climate change, community engagement, nature based solutions, markets

Summer 2023 Fellows:

Summer 2024 Fellows:

Hailey Demars

Summer 2025 Fellows:

Sofia Vera Verduzco

Office Description

About the California Department of Food and Agriculture:

The mission of the California Department of Food and Agriculture is to serve the citizens of California by promoting and protecting a safe, healthy food supply, and enhancing local and global agricultural trade, through efficient management, innovation and sound science, with a commitment to environmental stewardship.

Our vision is that we be recognized as the most highly respected agricultural agency in the world by leading and excelling in the programs and services delivered to meet the needs for the growing local and global food and agricultural system.

CDFA is a cabinet-level agency/department led by Secretary Karen Ross and headquartered in Sacramento. Interns would work with CDFA executive leadership to tackle emergent issues affecting agriculture, such as climate change, racial equity, sustainable pest management, food security, market development, and more. Activities would include longer-term projects as well as short-term research assignments. Interns will gain skills and knowledge around public processes such as budgeting, program design, stakeholder engagement, policymaking, and communications.

About the Climate and Working Lands Team:

Deputy Secretary Jameson works closely with Dr. Nina Bingham, CDFA’s Climate Scientist, as well as a broader network of 30+ scientific staff within CDFA’s Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability, and other parts of the department.

Description of the Work

The incumbent would work with executive-level staff to advance first-of-a-kind programs and policy initiatives, participate in interdisciplinary, cross-cutting state initiatives, and obtain experience working at the intersection of science, policy, and management.

One of the long-term projects in 2026 will be assisting with the development and coordination of a task force focused on improving measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verification of climate smart agriculture projects. This work will help advance the investment in climate smart agriculture needed to build resilience on farms, uplift the good climate work California’s farmers are already doing, and help the state meet its climate goals. Additional projects include writing bill analyses, issuing memos, creating talking points, conducting data analysis on CDFA’s programs, public meeting set-up and management, social media creation, and more. This work takes place in an office environment, with in-person and virtual engagement with CDFA staff and other interested parties.

Desired Skills

Desired Skills/Qualifications:

Interest and ability to work on a team
Experience or interest in learning more about interest-based stakeholder processes
Strong written and verbal communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills
Skilled in project organization - able to manage multiple projects with tight deadlines
Ability to think critically and develop innovative ideas
Ability to understand and translate science for diverse audiences
Ability to work effectively in a team and independently

Logistics:

EPIC fellows are required to work full-time (40 hours per week) for 10 weeks over the summer, and will receive a stipend of $8,000 - $9,500, depending on financial need. This stipend is intended to help cover living and transportation expenses during the fellowship, which the student is expected to arrange and coordinate.
Start and end dates are flexible (start date no later than July 6, 2026).
CDFA will provide a laptop computer and email address as well as a desk for the intern to use during their time with us.