agronomist

equipment technician

grader

maintenance technician

intern

BLACK GOLD FARMS

As an older Agronomist with a lot of potato experience, I welcomed the opportunity to work in a new potato area. My typical day would include scouting potato fields in the beginning of the week, monitoring disease development and insects. Deciding what sprays will be used for the week. I also give feed back on irrigation management. Midweek looking at nutrient status from potato petiole results. Late in the week pulling yield samples. The crew I work with is great. Everyone committed to producing a high yielding potato crop. I enjoy the resources available working on a large farm, a lot of top notch people I can confer with. The hardest part of the job has been adapting to a new area. From widespread manganese deficiencies to figuring out the best weed control strategy for weeds I never have seen before - burcucumber, bull thistle, morning glory - and weeds I am familiar with but not this abundant , giant ragweed. The best part of the job is seeing the potatoes harvested, knowing I had a big impact on the final yield. Black Gold Farms is a great place to work. Potato Agronomist are like Navy Seals of agronomy work. You have to make split second decision's every day that affect the outcome of the crop. It's a blast !!

I started my internship here in May, I took on the responsibility of a dual role within the Supply Chain side of the company. I am extremely pleased with how my experience has been here at Black Gold Farms. On a day-to-day basis, there is always something new to do, but there is an element of comfort coming in every day knowing that you aren't in over your head. That being because everyone is so helpful at Black Gold. There is full transparency within the organization and no matter what it is, someone has an answer. Having superiors that are always willing to help and clarify problems allows me to go into work every day stress-free. Everyone is very approachable. Whether it be the CEO or a manager at one of our farms it is very easy to get answers and find resolutions. At Black Gold, they really treat you like you are a part of their family and welcome you throughout the whole process! They want to make sure you are successful throughout your internship and are set up comfortably for the future.

Black Gold is a Company that treats their employees not like employees but like family.  Every day my job consists of my Ideas being heard/encouraged, constructive feedback, Accountability of daily job requirements, and constantly learning from pears with many years of experience.  Every Employee lives the black gold culture not only at work but it becomes a part of your personal life.  Why I say it becomes a part of your personal life is because the culture bring out the best in every employee and makes you want to be that person all the time.  There are up days and down day but it is how everyone here acts on the down days that make them easier to swallow.  We are a company that strives to be the inventor or industry leader so opportunity to grow with the company is always evolving.  If you are a person that like personal growth and development this is the perfect company.  It doesn't matter how much you know or think you don't know they will teach it if you are willing to be open minded and listen with the intent to learn.

As a headquarters employee, I get to work everyday with employees across the eastern US to find ways to farm better. Having zero ag experience when I began this job, I have got to learn a great amount about what it takes to produce a quality crop which includes high-character talent with a strong work ethic. The skills I've developed in working with people from all parts of the country have spilled over into my personal life and motivated me to be more involved in my local community. The culture here is one of teamwork. We are a family-owned and operated business. Coworkers, even remote, become like extended family all working together toward a common goal to be the top producer in our industry. While it can be challenging to work in an administrative role with so many satellite locations where opportunities for face-to-face interaction is intermittent, the best part of the job is knowing that I played a part - however small - in helping our teams succeed. My work at Black Gold Farms is more than just a job, it's a way of life.

I joined the Black Gold team with minor potato experience. Since coming on board I have learned a great deal about growing potatoes. Each day is different and you don't know what environmental factors are incoming. You must prepare for these on a daily basis. Management is always on standby in case verification or direction is needed whether it be company wide or directly on the farm. The team I work along side with is super supportive and plays a detrimental role in making sure the farm is running smoothly. Each day my colleges come to work ready to take on the day head on. There is rarely any animosity which creates a great workplace culture. The hardest part of being an agronomist is deciding what tool to use within the tool box for crop protection. Secondly, gathering data on time is another tough hurdle. The best part of being an agronomist for Black Gold is the satisfaction of growing a successful crop and the appreciation from the farm and company as a whole.

Disclosure: I'm the HR person :) However, these are my sincere beliefs about Black Gold Farms. 

Black Gold Farms is a great place to grow your career. They hire interns each season and constantly add them on full time. The company really encourages continual professional development and pays for it. They have several internal trainings throughout the year, pay for external trainings, and even share countless leadership/business books with employees. Black Gold also frequently promotes from within. 

The company is very transparent and readily shares information with their employees. They encourage communication and teamwork. Everyone is there to help each other out and it really does feel like family.

Don't work here if you're a woman as every man around you will be valued and paid more. The benefits package is not what they claim it to be- it takes 3 paychecks to get 8 hours off and the health insurance for family is 600/month. The company doesn't care about the employees, just about profit. The turnover here is huge. Profit sharing is a joke- they haven't done it in 3 years even though they have made over 10 million/year in profit. There is also a mandatory company conference in November that requires you to fly to Grand Forks, ND for days that range from 7 am to 10 pm. You will not get a raise your first year without pretending everyone above you needs to be worshipped. Avoid avoid avoid. Oh, and make a mistake once, expect to be fired. They fired an executive team member after 29 years of service. That's how bad this place is...

If you are looking for an employer that cares about you as a person, then come work here! I have had so many opportunities to learn and develop that I didn't think was possible. They have been very generous to me in allowing and even encouraging my participation in events and activities that benefit myself as well as the company. Along with that I am also given a lot of autonomy in my role which motivates me to perform to a higher standard and get more creative with my job. The people are great too! I don't think I would ever have an issue working with anyone, all are willing to jump in and get to work. Whether you have been with the company for years or just a few months, it's a great place to work. I don't have any negatives to working here. I look forward to growing with Black Gold Farms in the years to come!

Black Gold Farms offers a wide variety of opportunities within the company. In a typical work week you can be exposed to a wide array of challenges to tackle. The company offers a strong support staff to help you meet and achieve your objectives. The company is a multi million dollars business, partnering with some of the largest businesses in the world but yet has the feel of a small family business with full and transparent access to the top management.  There are some days that can be very challenging, putting in long hours to complete the job, but the company has a very competitive wage with great benefits and a balance of time off for the family.  It makes me proud to be working for a company that provides products that are consumed by families like mine all year long!

A typical day at work consist of alot of communication with the team and ways to build upon the industry to grow Black Gold. I have learned that the more 'in the know' you are with outside people the more info you are able to learn from. I see my manager as a mentor and is willing to listen and help me grow with in my position. I think our work culture is good but not great. We can always do more to improve this area. One way to do this is to shadow others or sit in on meeting to learn more about different areas of the business. It isn't always easy during harvest to have the best information, and with the way we are set up as a team this could be better so everyone is on the same page. Working with customers and being able to problem solve for them is something that is enjoyable.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Agronomist 2 salaries reported	$70,000 per year
Equipment technician 1 salary reported	$62,500 per year
Grader 1 salary reported	$18.50 per hour
Maintenance technician 5 salaries reported	$61,400 per year
Intern 2 salaries reported	$17.50 per hour

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