Featured Employee

Ron Young
Civil Engineer
Syracuse, New York

A New York farmer wants a drip irrigation system but cannot invest weeks or months for multiple phases and site visits, what do you do? Combine everything together and drive it to his doorstep.

As the typical workplace principle changes to meet the needs of landowners, we as an organization consistently evolve to be more efficient with our financial and technical resources. For Ron Young, NRCS Civil Engineer, this means completing all phases of a project at the landowner’s worksite.

Ron Young (left) works with landowner Paul Hofner to design a drip irrigation system directly on the farm from Young's mobile office.

The mobile office concept is not brand new but it has become highly successful for NRCS New York since its inception this spring. The State Office received permission to implement this strategy with the use of a government vehicle, transporting computer and surveying equipment directly to farms.

By cutting down on time to complete a project and having all necessary resources immediately at hand, it ensures maximum effectiveness in working for our customers. “I think anyone who cannot operate on a mobile basis is operating at a low efficiency rate,” stated Paul Hofner, a Baldwinsville, New York farmer. “Ron is able to bring technology and vital information right here to my site.”

Young was visiting Hofner’s vegetable farm July 6 to assist him with installing a water-conserving irrigation system. They were able to agree on the piping layout plan, designed with Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) software on Young’s laptop, and immediately began staking out the area. This process avoided Young having to make changes back at the State Office or to pick up necessary tools from another location.

With the use of a mobile office, Young completes approximately eight projects per month, from the initial design and layout, through its implementation and construction. He considers his key success story to be the surveying, processing of design points, and staking out the direction for 1200 feet of new pipeline in a single day.

“Everything is with me at all times,” said Young. “My goal is to provide better service to customers and be a one-stop-shop for any need.” Young carries everything from laser and Geographical Positioning System (GPS) surveying equipment, to stakes, flags, paint, textbooks, and reference materials. He seamlessly takes a project from field to finish, all out of his vehicle. With the assistance of District Conservationists at worksites, every project is guaranteed to get done right and on time.

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