Vinzenz has been reinforcing our team since mid-August – here’s a short introduction:
Name: Vinzenz Fraiß
Age: 21
Position in the AIL: Soil sampler
Background: I graduated from high school three years ago and am currently studying Environment and Bio Resources Management at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna.
Role in the AIL: Soil sampling
Challenges on the job: The biggest challenge in my job is the need for complete concentration as the heavy and not completely reliable equipment moves around. This isn’t a problem early in the day, but as time passes it can become more difficult to focus on the route ahead. On dirt tracks, in particular, a moment of distraction or misjudgement can quickly lead to a problem. You can get into situations that you can’t get out of without outside help. Accidents can also happen at any time. But farmers know the terrain and are happy to help.
What I like about this job: I’m glad that I spend most of my working hours outdoors. And I also trust that the soil samples that I take give farmers important information that helps to prevent over-fertilisation. Hopefully, the soil samples and targeted use of fertiliser will enable us to finally reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. And I have the flexibility to schedule my working day. That’s cool, too.
What skills do you need for this position: The ability to deal with different vehicles is helpful on dirt tracks, as is a good sense of orientation, which means that you’re guaranteed to take the soil samples in the right field!
Photo (c) AIL Robert Gebauer