From Bridges to Barns: A Career in Civil and Agricultural Engineering

A Foundation in Agriculture

Danielle Kalp loves getting to know the farmers on the conservation projects she designs. In her work as an agricultural conservation engineer for the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD), she applies her technical skills alongside her passion for ag. 

Danielle grew up working on farms and participated in 4-H for many years, showing animals and connecting with farming communities. When considering a future career, she really wanted to do work that benefited the environment. She decided to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering Technology at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, which provided the foundation she needed to explore various engineering disciplines. Starting out, she worked in wastewater treatment and gained her professional engineer (PE) license. Although it was clearly beneficial to the environment, Danielle found herself working on bigger corporate projects that didn't appeal to her roots. Eventually, she worked on bridges where she strengthened her skills in structural design.

 Yet her agricultural foundations kept calling her to apply her skills in that sector. Danielle found a job listing with PACD to design and implement conservation practices on farms that would improve water quality and soil health. She applied and was quickly hired due to her extensive civil experience and knowledge of agriculture. "One of the fun things about my job is how I can draw from all my other engineering experiences in the practices I design now" Danielle explained. 

A Foundation in Concrete

By this point in her career, Danielle has worked on a wide variety of best management practices (BMPs) that require civil engineering knowledge, particularly with concrete.  On one project site in particular, Danielle designed a new silage bunk and a silage leachate treatment system, which needed to be connected to an existing liquid waste storage facility. In addition, a new concrete scrape alley was designed to follow the natural slope and hover over the edge of the liquid tank. These structures gave the farmer the space needed to safely store his animal feed, to prevent highly concentrated leachate from reaching surface water, and to better manage the manure in a way that keeps clean rainwater off dirty areas. It was a win for the farmer and a win for the stream directly downhill.

From Paper to Field

Danielle’s work brings her to counties across Pennsylvania at all times of the year. Autumn and spring are usually prime times for land surveying and collecting other essential data on the farm. During the winter, she spends much of her time creating drawings and designs for the farms she surveyed in the other seasons. Summertime means lots of site visits on farms, as this is when most projects really start to come to life. It takes a lot to design a plan that helps farmers, but that's one of Danielle's favorite parts of her job.

A lot of time is also spent communicating with contractors building the projects and ensuring the construction is going as planned. That may mean frequent visits to active construction sites. However, the active role she plays in the project is often rewarding for her. "I love seeing it all come together from the paper to the field, getting to be part of the whole process," Danielle said. 

How Things are Built

Despite coming from an ag background, Danielle had a lot to learn in the first few years on the job with PACD.  She worked closely with colleagues at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and learned about the variety of practices  commonly implemented across Pennsylvania. She advises anyone new to the ag conservation sector to get out in the field as much as possible and really learn how construction happens.  "Knowing how things are built makes you a better designer," Danielle said. Projects change all the time, and part of her job includes learning, adapting, and solving new problems. 

Danielle tends to prefer when the farmer offers their input on the design of a conservation project. However, some farmers leave much up to the engineer to decide.  According to Danielle, it is critical for conservation practices to fit into the operation so they benefit the whole farm, in addition to improving water quality. This level of knowledge and attention to detail is earned over time, which Danielle shows in her work. The farmer on the recently completed silage project said that he was one to "leave it to the professionals."  When asked how he felt about the project, he said, "I had faith, and they did a good job." 

Interested in a career in agricultural conservation?  Check out the PA Ag Conservation job board to find currently open job postings within this sector, including for engineering-related positions.