Clear Springs Foods makes its home on the scenic Snake River Canyon of southern Idaho's Magic Valley. Here, our rainbow trout are farm-raised in concrete raceways fed by an abundance of crystal clear spring water. Ideal growing conditions, combined with a commitment to quality and innovation, have made Clear Springs the world's largest producer of rainbow trout, processing over 20 million pounds a year. Clear Springs Foods is vertically-integrated with a feed mill, brood stations, grow-out farms, processing plants, and trucking fleet distributing high-quality fresh and frozen products to markets across the United States twice a week.
Veterinary externs at Clear Springs will spend time on the production facilities learning health management and production practices. They will be involved with fish heath exams and treatments on the farm in addition to spending time at the Diagnostic Laboratory participating in fish necropsies as well as performing bacteriology, virology, and molecular biology assays. Externs may also be involved with research projects that could include disease investigation, vaccine development and delivery, nutrition, brood fish selection, and others.
A video about Clear Springs Foods can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/BtkAgoLwNME
The supervisor for the externship is the Director of Fish Health who is a certified aquatic veterinarian and holds a PhD focused on aquatic animal health. He has extensive experience in the aquaculture of fish and crustacean species working in aquatic veterinary medicine and aquaculture industries in several states and countries in private practice, government organizations, as well as academic institutions.
Our Vice President of Research, Quality Assurance and Technical Services also holds a PhD and has over two decades of experience with water quality, fish health, and other related areas. In addition, Clear Springs Foods has a PhD Fish Nutritionist who has worked for several large animal feed companies in many different countries developing feed formulations for numerous aquatic and terresterial animals. The Vice President of Operations has several decades of experience in different food production sectors and is adept in processing, production, and project management.
Externs will also interact with our Managers, Assistant Managers, and Fish Health Technicians at our facilities. Several of these individuals have MS degrees and many have 10-30 years of experience at Clear Springs and other fish facilities. Several of our microbiologists and diagnostic/research lab technicians also has MS degrees and have decades of experience working with fish pathogens.
Externs need to commit to a minimum of 4 weeks and should have an interest in production medicine; previous experience in aquaculture is desirable but not necessary. Externs should plan on working 40-60 hours per week and be comfortable working outdoors and in water.
Student housing may be available and will be handled on a case-by-case basis.