Maya Kutz Hydroponics Technician
Brooklyn, NY, USA LinkedIn Maya-Kutz-Resume-TFFJ-2018.pdfMAYA ROSE KUTZ
917.231.4234 ⬦ maya.kutz@gmail.com ⬦ 418 3rd street, Brooklyn, NY, 11215
EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, AWARDS
Rutgers Ext. Food Safety ⬦ PSA Grower Training Course, Third Party Audit Training, Feb 2018
Smith College ⬦ B.S. in Engineering Science, Concentration in Sustainable Food, 2015
Engineer in Training ⬦ FE passed May 2015, Focus: Environmental Engineering
Ford Motor Company Prize for Sustainability ⬦ Picker Engineering School, Smith College; 2015
Continuing Education ⬦ NY Botanical Garden ⬦ Farm School NYC
SKILLS
Hydroponics Operation ⬦ crop planning, nutrient management, organic pest management, harvest, routine repairs
Food Safety ⬦ GAP, FSMA, sanitizing rules in production and packing areas, log maintenance
Data Tracking and Analysis ⬦ Inventory Management
WORK EXPERIENCE
Green Top Farms, Astoria
Grow Room Manager, April 2018 ‒ Present
⬦ Designed, installed, and operated hydroponic systems for microgreens, herbs, flowers
⬦ Develop Grow Room SOPs and food safety guidelines
⬦ Maintained training and schedule of other part-time employees in the Grow Room
Green Food Solutions, Bushwick
Assistant Farm Manager, September 2018 ‒ Present ⬦ Maintained 80 Tower Gardens and managed volunteers
Pure Spinach (Element Farms, Inc.), Rutgers Ecocomplex Experimental Greenhouse
Grower, October 2017 ‒ July 2018
⬦ Planned and executed weekly production schedules ⬦ Tracked inventory, water, and Argus data
⬦ Generated and implemented GAP protocols ⬦ Participated in facility design & construction
⬦ Trained new employees in operations and food safety ⬦ Sole operations manager (short-term)
NY Botanical Garden, Adult Education Program
Instructor, May 2018 ⬦ Taught Introduction to Hydroponics, a 5 week class covering terms, system types, and chemistry
Hellgate Farms & Engineers for a Sustainable World Partnership, Astoria
Project Manager, 2017 ‒ 2018 Growing Seasons
⬦ Designed, installed, operated 50-fish aquaponics system at a permaculture residential farm
⬦ Trained and organized team of fellow urban agriculture enthusiasts and interns
Cornell University Coop. Ext., Hydroponic/Aquaponic Science & Technology Education Program
Lab Assistant, September 2015 ‒ August 2017
⬦ Maintained lab systems: propagation, water quality tests, data logging, harvesting, cleaning, minor repairs
⬦ Trained and supervised high school interns performing hydroponic and aquaponic lab maintenance
Brooklyn College, Aquatic Research and Environmental Assessment Center
Intern, Summers 2014 and 2015 ⬦ Maintained greenhouse aquaponic/hydroponic experiment
Battery Park City Parks Conservancy
Assistant Seasonal Horticulturist, Summers 2012 ‒ 2015 ⬦ Maintained public gardens using IPM methods
Education
- Class of 2015 B.S. in Engineering Sciences, Concentration in Sustainable Food at Smith College
- Class of 2011 A.A. at Bard High School Early College
Experience
- September 2015 - August 2017 Lab Assistant at Hydroponics/Aquaponics Science and Technology Education Program at Cornell University Cooperative Extension NYC
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Maintained four hydroponic or aquaculture learning labs, designed and taught STEM and hydroponic curriculum to elementary and high school students, trained interns in lab maintenance, and planned crops for 500 sf rooftop hydroponic learning lab.
- September 2017 - June 2018 Grower at PureSpinach
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Joined very new team and helped generated operational and food safety SOPs, identify and solve yield problems, and optimize workflow for higher efficiency.
- March 2018 - Present Grow Room Manager at Green Top Farms
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Hired to grow microgreens and herbs for a catering company. Planned renovations to existing grow room, installed drip irrigation for microgreens and DWC hydroponics for herbs, wrote manual for Grow Room, trained kitchen employees in SOPs, planned crop expansion into a new grow room. Currently ramping up production in the new grow room, which is 140 ft of microgreeen NFT channels).