OSU Extension Internship Program «

Hi, my name is Cydney Stables, and I am the Agritourism intern for the Marion, Polk and Yamhill
County offices. A major part of my internship is traveling to Agritourism operations across the
state, surveying their customers for a day. We are collecting their information in a consumer
sentiment research project to help understand the value Agritourism serves in our
communities.

A photo of the product shelves available in the honey tasting room at Flying Bee Ranch. Photo: Cydney Stables

Our questions include topics of reasons for visiting the farm, distance traveled to get to the
farm, amount of money spent, overall satisfaction with their on-farm experience, best ways for
farmers to connect with consumers and why farms in general should be open to the public?
Several of these topics spark conversations with consumers and farmers alike. I have had the
opportunity while surveying to chat with individuals at the farm and learn more verbally about
their perspectives, experiences and personal opinions surrounding agriculture. I have found that
for consumers, the main reasons as to why Agritourism should exist seem to reside around
having the availability of locally grown products, the exposure to agricultural operations, a way
for farmers to make income and simply an activity to do with the family. To me, each of these
are important indicators that Agritourism is essential to educating consumers about the
agriculture industry.

Besides talking with consumers, I have also had the opportunity to speak with passionate
farmers and learn more about their challenges, goals and what they wished the public knew
about farming. My most recent experience of this was with the owner of Flying Bee Ranch in
Salem. Jeremy owns and manages a small honey operation where they host guests at a tasting
room on the farm, attend local farmers markets and provide direct-to-consumer products at
local stores. He sat down towards the end of my day surveying and chatted with me all about
his views as a farmer when it came to regulations surrounding Agritourism and the impact his
farm has on his customers. Some of these views include the difficulty he faces only owning a 5-
acre plot of land and trying to produce a living, the uncertainty of weather and other opposing
events impacting his daily sales and even a trend he has noticed when attending markets that
involves competing with what consumers define as “local.” Each of these concerns are topics
that Jeremy and likely many other small farmers worry about regularly, yet customers likely
never even realize.

To me, these conversations have been the most impactful part of my internship experience so
far. Coming from a small farm background and having the opportunity to network, learn and
experience how other small farms across the state of Oregon operate, the challenges they face
and the ways in which they are successful, has been extremely worthwhile.
I can’t wait to continue surveying farms across the state as I complete my internship. I am
excited to learn, network and collect research that will help aid in the awareness and
excitement surrounding a small sector of the agriculture industry.

I have truly enjoyed being an Oregon State University Extension Service this
summer. I have been able to participate in multiple events and develop new skills. While
my experience was entirely with 4-H I have had the opportunity to help with a range of
activities. I started off by teaching flower arranging at our Junior Master Gardener camp.
Flower arranging was one of my main 4-H projects, and I enjoyed sharing my
knowledge.

Dean Burwash is raised for a fun picture. Photo: Andrea Hunter

I also worked on my grant application skills by researching and looking at
successful applications. I had a difficult time finding grants that could be applied to the
specific things we needed them for. Some grants looked very promising and in the fine
print said that they would not give funds to universities or university programs. I was
successful with an application, and I also found a few perfect grants that we just missed
the deadlines for. I enjoyed learning about the grant application process, and I hope that
I can find a few more before my internship is over.

I continued creating Canva graphics for social media reminders, events and
posts. Throughout the last school year, I was working as an unpaid 4-H intern and all I
did was create social media posts. I have become well equipped using Canva and I can
see my improvement from my designs when I started.

The biggest part of my internship was working at the Polk County Fair. I spent
part of my time in the 4-H building answering questions and such. Most of my time was
spent running errands around the fairgrounds and helping with morning meetings.
In between these events I spent my time at the Oregon Outdoor Education
Center at 4-H Wild West Camp in July and August. I was not there only as an intern
necessarily, but it was still one of my favorite experiences working with 4-H this
summer.

The last two weeks I worked at the Oregon State Fair helping with setup,
teardown and picking up our county’s exhibits.

I think I gained a better understanding of 4-H programming and the work that
goes into things behind the scenes. I would tell future interns to participate in as many
things as they can. I have enjoyed participating in a wide range of events and activities
as an intern.

– Dean Burwash

Hello again! My name is Natalie Padilla and this summer I have had the opportunity to work as
an intern at the Oregon State University Extension Service in Clackamas County Extension office
in the SNAP-Ed, Family and Community Health program and recently even the Small Farms
program as well. I have spent this summer gaining new experiences and having the chance to
learn about so many different things! Now that September is here, I am nearing the end of my
internship and I am extremely grateful that it has been possible to do something like this.

Natalie Padilla working at the NWREC on a small project for Small Farm School. Photo: Macy Jones

As I mentioned, I am currently working with the Small Farms program. Macy, my fellow intern
at the office was given the chance to start working as SF interns this summer, which keeps us
even busier with more opportunities. We were able to finish up some of the social media posts
for the Small Farms Facebook and Instagram accounts. Once or twice a week, we go to NWREC
in Aurora to harvest Bitter Gourds and different Cucamelons. Most of what we have been
harvesting has been going to Salem Harvest, a non-profit organization who focuses on feeding
hungry families. It has been refreshing to see that what we have been harvesting is going to be
used to feed people that need it and they are not going to waste!

Not only have we been out in the field, one of the biggest things we have been working on is
preparing for Small Farm School at NWREC. SFS will host around 300 people who are excited to
learn about everything Ag related. To prepare I helped, along with Buffy Rhoades and Tanya
Kindrachuk to make around 400+ craisin oatmeal balls by hand. It was definitely an interesting
learning experience since I have never really cooked for that many people. Macy and I have also
been preparing nametags, and stuffing packets for the attendees of SFS. There have also been
some tiny side projects that we have to complete occasionally!

On the SNAP-Ed and FCH side of things, I am keeping busy as well but as my internship and
summer nears its end it is slowing down a little bit. Our last Walk With Ease class was
September 4th. It was a nice closing, and I am glad that we were able to do that bit of outreach
for people. I also helped at the OC Free Food Market on the 2nd and we have the last one to do
on the 11th.

Even though my internship is ending I am glad that it was a learning experience and that I can
say that I had the chance to help in some way. Being an OSU intern has taught me so much and
I have been able to grow through the summer and meet so many wonderful people, who have
also taught me so much.

Hi again! My name is Macy Jones and this summer I have had the opportunity to work as a
Family and community health / Small Farms Intern in Clackamas County. Throughout my
internship I have gained a better understanding of Extension and developed valuable skills that
I can take with me throughout my career.

Macy Jones working at the NWREC. Photo: Natalie Padilla

In the second half of my internship, I continued to work with Family and community health and
worked with the walk with ease program and the free food markets. We have made more
progress with walking with ease and hit the goal of walking for 30 minutes each session.
Through this program I’ve learned the importance of empathy, active listening, communication
and the meaning of community outreach. I am grateful I had the chance to build these skills. I
also attended the North Clackamas Free Food Market at the DHS office. This was a great way to
get out in the community and connect with others. One of my personal goals during my
internship was to become more comfortable with public speaking. Participating in the free food
market was a great way to practice and I have grown in my confidence when engaging with the
public.

Another exciting part of the last half of my internship was taking on a new role as a small farm
intern. In this position I was able to enhance my marketing skills by learning new tools such as
Meta business suite, Mailchimp and Canva where I was able to learn to make posts. I also spent
time at North Willamette Research Center where we did farm work and had hands-on
experience. While being on the farm I learned about soil moisture sensors and irrigation
systems and I also got to harvest a variety of cucumelons and bitter gourds. Right now, as a
small farm intern I have been helping prepare for mall farms School by making packets and
prepping name tags. All of these experiences have taught me the importance of hard work and
practical skills such as organization.

This Internship has been full of opportunities to grow, hands on learning and great experiences.
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work in Extension and be a part of a great team.
Thank you to my supervisors for your support throughout these past few months!

Hi, I’m Rachel and I’m an intern at Oregon State University Extension Service in Hood River
County. I have been working in partnership with the Master Gardener volunteers at the FISH Food
Bank Garden. The mission of the garden is to grow produce for the food bank and provide garden
education to the community. The garden is a place for people to visit, volunteer and connect with
others.

Rachel Fuller smiles for the camera in the FISH Garden. Photo: Yvonne (a FISH Food Bank volunteer)

My position in the garden was that of a garden manager. I found it enjoyable working with
the plants and soils as well as background systems and structures. I have years of experience in
vegetable farming and brought new ideas with a production mindset into the garden. This was a
fun challenge stepping into the gardening world and learning how to interact with vegetable
production in a more lowkey environment where community is really one of the main
components.

I have not fully comprehended the extent of this internship’s value. There were so many
things that I got to do and take part in including public speaking, infographics, creating systems,
building relationships and developing better intergenerational communication skills, working
with youth, grant writing knowledge, volunteer management, garden management and more.
When I went back to school, I had my eyes and heart set on the NRCS. That dream was derailed
this winter and since then I have been reassessing what I value in a future career. I went back to
school with the core mission to help rural farmers and communities.

Through the grant writing courses and discussions with a mentor I have seen the value in
those skills and the foundations that fund farmers and rural community projects. While I still have
interest in working in soil conservation, my interest is peaked and I wonder if a career working for
an organization or foundation that focuses on funding rural communities. While I love being
outside and working with plants and soils, I do think that my experience here has shown me that
I could take my career in many different directions. I have become increasingly more confident in
my right to guide my own days. I have invested my time in the things that benefit me and benefit
the garden. I have also become more confident in knowing what workload is manageable for me
and when to say no to extra tasks and projects while still finding a way to delegate the tasks so
that they get done.

Hello! Emily Killebrew, now Emily Riley, here! So many good things happened this summer
during my marketing internship at Oregon State University Extension Service in the Marion
County office, including my marriage last weekend. I attended many events, took many photos
and wrote many posts! The Instagram page has even gotten a good following started. Yay!
Now that I’m in the last month of this internship, I’m looking forward to seeing what the
Marion County office has in store to start up fall, such as the propagation classes the Marion
Master Gardeners Program is running and the Grass Seed Certification Process with Brandi
Freres, the Grass Seed Certification Aide. I’m also looking forward to some time to organize the
photos I have taken before I leave. There are a lot.

Emily Killebrew snaps a photo of the Food Safety and Preservation workshop in Scotts Grange. Photo: Sarita Contreras

A big struggle I overcame this summer was the work-life balance of moving, my wedding, taking
care of myself and participating in this internship. I found it challenging to stay focused in the
right time compartments; however, with the help of my supervisor, we were able to find a
schedule that worked best for me. I also gave myself grace reminders when I did not get things
done as expected. Thank you, Elvira Alvarez, for reminding me to do this!

Speaking of Elvira Alvarez, she and Susan Levy both helped me learn the little nuances of on-
brand social media marketing by using specific words when it comes to names, titles and
descriptions within each social media post. This is important for any future marketing interns:
using correct names and descriptions is more valuable than using a play on words to be creative
and not repetitive, either written or verbal. It’s much better to stay consistent with these rather
than finding other ways to call something or someone and offend others by accident.

As an aspiring writer, I tend to try and find synonyms of a word or other ways to say one thing,
so people aren’t distracted by repetitive word usage within my paragraphs or throughout
multiple posts. Now I know that people could get distracted in these instances if I change up
the words too much. I will remember this advice both when writing and speaking and hopefully
learn the delicate balance between the two while keeping the balance between them for the
rest of my life.

Additionally, Kelly Noack taught me that even clear photos do not necessarily mean they create
a story; what makes the story is other aspects of photos (action, focus, etc.). I hope to take her
advice to heart with any photo I keep and share with others.

Thank you, Oregon State University Extension Service in Marion County, for all that you taught
me and are still teaching me through this summer.

Hello, lovely people! My name is Nyla Bennett, and this is my closing blog for this year’s internship. I
hope that the people around me enjoyed this summer as much as I did.

Nyla Bennett, an intern in Wheeler County, enjoys a delicious crepe at the 4-H State Fair. Photo: Sophie Grow

This was my second time working as a Wheeler County Extension Service Intern, and reflecting on the
work I did last year compared to this year, I am so incredibly proud. I’m proud of the growth of our local
4-H program. I’m proud of the 4-H members with their projects and the effort they devoted to them.
And I’m proud of the skills I have developed over this past year, and how I implemented them in this
internship.

If I could give any piece of advice to future interns coming into this position, I’d have to say: you can’t
expect yourself to be able to do everything, but if you never try, you’ll never know if you could. Very
simple and cliché, but in this internship, you get to experience a wide variety of careers and will be
asked to complete tasks you may not think you can. For instance, over the course of our fair week, I
stood in for a clerk, photographer, herdsmanship judge and handyman, to name a few. I definitely was
not experienced with some of those jobs, but I learned what I needed to do and did the best I could.
The flexibility and variety are two aspects of this internship I adore. However, I also love the expected
parts of this position. In my role, I teach and lead classes and clinics, and guide 4-Hers to give them a
scaffold as future leaders. Working with the 4-H fair Junior Superintendents, I guided them through the
process of emceeing an awards ceremony, instructed them on the importance of delegating amongst a
group of leaders and encouraged them to face the fears of public speaking.

There have been so many opportunities presented to me in this position, but one of my favorites was
getting the chance to travel to the state capital and help with the photography section at the 4-H state
fair. I was a 4-H photographer myself when I was a youth in the program. I had many of my own photos
sent to the state, and being able to facilitate this process and work with the judges was such a treat
(along with the food at Salem, I had some crepes that were to die for).

Soon, I’m going to be heading back to La Grande to continue pursuing my bachelor of science in nursing
through OHSU. Heading into the nursing program and my future career, I’m even more grateful I had the
opportunity to be in this position. I’ve managed youth and adults, adapting programs/resources to fit
their personal needs. I’ve practiced interpersonal communication, explaining foreign concepts to my
students. Lastly, I’ve really learned the importance of empathizing with someone’s situation, so I can
understand exactly what they need and be more effective with both of our time. I’m excited to take
these refined skills into my day-to-day practice.

Hello, my name is Abigail Cape, and I am in towards the end of my internship for this
year with Polk County 4-H. Throughout this summer, I have had so many amazing experiences
and opportunities within Polk County 4-H. Some of my favorites were helping with the Jr. Master
Gardeners Camp, working with the West Salem Dream Center and finally being able to help
with both county and state fair. Fair itself has always been a favorite of mine; as a youth to show
at, and now as an intern being able to help with all of the behind the scenes work before, during,
and after fair is something that I truly enjoy. During our county fair this year, I had the
opportunity to run the small animal judging contest, which typically consists of knowledge, breed
ID and finally a couple of animals for the kids to judge; however, due to number of animals
required for a class, the judging portion of the contest was omitted causing the contest to be
more of a knowledge contest. Youth were able to choose from four different tests, two were
about rabbits and cavies (guinea pigs), with the other two being about various kinds of poultry.
During the state fair, I was able to clerk for the horticulture exhibits for the 4-H for the second
time, as well as work in the 4-H building at the state fair.

OSU Extension intern, Abigail Cape, assists with the small animal projects at the Polk County Fair. Pictured is a 4-Her walking her Cochin Bantam. Photo: Annalee Altavilla

Throughout my time this summer working with Extension, I have been able to learn so
much. With our county growing and more kids being interested in more things, helping the 4-H
program I grew up with grow and adapt to meet the needs of all the new members makes me so
happy. The skills I have learned during this internship will help me in my future years at school,
but also in my future career. As this summer and this internship unfortunately come to a close,
I’m reminded of all that I have learned through this program. I am truly grateful for everything
that I have experienced and everyone I have met in this internship this summer.

Hi again! My name is Savannah Barron, and this summer I had the pleasure of working as an
intern at Oregon State University Extension Service in Columbia County. During my last legs of
this internship, I have taken on many different projects. One of the largest—briefly mentioned in
my last blog—is the community garden at Lewis and Clarke Elementary School. It had been left
mostly to itself for about a year, so it was in dire need of a good weeding and watering. The
garden itself consists of four wooden plant beds and four metal ones, with previously planted
garlic and onions, as well as a fairly large native plant bed. Weeding out thistle and older plants
was a fun challenge, but planting some seeds in the hope that they would be ready in the fall for
the kids to help harvest was probably my favorite part. Currently, the radishes I planted have
taken off, while the strawberries, cucumbers and various herbs are a bit slower. I’m so excited
to see what the school ends up doing with the garden, and grateful that I could get it into a more
manageable condition for them.

OSU Extension intern, Savannah Barron, and Master Gardeners at Scappoose Farmers Market. Photo: Cassie Hall

I have continued with the Columbia County needs assessment, through both calling farmers and
tabling at events like the Clatskanie Garlic and Pollinator Festival, as well as farmers’ markets—
no matter how hot it may be. I have to say the people I’ve been talking to just have so much
passion for not only their farms and gardens, but for supporting the entire community of
Columbia County. Everyone’s very much invested in growing and changing as a collective, and
it’s been an honor being able to give them a bit of a voice in how they want to do that. Another
really fun bit of programming I’ve been able to do is going on site visits with Janhvi Pandey, who
takes care of our Master Gardener and Small Farms programs. These visits gave me hands-on
experience in what discussions occur about land use, plant diagnostics and even watershed-
based information in people’s day-to-day lives.

Overall, my time at Columbia County Extension has been very engaging. I feel as though I’ve
learned a lot, not just about the programs and events that Extension helps make happen, but
also about the community I live in. The diversity and dedication of the people I have met are
truly amazing things to witness. I am so very grateful for the opportunities that have been
presented to me and for the wonderful people in the Columbia County Extension office who
have helped guide me in this journey. I cannot wait to see how this experience will shape me as
I go on to newer things.

As we near the end of summer, I find myself reflecting on the many moments, lessons and
opportunities that shaped this season of growth. When I first began this internship with Oregon
State University’s Open Campus and Juntos, I knew it would be an enriching experience, but I
couldn’t have imagined just how many hats I would wear along the way.

On August 20th, Lucia and the summer 2025 Cohort for the Higher Education Family Workshops smile for a group photo. Photo: Yuri Reyes

Some days, I was a chauffeur, driving teens to and from camps. On other days, I was a project
manager, coordinating schedules, deadlines and communication to ensure things ran smoothly. I
stepped into the role of event coordinator more than once, setting up spaces, organizing materials
and preparing for the parents and students who would walk through the door. And in between, I
found myself doing administrative work, data entry and even serving as a panelist for a Q&A
session at Chemeketa’s La Bienvenida event. Every day brought something new and each role
taught me a valuable lesson about adaptability, leadership and the importance of stepping in
wherever needed.

This summer was also defined by the projects I had the privilege to be a part of. I supported three
youth camps that gave students the chance to learn, explore and imagine their futures. I reached
out to recent high school graduates to share resources and opportunities available to them,
helping them take that important next step after graduation. I facilitated a series of four
workshops entirely in Spanish, my favorite role, creating a space where parents felt comfortable,
included and empowered to support their children’s educational journeys. I was also able to
represent Oregon State University in the Fiesta Mexicana Parade, where I was proud to include
my daughter.

Lucia, daughter Elisa (age 4) and Benny the Beaver, among other OSU Alumni, current students, and volunteers, showed OSU pride and passed out swag items during the Fiesta Mexicana Parade. Photo: Yuri Reyes

As my internship comes to an end, I look back with deep gratitude for the opportunities I’ve had,
the people I’ve met and the growth I’ve experienced both personally and professionally. I’m
grateful for the incredible team I worked alongside, especially my supervisor, Yuri Reyes, whose
strong yet compassionate leadership has given me invaluable insight into the kind of professional
I hope to become.

This summer has been a lot of work, but also so much fun! As I take the next steps in my
education and career, I’ll carry with me the lessons I’ve learned and the lasting impact of my
summer with Oregon State University Extension.

– Lucia Rocha

OSU Extension Internship Program

OSU Extension intern studies agritourism’s role in local communities

OSU Extension Intern explores the heart of 4-H through events and engagement

OSU Extension intern wraps up a summer of service and skill building

OSU Extension intern bridges family health and farming in Clackamas County

OSU Extension intern focuses on growing- in more ways than one

OSU Extension intern reflects on milestones, marketing and mentorship

OSU Extension intern shares wisdom for future interns

OSU Extension intern helps grow the 4-H program that grew her

OSU Extension intern cultivates gardens-and community insight-in Columbia County

OSU Extension intern leads through versatile roles and responsibilities

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