Lights, Camera, Action! Ten student organizations presented over Winter term about the AMAZING events, activities and opportunities they do. Read below to find out more from the CAS Club Spotlights!
Steer-A-Year Club
Building a brand through hands on experiences and networking opportunities is what Steer-A-Year (SAY) implements and represents throughout the year. There are over fifty-five active members who are responsible for daily feedings and ensuring the proper maintenance of each cattle through weighing, vaccinating, and incorporating health checks every day. Currently the Steer-A-Year club has twenty-five head of cattle, which are all donated from cattle operations far and near. Additionally, members have a strong presence throughout the industry at the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association Convention and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Three members went to New Orleans for the NCBA convention where they were actively engaged in a series of educational seminars, including such topics as low stress handling with Temple Grandin, the latest news with meat substitutes, and ways to program your cow herd for success. If you are interested in learning more about the beef cattle industry, there is also the unique experience to take Steer-A-Year for credit. For more information, all are welcome to join the organization in Oatfield 106 every Tuesday at 6 PM. Find them on Facebook to stay in touch at Oregon State University Steer A Year.
Meat Science Club
Most people ask how they want their hair cut from their hair stylist and most people ask for directions from their GPS tracking device, so shouldn’t we refer our questions about all things meat to none other than the Meat Science club here at Oregon State University. The purpose of their club is to tie in the processing as well as the science behind the production of the meat in order to become more knowledgeable about the meat products we all know, enjoy, and consume. Members of the club recently attended the Northwest Meat Processors Convention. This opened up the chance for these members to be involved in numerous workshops revolving around what has recently been going on in the meat processors industry. There were also ample networking opportunities with small custom meat shops from all along the Pacific Northwest and surrounding areas. One fun part of their experience at this convention was seeing the first USDA inspected mobile slaughter trailer.
Pre- Veterinary Medical Association
The best therapist has fur and four legs, and the members of the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association at OSU are here to help better serve that statement with their annual fundraiser, Dog n’ Jog. This event is April 13th and half the proceeds go to Rescuers without Borders. PVMA prides themselves with being one of the largest student organizations at OSU with their primary purpose being to further the knowledge of OSU students who are interested in the field of Veterinary Medicine. In doing so, they host a variety of hands on workshops to better equip animal lovers and Pre- Vet students for such things as horse handling, applying sutures, and utilizing veterinary skills. There are ample opportunities also for volunteering and ranges from serving on the lambing crew for the OSU Sheep Center and observing at the large animal hospital in campus to going out into the community with the Chintimini Wildlife Center and Heartland Humane Society. As an active and due paying member, there is the additional bonus of going on trips to the Oregon Zoo, Hatfield Marine Science Center, and Wildlife Safari. Last term members attended the American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association National Symposium, which was held at Penn State University and provided the experience to gain extensive knowledge in the field of veterinary services through an array of labs, lectures, and presentations.
Bird Nerds
If you want to be a part of a community of students who have a passion for volunteerism, furthering their education, and conservation efforts of any kind, then the Bird Nerds Club just might be the place for you. To name a few workshops that the members are involved in, there is tree climbing, mist netting/ bird banding, raptor identification, and Pelagic Birding Identification. The Bird Nerds membership just got back from their Spring Break Field Trip. It was here that they went to Patagonia, Arizona to visit the Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN). This organization specializes in collaborative restoration projects for wildlife in a sensitive ecoregion known as the Sky Islands. The first four days of this trip took the Bird Nerds through many different habitats for birding, with the added opportunity to help on some important BRN projects, as well as with the Tubac Hawk Watch. Throughout the rest of the trip, members traveled to Saguaro National Park, Audubon Paton Center for Hummingbirds, Patagonia Lake State Park, and more! From the membership of the Bird Nerds student organization, stay nerdy! Also, go check out their awesome pictures and amazing updates by “Liking” their Facebook page “The Bird Nerds Club at Oregon State University.”
Mycology
Ever heard about that one fun guy? Me neither! But I hear there are over eighty thousand of them yet to be explored by the friends over at the Mycology club. This is a club dedicated to, yes, the most interesting fungi out there, mushrooms. The Mycology club is relatively new to campus and the Ag Exec council, and currently they are looking to expand their network and membership. Their mission is to educate the public on mushrooms and expose members to the taxonomy, ecology, and economy of fungi. Last year right here on the OSU campus, Joey Spatafora gave a distinguished professors lecture on “How Fungi Changed the World.” The Mycology club is here to echo the research and development that has been invested in this field. You never know when there could be a fungus among us.
Food and Fermentation
Who doesn’t love good food with good company? The Food and Fermentation club provides these opportunities with workshops that include smoking salmon, making ice cream with gelatin beads, creating queso fresco, and enjoying cheese fondue. Industry tours around Oregon are also a big part of what the club does every term such as visiting the Tillamook Cheese Factory and partaking on a Portland Food and Pub Crawl. Don’t worry just yet because there are even more events to look forward to this Spring term. Visit them on Facebook “OSU Food and Fermentation Science Club” to seek out more information about a coffee tasting workshop, more upcoming industry tours, and the chance to attend the Food Ingredients Expo in Portland.
Vitis
Did you know OSU has a vineyard? Well, now you do! With the help of the Vitis club, OSU’s Woodhall Vineyard and Lewis-Brown Farm get the best maintenance as students are able to harvest, prune, thin, and sucker the vines. For those of who may be wondering what sucker means, essentially it is best defined as the removal of all unnecessary shoots which grow on vines as the weather warms up. In addition to this hands-on work experience throughout the year, the membership attends winery tours around the area, participates in a winemaking extravaganza, and engages in a variety of wine sensory events. During Winter term, members also attended the Oregon Wine Symposium which offered a great number of seminars and speakers who passionately discussed hot topics and interests in the Oregon wine industry. These topics included business and marketing as well as viticulture and enology. Go to their Facebook page “OSU VITIS Club” to see their latest whereabouts. SAVE THE DATE for May 30th for those wine connoisseurs or anyone interested in seeing the current research going on in the Food Science department! “A Taste of Research: The Sensible Science” will be taking place in the MU Ballroom from 3:30-8:00 PM. See the link below for more details!
https://foodsci.oregonstate.edu/foodsci/taste-research
Crop Science
Asking why and knowing how is what the Crop Science club is all about when it comes to farm crops and discussing potential issues that arise in the production process. Through various industry tours members have visited such places as the Hazelnut Growers of Oregon/ Wilco Distribution Center, Valley Agronomics, and the Industrial Aviation Services. In the past they have consistently extended a helping hand toward Oregon FFA’s Career Development Experience (CDE) Days where they planted crops, created seed kits, and volunteered to better facilitate the agronomy competition. During their weekly meetings they have guest speakers come in from throughout the industry to speak on new technology, prevalent issues, and the daily news in crop production. This last term they had representatives from the McGregor Agronomy company speak about career networking opportunities. On that note, the Crop Science club knows that every day is a new day to thank a farmer. So, if you ate today go out and thank your local farmer!
International Agriculture
You might be in the International Agriculture club if you knew that at each meeting they have FOOD. Each meeting they try new food while sharing an interest in agriculture and learning about countless countries’ relationship through this industry as well as the scientific progression and fascinating historical innovations within the field of agriculture. In previous years, members have been able to travel as far as Indonesia to attend the World Congress, which was in collaboration with students from over twenty-six countries. Get to know and experience a new country while collaborating with others and become more aware of agriculture in different regions through workshops, sightseeing, and educational farm visits. If anyone wants to expand their global horizon, then International Agriculture is the place for you!
Collegiate Farm Bureau
Grow in membership and knowledge as we welcome the Collegiate Farm Bureau to the OSU community. The mission of the Collegiate Farm Bureau is to provide opportunities to engage students in the leadership, advocacy, and networking resources made available throughout the conferences as well as the agriculture industry. Some of the events they travel to include the American Farm Bureau National Convention and the Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference. This is a great opportunity to travel the United States and build connections with individuals who have the same interest in agriculture and natural resources. Find them on Facebook under “Oregon Collegiate Farm Bureau at OSU” and stay in the know as the club travels to Woodburn this term to visit the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm. Join them every third Wednesday of the month at the Crop Science building at 7:00 PM.
Recapture the Moment! Did you miss out on the leadership and networking opportunities last term? No need to fear for a recap is here! Check out below now!
Etiquette Dinner Recap
Classy, professional, and very much educational. To say the least, the Etiquette Dinner was a huge success with participants from a wide variety of student organizations. We started off the evening with our keynote speaker, Calli Davis, who brought a twist to dinner table etiquette. As she went over the basics of place settings and how to serve food around the table, people in attendance were able to practice when food was served at our table. A few notes that were mentioned by Callie included passing food from left to right, never separate the salt and pepper, and never intercept a pass when food is going around the table. By the time dessert came around- tiramisu and strawberry shortcake, Calli moved on to her next topic, which was how to dress professional and business casual. To end the evening, our very own advisor of the Agricultural Executive Council, Christina Walsh, spoke so eloquently in regards to how to work a room when speaking toward an audience. She mentioned how to properly use a microphone, how to use the space you are given to speak in, and how to captivate the attention of your audience. Christina captivated us with her warm personality to better prepare us for getting over the fear of public speaking in which seventy four percent of people suffer from. We ended the night with an activity in each table where each person was given two words to come up with a story and give a speech by using some of the concepts Christina shared. Overall, the evening was full of good food, good company, and a unique experience.
Professional Symposium
Be bold. Be persistent. Be challenged enough to rise to any occasion. These three main takeaways from this year’s Sigma Alpha Professional Symposium in partnership with the Agricultural Executive Council motivated and inspired the students who were in attendance. This year’s theme was “Women in Agriculture: Rising to the Challenge.” The panelists included AshlyAnn Lemhouse with Veterinary Services, Inc.; Rachel Palmer with Phibro Animal Health; Kathy Ferge with USDA-NRCS; Elizabeth Sell with FarmHouse Marketing and Communications; and Kellie Claflin who is a graduate teaching assistant completing her PhD in Education with an emphasis in Agricultural Education. These women touched on topics such as how to balance work with your personal life and why being a woman in the agriculture industry should push us more. They also discussed some of the biggest challenges they have each had to overcome. It was an evening of reassurance and guidance from strong individuals thriving in the field of agriculture.
Spring Term Events at a Glance
Ag Days in the SEC Plaza
If you happen to see a tractor on campus between April 16th and 17th, do not be alarmed! This just means Ag Days are here, which means lots of opportunities to sign up for some or all of the thirty amazing clubs within Ag Exec, eat some great BBQ, and receive some REMARKABLE advice from panelists in the agriculture industry. Stop by on Tuesday, April 16th in SEC Plaza from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM!
“Coast with the Most” Agricultural Executive Council Industry Tour
From Newport to Coos Bay, students within the College of Agricultural Sciences will be traveling the Southern Coast. There’s no doubt why this is the coast with the most to offer. The weekend of April 26th, the Ag Exec Council and students from throughout the college will be driving out to Newport to tour Pacific Seafood and commercial fishing boats in the area. We will then head on over to the Coos Bay History Museum and move on down to Bandon for a Lavender Farm tour as well as a cranberry operation and then jump over to Charleston check out their marine center. There are many more stops along the way, and we are excited to find out more about the agriculture that makes up this region of Oregon. What an awesome opportunity for student organization to not only represent their membership, but also Oregon State University.
CAS Dance with FarmHouse Fraternity
Save the date for May 22nd! This Spring term the FarmHouse Fraternity has invited the Agriculture Executive Council to help host the College of Agricultural Science Western Dance. Look forward to a night of dancing, games, and mingling with other student organizations. Details to come, so stay posted on Ag Exec’s social media on Facebook and Instagram.
The Agricultural Executive Council wishes you all the best of luck in your Spring Term!