Hey everyone, my name is Madelyn Bloom. I’m an intern with Oregon State University Extension Service in Klamath County, working closely with our amazing farmers market. I am currently attending California State University, Fresno, where I am majoring in agricultural business. I will graduate in May 2024. I have been living in the Klamath Basin for six years and I’m excited that I get to help in my community. When I read about this opportunity, I was very excited since I have always been interested in what Extension does and it interests me as a future career.

If you have been to Klamath Falls you would know that it is a smaller town but has some amazing opportunities. Personally, I think the Klamath Falls Farmers Market is an incredible place where the small local farmers of the Klamath basin get to sell their fresh produce. It’s also a great place where the incredible artisans get a place to share their products. My role is going to be finding special events to help boost the attendance at the market. The market received a grant from the county to help with that, so I get the opportunity to find community members, non-profit organizations and local businesses that want to be a part of the market. I work at the market every Saturday at the Extension market booth. That’s where we answer any questions and people can use their Oregon Trail Cards to exchange them for tokens that which can be used with vendors. We also are a part of the Double Up Bucks, which is a program that matches up to $20 off the Oregon Trail Card every Saturday so essentially that is $80 extra a month for participants.

I also have been working on our local elementary school art contest and taking the best 21 drawings and making them into an academic calendar. I have worked many hours on this project because it has been more challenging than I expected. I have finally finished, and it is on the final steps.