Livestock « OSU Extension Internship Program

Hey everyone! If you don’t remember me from my last blog post, my name is Shylee Davis, and I am interning with OSU Extension in Harney County. Since my last blog post, a lot has happened! One of the biggest things was our day camp. This year, our day camp was called Dirt to Dinner, where kids ages 5 to 11 were taught where their food comes from and how it gets from the farm to their plate.

Shylee smiles with her steer that she will be showing at the 2026 Harney County Fair in September. Photo: Nikylee Davis

We kicked off the camp by bringing in local producers from the farmer’s market. They explained where and how the items sold at a farmer’s market are produced and what kinds of products you can find there. The kids then learned about chickens and goats from another local producer, including the different breeds that are raised for meat and may eventually end up on their dinner plate.

The next part of our Dirt to Dinner journey focused on the kids learning about growing plants. We had an agriculture teacher come in and teach them about germination and how to properly plant seeds. The kids were able to pot peas and marigolds to take home with them. After that, they learned about the ruminant stomach from our very own Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center. They brought in a cannulated steer, which has an opening into its rumen that allows people to observe what cattle eat and how their food is digested. The kids were able to safely put their hands into the rumen and feel what the steer had been eating. It was definitely an experience they will remember!

The bee display from the Harney County Dirt to Dinner day camp. Photo: Shylee Davis

On the third day, we had a local honeybee producer come in and teach the kids about bees and microgreens. She brought a special display that allowed the kids to see the bees up close without being stung. The kids observed many interesting things, from spotting drone bees, which are male bees, to even watching a baby bee hatch. After learning about bees, the kids got to start their own microgreens and learned what microgreens are and how they are grown. Later that day, our Junior Leaders (members of a 4-H club focused on leadership) each gave an educational presentation to the kids on a topic of their choosing. It was great to see them take what they have learned through 4-H and share their knowledge with younger kids.

We finished our week with Autumn, our 4-H Coordinator, teaching the kids about different types of soil and showing them how to ribbon soil to determine its texture. Later, we had someone bring in a milking sheep, allowing the kids to try milking and learn more about where milk comes from. At the same time, Boer goats made an appearance to teach the campers about their purpose in agriculture. We ended the camp with frozen yogurt and a water fight, which was a pretty great way to finish four busy days of learning!

After day camp, I was busy with fair preparations, including creating social media posts and helping put together our new fair office. Unfortunately, the fires then affected my family and our cattle, which meant that things had to slow down for a little while. I am now back in the office and right back to working on preparations for our County Fair, which will be held September 8th–12th.

Looking back on my internship, I have learned so much about what goes on behind the scenes to make programs and events happen. From working with kids at day camp to helping prepare for the county fair, I have been able to experience many different sides of Extension and agriculture. I am grateful for all of the opportunities I have had and for everyone who has helped make this internship such a great experience. Thank you for following along with me through my internship! Until next time!

Hi again! It’s Evelyn, the OSU Extension intern from Wasco County, Oregon. This has been an amazing summer, and I have learned a lot. Now that all of our 4-H summer camps have finished, I can recap everything I learned. To make the camps run smoothly, we have to ensure we have enough supplies for every student, from building materials to working computers, to snacks and water bottles. I also learned that even if you spend days updating computers in June, Windows will still require major updates in July that unfortunately must be installed for the computers to run. While working with Susan McCourt on our Invention Convention (IC) teacher training, I have learned what IC will look like in Oregon in the future. Additionally, I facilitated my first Zoom meeting, which took a lot of troubleshooting to set up, but it was a huge success! I have learned a lot about Zoom, and I feel quite prepared if I am needed to run another meeting again.

One big struggle I faced this year was at one of our later summer camps. We were running our camp at one of our local elementary schools, and a lot of our computers were unable to connect to the internet. After sorting through the twenty-one computers I had, I was able to connect twelve to the internet. We had a 16-student camp starting in 30 minutes and were prepared to pair up students to ensure everyone could learn. We then had many students go to the wrong location due to a mislabeled email months back, but by the time the camp started, we had twelve students show up. Luckily, we had enough computers, and the rest of the day went smoothly. I learned a great deal about organization and adapting when encountering challenges to achieve success amidst struggles.

Students at the 3D Printing Camp testing their boat designs in a tub of water. Photo: Cameron Deitz-Fuller

This past week I have been helping Leah Ashley plan the Wasco County Fair. This involved doing odd jobs around the office. I made judging cards for livestock and small animals, and then dove into sorting the champion banners into their respective categories. This part of the fair is actually quite exciting because I get to see what the 4-H office team does before the fair starts. During the fair, I will be helping run the STEM activities: robotics, duct-tape projects and popsicle-stick catapults [due to the Grasshopper Fire, the Wasco County Fair has been canceled, placing all fair activities on hold].

Now that my internship is almost over (August 14th is my last day), I can share what I have generally learned this summer. Besides learning how to run the 4-H camps and the fair, I have learned how to solve problems with limited instructions, which is a very useful skill. Also, all the knowledge I gained about STEM and the Wasco County Fair will help me as I pursue a career in engineering.

I would like to thank the entire Wasco County OSU Extension office for making my internship a very enjoyable experience. I would also like to thank Susan McCourt, whom I worked alongside during my internship. It has been a pleasure to hear about all of the other interns’ stories, and I hope everyone has an amazing year!

As my internship with Hood River County Extension comes to an end, it is hard to believe how much I have learned in such a short amount of time. Looking back on this summer, one of the biggest highlights was helping with the Hood River County Fair. I knew fair week would be busy, but I did not realize just how much work goes on behind the scenes to make everything come together. Seeing months of planning become a successful event for our 4-H members and community was an incredibly rewarding experience.

Karyna Marquez poses with the Grand Champion Sheep Showmen of the Hood River County Fair.

Throughout fair week, I helped wherever I was needed. Every day looked a little
different, whether I was assisting with livestock activities, answering questions, helping with events, or supporting Extension staff behind the scenes. One of my favorite parts of the internship was getting to experience so many different aspects of Extension work. Being willing to jump in wherever help was needed taught me how important flexibility and teamwork are. There were plenty of moments when plans changed or unexpected situations came up, but everyone worked together to make sure the fair was successful.

Karyna (right) smiles after working hard photographing and assisting with buyer paperwork at the Hood River County Youth Livestock Auction.

One of the biggest things I will take away from this internship is the confidence I have gained. Since I grew up in Hood River County 4-H, many of the volunteers, parents, and community members have known me for years as an exhibitor. This summer, I stepped into a different role. Instead of being the kid showing livestock, I was working alongside those same adults as an Extension intern, helping answer questions, support events, and assist wherever I could. At first, it felt a little strange navigating that change, but over time I became more confident in myself and my abilities. Learning to contribute as a coworker instead of just a participant showed me how much I have grown, both personally and professionally.

Working under my supervisor, Grace Wesson, gave me a behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into Extension programming and the county fair. I learned that successful events require organization, communication, teamwork, and the ability to adapt when things do not go exactly as planned. Those are skills I know I will carry with me throughout college and into my future career in agricultural communications.

As I finish this internship, I am grateful for everything I have learned and everyone who invested in me along the way. If I could give one piece of advice to future interns, it would be to say yes to every opportunity. Some of the most valuable experiences came from stepping outside my comfort zone and taking on tasks I had never done before. You never know what you will learn or who you will meet. This internship has strengthened my confidence, expanded my perspective, and reinforced my passion for serving the agricultural community, and I am excited to carry these experiences with me into the future.

Hi! I’m Natasha Lane, the Summer Intern for OSU Extension in Union County! As an incoming sophomore studying plant science-crop science and sustainable food & bioenergy-crop production with a minor in precision agriculture & land management systems, I aim to become the owner/operator of the diversified crop farm that I grew up on here in Union County. Following my past experience as a 4-Her, especially as a 4-H Ambassador, I had been exposed to Extension and decided to pursue this internship with the intent of being able to give back to 4-H and learn about the behind-the-scenes of Extension as well as its different branches.

OSU Extension intern, Natasha Lane, driving the Alfalfa Omega SP-SW 125 during the forage trails. Photo: Darrin Walenta

In June, I was able to assist with the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show, which encompasses multiple counties and allowed me to work and connect with the other 4-H program coordinators across Oregon. Some of my responsibilities during the Stock Show included managing the 4-H office window, assisting the photographer during market shows, preparing for the shows and awards ceremony, running errands, and staffing the OSU Extension office.

I also helped our Agronomist and Assistant Professor of Practice with forage trials— collecting dry and wet samples of the forage as well as being able to drive the Alfalfa Omega SP-SW 125. I also helped with the annual Union County Crop Tour, during which I managed bus attendance. On the tour, the public and I were driven around the county and stopped at three diverse locations where we learned about different agricultural operations near us. I enjoyed being a part of the Crop Tour and seeing how it helped bridge the gap between producers and consumers.

Natasha judging the Pee Wee swine showmanship contest during the Union County Fair. Photo: Carrie Lane

The last few events that I was able to be a part of, Tri-County 4-H Camp and Union County Fair, were some of my favorites. At camp I assisted with check-ins, chaperoned a trip to the water park, and helped co-teach a workshop on ice cream making. I love working with kids and seeing the campers have a great time was truly a rewarding experience. Similarly, I was able to get involved with helping 4-H youth at the fair from clerking the dog show to clerking the livestock shows. It really became a full-circle moment for me as I was also able to act as a judge for the All-Around Showman and Pee Wee Show for swine, something I competed in when I was a 4-Her!

As my summer ends, I have been able to reflect on all the valuable lessons and skills being an intern has taught me that goes beyond just Extension. Volunteers are truly the backbone of so many of our youth programs and it truly is a thankless job. I worked my hardest to be an asset to them because they deserve all thanks and praise for making 4-H such a successful program. Additionally, I have been exposed to research projects that I didn’t know existed and I can’t wait to return to school with a revamped passion for learning and discovery. Lastly, all the men and women I have worked with this summer are such impressive people and being allowed to be a part of their team has truly been something special, so I would like to thank Karie Kelley, Honour Bowen, Shelby Benson, Darrin Walenta and Grace Dudek for letting me be a part of their whirlwind of a summer!

My name is Karyna Marquez, and I am excited to be serving as the Hood River County 4-H Intern this summer. I am a Hood River County native and a freshman at Oklahoma State University, where I am majoring in agricultural communications and earning a certificate in meat science. Growing up in Hood River County, 4-H played a major role in my life and helped shape who I am today.

Karyna Marquez promotes the livestock industry during her senior photo session. Photo: Hannah Muhlbeier

My journey in 4-H began when I was a Cloverbud and continued throughout my youth as I became involved in livestock projects. Over the years, I showed large livestock competitively throughout the Pacific Northwest and developed a passion for the agriculture industry and youth development. Through my experiences in 4-H, I gained valuable skills in leadership, responsibility, communication and public speaking that continue to benefit me today.

Because of the positive impact 4-H had on my life, I am excited to return to the program in a new role this summer. As the Hood River County 4-H Intern, I will be assisting with outreach, programming and county fair activities. This internship provides an opportunity to give back to the program that gave me so much while also gaining professional experience in Extension. My career goal is to work in agricultural communications, whether that be for an agriculture communications company or within the communications department of a larger agriculture organization. Through this internship, I hope to strengthen my communication skills, learn more about community outreach and gain a better understanding of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into Extension programming and events. I am also excited to learn more about event planning, social media outreach and the many ways Extension serves local communities.

One thing I am especially looking forward to this summer is helping with county fair activities. Fair week was always one of my favorite parts of 4-H and I am excited to experience it from a new perspective. I also hope to work on outreach projects, assist with youth programming and help create resources that support local 4-H members and families. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend the summer with Hood River County Extension and eager to learn, grow and give back to a program that has had such a meaningful impact on my life.

Hello everyone! My name is Shylee Davis, and I am an intern with the OSU Extension Service in Harney County. As local as it gets, I am a born and raised cattle rancher with a passion for the agriculture industry. Growing up around livestock, I quickly discovered that working with animals was where I belonged. This fall, I will be attending Central Oregon Community College to study health sciences before transferring into a veterinary technician program.

Shylee Davis smiles for a senior photo with her horse. Photo: Brooke Joyce

My involvement with Extension coincides with my involvement in 4-H, which started when I was in the fourth grade through my participation in swine projects and dog training. Because 4-H has played such an important role in my life, I was excited for the opportunity to work with the Extension Service and gain a behind-the-scenes perspective of the program that helped shape me. 4-H has taught me countless valuable life skills including responsibility, leadership and confidence. One of the best parts of this internship has been working alongside an amazing team while continuing to grow my passion for animal science and youth development. Throughout this summer, I have had the opportunity to assist with a wide variety of projects. I began by helping design and paint waves on the Harney County Historical Society’s Fourth of July float; Crossing of the Delaware. I have also helped set up livestock panels at the fairgrounds in preparation for the county fair in September. Aside from these activities, most of my time has been spent in the Extension office where I have worked on many different projects. Through Canva, I have designed buttons and T-shirts for our 4-H Day Camp, held July 13-16. More recently, I have been organizing office storage areas and sorting through historical records and books.

As the summer continues, I will be helping prepare for the Harney County Fair. I am especially excited about helping with fair preparations because, although I have spent many years exhibiting livestock, this internship has given me the opportunity to experience everything that happens behind the scenes. I have a new appreciation for the planning, teamwork and dedication required to make the fair a success.

Balancing this internship with my own market and breeding livestock projects through FFA has been both challenging and rewarding. It has strengthened my time management skills and allowed me to experience the fair process from both the exhibitor and organizer’s perspectives. This internship has been an incredible learning experience and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to give back to the program that has given so much to me. I look forward to continuing to learn, serve my community and help make this year’s Harney County Fair a great success.

Hi, my name is Heidi Moran, and this summer I have been the Union County intern. This summer has
been busy with many incredible experiences. During my internship, I mainly worked with various 4-H
events. Before this internship, I was always extremely involved in 4-H. I have enjoyed working for 4-H
and being able to see all the work that goes into running all of the events I used to participate in. This
summer, I helped with the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show, Union County Interstate Exchange Trip, Tri-
County 4-H Camp and the Union County Fair.

Heidi Moran and Shelby Benson strike a pose at the Tri-County 4-H Camp Celebration. Photo: Heidi Moran

This summer, I was able to help with the Tri-County 4-H camp. This year’s camp theme was board
games. Before camp, I helped prepare all of the necessary supplies that we would need at camp. At
camp, I helped with check-in, board game Pictionary and popping popcorn. I also taught an ice cream
class with our office specialist, Shelby Benson. We also created a playlist for the celebration and MCed
the celebration. 4-H camp was always a highlight of my summer every year, and I enjoyed being able to
help out.

The main event I helped with this summer was the Union County Fair. I helped with preparations for the
fair, such as making exhibitor packets, putting together clerk books and preparing awards. Before the
fair started, I helped with the horse show and pre-fair contests such as the fashion revue. During the fair
week, I was the clerk for all of the livestock shows and handed out ribbons for the steer show. OSU
Extension also had a booth at the fair, so I helped decorate (we won), staff the booth and engage with
the public, informing them of all the opportunities presented by OSU Extension. When I had free time
from helping with 4-H events. It was a great Union County Fair!

An office project I helped with this summer was the renovation of our conference room. We were
getting new flooring put in, so Shelby Benson and I pulled up some of the carpet. We also painted the
bottom of the conference room walls blue. When the flooring was finished, we brought all of the
furniture back in and arranged it. This is a project that will have a lasting impact on space functionality
for community members.

This will be my final summer as an intern. Over the last 3 years, I have learned many things, such as time
management, organization and how to paint (kind of). I also made many relationships and memories
over the past 3 years. I will be able to use what I have learned and the relationships I have built in my
future career as an educator.

Gracie Cox

Since my last post, my weeks at Extension are flying by and I’m feeling more and more ingrained in Lane County’s projects and culture.

By far, the most exhilarating experience of my internship has been working at the Lane County Fair with our 4-H team for the 4-H and FFA Fair. Coming from a suburban background where my interactions with animals amounted to the occasional squirrel, witnessing the dedication, community and skill of 4-Hers at the fair was incredible. And even more so, I admired the efforts of 4-H families, volunteers and, of course, staff in aiding their success. While fair showed me just how much I still have to learn about this program, I’m impressed by how quickly I picked up the small details that enable an event as complex as fair to run smoothly; these being thorough and direct communication, knowing when to plan ahead and when to act in the moment and how to prioritize the public’s often contrasting needs.

A young man walking a black and white cattle in a fair barn. — A youth showman walking their steer to be groomed in the Lane County Fair’s Cattle Barn. Photo: Gracie Cox

A key takeaway from fair, and this experience as a whole, is that in public service, there is no “perfect” decision or program. There will always be unexpected (or even expected) hurdles, and the key to being successful in public-facing roles is embracing these challenges as learning opportunities. Even more, I’ve learned to focus on positive feedback and experiences to contextualize the less positive. Appreciating that, at the end of the day, your work has a net positive impact on the community is key to maintaining the vigor necessary to sustain yourself in this field. This is a lesson I plan on referring back to in all areas of my life, whether it be my education, career, relationships or as an overall approach to where and how I spend my time.

Two people sitting behind a table with yellow and blue papers on it — Gracie and Lane County 4-H’s EPA, Kate Hammarback, preparing materials for Master Showmanship at Lane County’s 4-H and FFA Fair. Photo: Elizabeth Gangwer

For future Extension interns, my advice is to throw yourself into the experience, even when it may be intimidating to try new things and potentially mess up. The “newness” of experiences and people at Extension is what makes this opportunity so beneficial. Lean into the aspects that you’re unfamiliar with and watch your confidence grow day by day. Those days will soon turn into weeks, which will turn into months, and all of a sudden, you’ll be preparing to tell Extension “goodbye.”

Hello, my name is Abigail Cape, and this is my second-year interning for Oregon State
University Extension Service Polk County Extension in Dallas, OR. I am going into my third year at
Oregon State University majoring in psychology. After I graduate, as of right now I am hoping to go to
graduate school to get my doctoral degree in counseling psychology. For my future career I hope to either
have a career as a counselor with a specialty in trauma or becoming a counselor for teens and young
adults, with a Christian backing. Along with studying psychology, I am also going into my third year in
the clarinet section of the Oregon State University Marching Band, this is an activity that I just started
doing while at Oregon State and I have learned and grown so much in. This is also an area both on and off
campus where I am constantly making new connections as well as new friends. My past experience with
Oregon State Extension primarily is being a member of 4-H for nine years, volunteering with 4-H
Extension for a year and my internship with Extension last year. I was also granted the opportunity to take
a class on Extension that is taught by Oregon State. Throughout my time in 4-H I showed rabbits, bred
and owned market rabbits, turkeys and bred and owned market turkeys, as well as various leadership
roles.

Students at the Polk County Jr. Master Gardeners Camp begin learning about floral arrangements. Photo: Abigail Cape

Over this summer I hope to continue to learn about the various aspects of behind the scenes work
that goes into 4-H and Extension. In my internship last year, I was able to learn so much and I am
eternally grateful to have this opportunity for the second year in a row. Last year I worked with multiple
different project groups that I had never worked with before in the pre-fair weeks of planning and
preparation, particularly with horses. I was also able to do projects that were closer to what I did as a 4-
H’er by conducting a small animal master showmanship class. This class was meant to teach youth the
basics of handling different animals that would be found in a small animal master showmanship class,
basic knowledge about those animals and other information about your show presence that can help you
stand out while showing. Throughout this summer I am excited to learn more about how to plan and run a
variety of classes with different topics. I will also have the opportunity to learn more about marketing for
the 4-H program, working with various fundraisers and senior scholarship/graduating senior related
promotions. I also will have the chance to work on a multitude of fair related tasks. Through my past
internship experience I have learned so much and I hope to continue to learn and grow this summer! I
have grown up with a deep love of 4-H, which was developed quite a bit here in Polk County, and I am so
excited to help the program grow in any way that I can!

Hi there! My name is Emily Killebrew! Next year at Western Oregon University, I will have
completed my business major, with a concentration in marketing and minors in
communications studies and English studies. I am exploring career options that may be
humanitarian, marketing and/or writing. This program will help me learn more about myself
and gain more experience in my passions, such as working with photos and sharing the
memories those photos contain. Finding the best photos that have perfect clarity is a value I
keep when posting on social media. After all, they say photos are worth more than a thousand
words.

Emily Killebrew snaps photos of the Marion County meat goat showmanship class at the Marion County Fair. Photo: Elvira Alvarez

I used to work with Jared Hibbard-Swanson and Emily Griffith at the Marion and Polk County
Food Share Youth Farm every Friday for the summer after my freshman year of high school. We
transformed a big pile of mulch with pitch forks into a mulch path between the south crop
beds, took care of and harvested the plants that grew on the farm and we made lunch out of
our harvest. Overall, it was fun and rewarding.

One of my main goals for this summer is to verbally communicate in a way that relays the
message intended for another person to receive. As an external thinker, I struggle to think
before I speak, use intentional words and get to the point. I would like for others not to be
offended by me on accident and for me to speak more professionally.

The Oregon State University Extension Service in Marion County is in need of county
awareness. This summer I will join events and projects that the Marion County Extension Office
Outreach Coordinators oversee. I will ask many questions about their work and how they
communicate, present and edit outreach style posts on the OSU Extension Service, Marion
County Facebook page and hopefully create an Instagram account to reach younger audiences
in hopes to increase public awareness overall.

So far, I have begun organizing the Marion County Box photo folder that has photos previously
taken by the Marion County Extension Service Staff. I traveled with Collins Bugingo to the Grass
Seed and Mint Grower Fields in the outskirts of Salem and into Silverton. And I have walked
around the warm, noisy livestock pens and the cool, calm Columbia Building tables at the
Marion County fair (as shown in the photo). Finally, I have begun posting on the Marion
County Facebook Page for the Marion County fair, and soon I will begin posting subjects related
to the outings I have been and will be a part of.

Thank you for taking me aboard. I am looking forward to getting to know the Marion County
staff and being a part of varied events this summer!

OSU Extension Internship Program

Category Archives: Livestock

OSU Extension intern recaps a busy summer of youth development and fair preparation

OSU Extension intern recaps a summer of 4-H, growth and overcoming obstacles

OSU Extension intern reflects on saying yes, stepping out and stepping up

OSU Extension intern explores a summer of crops, camps and the county fair

OSU Extension intern returns to the 4-H program to serve and support in a new role

OSU Extension intern goes behind the scenes to give back to her community

OSU Extension intern closes out three years of service and growth

Growing Confidence and Community

OSU Extension intern builds on 4-H roots to make a lasting impact

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