Polk County « 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, 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, my name is Cydney Stables, and I am the Agritourism intern for the Marion, Polk and Yamhill County offices. I recently graduated from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa with bachelor’s degrees in agricultural business, business administration, communications and economics. After this internship, I plan to attend Kansas State University to continue my education by pursuing a master’s in agricultural economics. My research thesis for my master’s will be focused on the economics surrounding Agritourism operations, which has made this internship a great fit for my future plans!

A girl standing behind a table for OSU Extnesion Service with swag on it. — Tabling for surveys at Kiger Island Blues Blueberry Farm Photo: Mindi Miller Farm

So far, this internship has provided me with insight on various topics, critical issues and farm styles within the Agritourism sector. I have had the opportunity to hear from industry stakeholders, including supporting community groups, Extension staff, customers of Agritourism operations and farmers themselves about the benefits and drawbacks of being involved in this industry.

A major part of my internship includes traveling to farms across the state of Oregon to survey customers about their experiences. So far, I have toured and surveyed at three different locations including a lavender farm stand operation in Yamhill, a blueberry u-pick farm in Corvallis and a cidery and tasting room in Grants Pass. Each of these experiences have provided me with the opportunity to speak with numerous customers who attend these Agritourism operations, and I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact these on-farm experiences have on their outlook of agriculture.

Green pears hanging on a tree over a fence — Pears grown at Blossom Barn Cidery in Grants Pass. Photo: Cydney Stables

I am excited to continue my internship and to expand my knowledge and experiences with Agritourism operations throughout Oregon.

Hello! My name is Dean Burwash, I am a freshman at Oregon State University,
majoring in natural resources. I am an intern for the Oregon State University Extension
Service in Polk County. I have worked for OSU Extension previously as a Summer
Education Assistant at the Oregon Outdoor Education Center (formerly the Oregon 4-H
Center), where I taught at camps and helped manage the facility. I have been very
involved in 4-H for the last eight years, where I have served as a Polk County and 4-H
State Ambassador, camp counselor and 4-H intern. I have also attended numerous
conferences and taught various classes.

Dean Burwash at the Oregon 4-H Center. Photo: Sarah LaDuke

I just attended the 4-H Summer Conference for the last time as a youth, and I will
be a Junior Camp Director at both 4-H Wild West Camps this summer. I have been
going to camp since I joined 4-H. This year for the fair, I plan to enter some photos, a
wood mosaic (which is incomplete) and other miscellaneous static exhibits.
Previously, I worked for Oregon State University as a student employee at the
Oregon 4-H Center. I spent almost every night last summer living there and getting to
participate in each camp beyond the normal workday. I taught all kinds of activities and
classes, including archery, leatherworking, ropes course, big swings, arts & crafts and
canoes. This was my first job, and I feel like it gave me some unrealistic work standards
because of my love for camp. I am glad that I now have a wider range of work
experience types. This summer is primarily online and last summer was spent teaching
outdoors all the time.

This summer, for my internship, I am primarily working on grant applications to
begin with. These include requests from 4-H clubs, getting robotics curriculum,
purchasing incubators and funding art/welding classes. I am looking forward to
improving my grant application skills and hopefully seeing positive results. I am also
excited to be creating social media posts and learning how to use our new embroidery
machine! So far, I have started some grant applications, and I am working on finding
more.

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!

I was very excited to start at the Oregon State University Extension office in Polk County, and that excitement has continued through the few months that I’ve worked here. I was excited for the chance to be creative, the chance to use the knowledge I had gained over the last year at Chemeketa Community College and excited to learn new things.

Matthew Mankins at a canning workshop. Photo: Brooke Edmunds

I had many great experiences this summer and learned a lot along the way. The main projects I worked on included: Creating a proposal for a garden to go behind the Dallas office, teaching a class on soils, working with the Master Gardeners at public events and at the Inspiration Garden and traveling to learn about various projects Extension is involved with.

I especially enjoyed the open house at the Polk County Extension office because I had the chance to hear more about the different projects that are being done. Plus, it was a pleasure to see such a supportive positive group of people.

One challenge I had was to do a soils class. I have done classes for children at summer camps, but never a class for adults and never over such a complex topic as soils. It was hard to determine how long it would take to cover the material while giving time for a break and questions or other unexpected things.

The class was on September 14, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Dallas office and we had over 15 people attend. We did a jar test for soil texture. I gave an overview of topics about soils and nutrients. I then talked about how to get a soil test and showed the results of a test I had done for the future office garden area. I then showed how to calculate the number of amendments needed for a soil test. Finally, I covered different types of amendments and their pros and cons. I think people of different knowledge levels were able to get something from the class.

My main takeaway from the class was to adjust the class for the general public. I created my class with Master Gardeners in mind. However, the general public doesn’t necessarily have the background knowledge to follow some information. In the future if I do any math or talk about pH, I will give more basic information to prepare the audience for these topics.

There were many important takeaways from this interesting experience. One is to just try doing something even if you aren’t exactly sure how to go about it. In a positive supportive work environment where people are allowed to learn and grow, the entire team is stronger as a result of this culture. This allows the organization to produce the best results. The support I felt from the office staff made trying things like teaching a class much easier. As I look for employment, I will look for a place that gives the type of support I felt at the Extension office in Polk County.

-Matthew Mankins

My name is Matthew Mankins, but please call me Matt. I am in week four at the Oregon State University Extension office in Polk County in Dallas. I am currently a horticulture student at Chemeketa Community College. I have a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with a studio art minor from Southern Oregon University. I have previous work experience working for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland, and as a CNA doing in-home care. In short, I have a broad field of experience. I am working to get an associate degree in horticulture so that I can work towards employment as a greenhouse or nursery manager. Once employed I plan to take advantage of Chemeketa’s bachelor’s in management program to move up into a managerial position.

Melissa Hand Master Gardener Volunteer in Polk County. Photo: Matthew Mankins

I chose to study horticulture because I wanted work that was hands on, mentally stimulating, and that benefited my local community. Although this is my first experience at an Extension office, I’ve come to love the camaraderie I’ve experienced working with the different groups who are a part of the Extension team. I try to save a few hours each week to work with the Master Gardeners at the Inspiration Garden in Independence. Not only do I like the opportunity to get my hands dirty, but what I’m gleaning from the wealth of knowledge and experience of the Master Gardeners, is invaluable. The Master gardeners have a life of gardening experience and I am so glad that they are able to pass that on to future generations.

In my horticultural studies I have taken a special interest in using organic methods to manage soils. I have always had an interest in biology and how we can work with biological systems rather than against them to grow plants in a sustainable way.

This is why one of the projects I’m developing is a class for the Master Gardener program about soils, why it is important to test the soil, and how to use a soil analysis to amend them. In addition to explaining the benefits of doing so organically.

My second project is to create a proposal for a Learning Garden in the lot behind the office. So far, I have drawn a map of the area and created a survey to incorporate the ideas of the groups who use the office into the proposal. These groups include: the Master Gardeners, 4H, SNAP-Ed program, and the office staff who all should have input on the plan. This project is perfect for a person who is new to the Extension system, because by interviewing these groups I am developing a strong understanding of the services that the Extension program provides to the community.

This summer I’m excited to develop my public communication skills, as well as my ability as an instructor. Whether I continue to work as an educator or not. These skills will help me to be a better leader in the work environment and in the community.

Hello, my name is Abigail Cape, and I am an intern for Oregon State University Extension in Polk County 4-H in Dallas. I am going into my second year at Oregon State University majoring in psychology with a minor in music. After I graduate, I am — as of right now — hoping to go to graduate school to get my doctorate in psychology. For my future career I hope to either have a career as a counselor with a specialty in trauma and PTSD or becoming a counselor for teens and young adults. My past experience with Oregon State University Extension Service primarily is being a member of 4-H for nine years, and volunteering with 4-H for a year. 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.

Abigail Cape horse clinic in Polk County — Abigail Cape helping at a horse clinic in Polk County. Photo: Abigail Cape

Over this summer I hope to learn about how the behind the scenes of fair and setting up classes for 4-H youth. One thing that I am really looking forward to this summer as an intern is my internship project and helping out with our county fair. For my project I am planning a showmanship clinic for small animals. My plan is to create a class that will cover various areas that can help youth improve their showmanship skills like, show presence, handling and show knowledge. This class will be conducted by slides and an in person class that will also be recorded so that the class can be used in future years. The clinic will be separated into four parts: show and barn attire, show presence, knowledge, and animal safety. I wanted to create this class, because when I was first showing I wasn’t given a lot of this information and had to learn as I went. I hope that this class can help people get introduced to this information in a stress-free environment. I love 4H and am so excited to help Polk County 4H in any way I can, and I can’t wait to see what this summer has in store for me.

A young man inspects a fruit tree in an orchard. — Kieran King at a peach-plum orchard, assessing the health of the fruit trees on the owner’s property.
Photo credit: Hayley White

The summer has gone by so fast, but I’ve learned so much throughout this season! I’m now in my last weeks of my Oregon State University Extension Service Small Farms Program internship, and what a great experience it has been. I’ve been able to help with a wide array of projects, ranging from public outreach via social media to data collection in agricultural trials.

The biggest project that I’ve worked on was my activity for the Polk County Fair. I had to figure out how to make an activity that was engaging for kids and related to agriculture. I settled on making my activity about beneficial arthropods (insects, spiders, etc.), since that was something that I would have been interested in when I was young. I designed trivia cards for kids to read and set up an area for them to draw. This turned out to be an effective outreach strategy as parents would have to wait for their kids to do the activity and ended up taking some of our outreach materials. While I definitely learned a lot about how to perform effective outreach from this project, I ended up learning a lot more about insect anatomy than I ever thought I would.

The hand of the photographer reaches out to a dog who sniffs it. — Greeted by a dog at a research donor’s property during a site visit. Photo credit: Kieran King

One of my favorite things that I’ve gotten to help with is the Olea project. I’ve had the opportunity to go to North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora and collect data on OSU’s 400-plus olive trees , assessing fruit set and collecting leaves for tissue samples. In the process, I’ve been able to meet many interesting people, including donors and active researchers. NWREC is also just a beautiful place to be on a sunny summer day!

Over the course of my internship, I’ve come to have a greater appreciation for everything that goes into public outreach. Everything from social media posts and email campaigns to manning and preparing a fair booth takes so much time and effort that isn’t usually seen from an outside perspective. Many of these things take hours to prepare and design, but people engaging with them may only see them for a few seconds at a time. Even so, the unseen work that goes into outreach is worth it, because we are able to bring OSU Extension’s amazing services to people in need of advice and assistance.

I’m very grateful for all that I’ve learned over the summer. I learned how to confidently communicate and bond with people in a professional environment, which are skills that I wanted to work on going into my internship. I’ve also learned a lot of practical information and skills, from noxious weed identification to the use of website building programs. I’ve learned things that I never expected to. Even though I might not use all of them in my future career, I feel like a much more well-rounded person because of these learning experiences with OSU Extension.

Finally, I’d like to thank my supervisor Hayley White for making my internship such a positive experience. Her guidance and compassion helped me stay on course throughout the internship, and she always affirmed the value of the work I did. I couldn’t have asked for a better boss at my first job!

– Kieran King

OSU Extension Internship Program

Category Archives: Polk County

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 helps grow the 4-H program that grew her

Traveling the state: touring farms, surveying consumers and collecting research

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

Extension intern reflects on learning and growth

Extension intern finds skills as an educator

OSU Extension Polk County intern works with 4-H youth

A more well-rounded person because of the learning experiences with OSU Extension

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