4-H « OSU Extension Internship Program

Hello! My name is Bennett Johnson. I attend Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington and will be a sophomore in the fall. I am a psychology major with a leadership minor. I am located at the Oregon State University Extension Office in Malheur County. I want to become a licensed mental health counselor and serve a rural, agrarian community like Malheur County. I was a 4-H member for 10 years, so my past experience with extension primarily involved 4-H and other youth development programs.

Bennett Johnson in Malheur County in front of red barn and County fair sign — Bennett Johnson in front of the Malheur County Fair sign. Photo: Bobbi Howell

This summer, I hope to learn more about the professional world. This internship is my introduction to the professional, working world and I hope to continue to grow upon the skills this internship requires, like professional communication, computer literacy, record keeping and organization. On top of growing on these previously established skills, I want to learn more about the intricacies of agriculture. While I did grow up here in Malheur County and was involved in agriculture and agriculture education from a young age, it is important for me to know even more. As I mentioned before, I want to be a licensed mental health counselor, and I want to serve a rural area. For me to do this effectively and correctly, it is important for me to be aware and understand the delicate intricacies of working in agriculture.

As I work with Extension in Malheur County, I am looking forward to working with 4-H members. I was in 4-H for 10 years and the program means so much to me. I am looking forward to continuing to make 4-H a strong part of Malheur County and continuing to allow the opportunity for youth to become involved in using their heads for clearer thinking, their hearts to greater loyalty, their hands to larger service, and their health to better living for their clubs, their community, their county, and their world.

To continue making 4-H a reality for Malheur County youth, my project idea involves a show-clothes exchange. When 4-H members show their livestock in the ring, it is important for them to look nice and look professional. These nice clothes, such as nice pants and button up shirts, are expensive and might be hard for some families to get for their 4-H youth. To garner the amount of show clothes I need, it will be important that people will donate their old show clothes to the effort. It is my goal that my project, which is still in the planning phase, will make getting these show clothes easier for 4-H families across Malheur County.

Hello! My name is Sienna Mahaffy, and I am so excited to be interning for the Oregon State University Extension office in Coos County this summer. I recently completed my freshman year at Oklahoma State University, where I am majoring in animal science with minors in agriculture business and equine enterprise management. It is great to be back home on the Oregon coast after an incredible, but long, year in Oklahoma. After spending nine years in 4-H showing livestock, I am looking forward to continuing to be involved through this internship.

Sienna Mahaffy (left) and Elissa Wells (right) help set up the new swine wash racks — Sienna Mahaffy (left) and Elissa Wells help set up the new swine wash racks. Photo: Jason Wilson

Growing up as a fifth-generation dairy farmer and a nine year 4-H member made agriculture incredibly important to me, and I hope to share it with others this summer. In the three weeks since I have started working, my focus has been on 4-H. I have set up small animal judging contests, assisted with small animal weigh-ins, and helped organize and prepare for the county fair, which is a large undertaking. As I continue in the internship, I am looking forward to working with the other Extension agents and assisting them with their projects. In the coming weeks I will help with making garden beds for local youth groups, running nutrition classes with SNAP-Ed, and conducting research in cranberry bogs.

This summer I am looking forward to learning how the county fair is made possible. I have already helped with some small projects in the office to prepare, but things are about to get busier. I will learn how the shows are organized, and the schedules made. I am excited to work with the 4-H kids, families, and volunteers to make fair a success! Some project ideas that I have been considering are all related to the county fair. I could assist with the livestock judging contest, a huge undertaking to run on one’s own, but I could help make things easier for my supervisor. Another possible project is the Milk Drinking Contest, a fun event for 4-H members and the community. Following the years we didn’t have fair during COVID the contest has struggled restarting, but I would love to bring the Coos County Fair tradition back to its former glory!

Two young girls in helmets, sitting on brown horses, show off their blue ribbons behind a sign saying Clackamas County Fair 2023. — Blue ribbon winners at the Clackamas County Horse Fair.
Photo credit: Brekkan Richardson

Hello everyone! My name is Brekkan Richardson and I have the amazing opportunity of working with Clackamas County 4-H as an intern this summer! Though this position brings many new connections and responsibilities, it also brings an air of familiarity. As a former 4-H member in Clackamas County myself, I entered this internship with a slight sense of confidence. My reasoning was that even if I had to watch some YouTube videos to help me unlock the secrets of a copy machine – at the end of the day, I knew what to expect when fair time rolled around. That is until the time finally came for me to provide on-site support. This support wasn’t during swine weigh-in, beef showmanship, or even small-animal health checks but a couple weeks before these events at the Clackamas County Horse Fair. Due to the size and scheduling demands of the Clackamas County Horse Program, the horse fair happens on a separate week from the remainder of the county fair. As a 4-H member, I happily explored the other project areas at the fair. Due to the nature of scheduling, Horse 4-H had not crossed my path often. The opportunity to learn more had come around even less.

Despite my lack of equine experience, I remained confident I could navigate this unfamiliar fair with only mild confusion. This expectation proved unreasonable. Although the county and horse fair exhibitors shared their passion for their projects, the projects themselves held many differences. Having quickly discovered this, I decided to use my time at the horse fair to learn as much as possible.

Fortunately, the 4-H members seemed just as happy to answer questions as I was to ask them. On the first day on site, I was informed of the most prominent difference between most animal projects and the horse program. While most animal projects are centered around the production premise, the horse program instead follows an animal whose purpose is to perform. The differences don’t stop there, as some young 4-H members inform me later in the week. Where sheep showpeople show with a required level of physical contact, horse showmanship requires members to orchestrate their horse’s movements by halter alone. Where typically each animal enters the show ring a couple times during the fair, the horse fair has many more opportunities for members to engage in various unique competitions.

Through each class, show and barn walk-through, the 4-H members of Clackamas County happily and confidently showed off their hard work and talent. I look forward to learning more from 4-H members across Clackamas County. I hope to continue encouraging members to ask questions from our youth.

Two women standing and smiling at the camera. — Daisy O’Hearn (left) and M’Kenzie Kirchner assisting in the small animal weigh-in at the Lincoln County fair.
Photo credit: Amarion Akinsanya

Hello!

My name is Daisy O’Hearn, and this summer, I had the opportunity to serve as an intern for the Oregon State University Extension Service. I worked specifically with the youth development program called 4-H. This experience gave me a deep understanding of the nonprofit sector, exposing me to various aspects of event planning and execution. This internship allowed me to witness firsthand the profound impact of the 4-H program on youth in Newport, Oregon.

A woman places her hands around a rabbit on a table. — Daisy O’Hearn provides guidance to young individuals on the proper techniques for caring for their animals.
Photo credit: Traci O’Hearn

Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity to engage in many tasks and contribute to various areas. I had the privilege of crafting and organizing engaging and tailored workshops to nurture the diverse talents and interests of young participants. The process of designing these workshops taught me the importance of adaptability, clear communication and empathy in fostering an inclusive learning environment. Within the array of clinics I developed, several were dedicated to illuminating the core of 4-H and exploring the diverse opportunities within the organization.

A woman shears a sheep. — Daisy O’Hearn hosting a clinic teaching Lincoln County 4-H youth about fair readiness and shearing techniques.
Photo credit: Amarion Akinsanya

One of the most exhilarating parts of my internship was contributing to coordinating the fair. From working with youth to ensuring the smooth execution of the fairground logistics, I better understood the planning that goes into making an event a success. The experience honed my organizational skills, taught me the significance of teamwork and revealed the immense joy of seeing the community come together to celebrate the achievements of its youth.

I also had the opportunity to attend meetings. This exposure to the inner workings of a nonprofit was incredible, giving me a realistic glimpse into the challenges and rewards of this sector. This opportunity will guide me as I continue my education and lead me to a career.

My journey with the 4-H program and the Extension Services office is far from over. Beyond the scope of my internship, I look forward to continuing my involvement and contributing to the program’s growth. As I move forward, I carry the lessons this internship taught me and the experiences I gained.

A woman in sunglasses sits on a stool and smiles at the camera. — Announcing and clerking the horse show at the Union County Fair.
Photo credit: Katie Hauser

Hi, my name is Heidi Moran, and I am an Oregon State University intern in Union County. I am attending Eastern Oregon University and majoring in elementary education. This summer has gone by extremely fast working for the Extension office and helping with many 4-H events.

This summer I helped with our Iron Chef cooking class through our SNAP-Ed and 4-H programs. Every Thursday morning, I would help Jamie Cox with the classes and making sure that the kids were being responsible in the kitchen. I really enjoyed working with the kids and building a connection with them.

Five women stand and smile at the camera. — Carole Smith, Heidi Moran, McKenzie Sheldon, Jordyn Stonbrink and Reese Roys at Tri County 4-H Camp.
Photo credit: Katie Hauser

I also helped at the Union County Fair the first week of August. Before fair started, I announced and clerked the horse show for both Union and Baker counties and prepared packets and other things needed for fair. At the beginning of fair week, I helped clerk the art and photography section of our home economics building. During the fair I helped clerk most of the livestock shows, helped prepare awards for the awards ceremony and helped with what was needed throughout the week. I had participated in the Union County Fair for over nine years as a 4-H member and helped with many of the events at fair. I never realized how much work went into preparing and working at the fair.

A boy stands at a table and chops vegetables. — Helping with the Iron Chef cooking class.
Photo credit: Jamie Cox

One of the highlights of my summer was helping with our Tri-County 4-H camp. I helped prepare for the camp, teach an ice cream class, and help the new counselors learn some of the camp traditions. 4-H camp was something I always participated in as a 4-H member and something I always looked forward to every summer.

From this internship I have learned many new things from helping at all of these events and I will continue to use those skills in the future. It also helped me grow my passion for 4-H and want to stay involved with it in the future. This is something that I will continue doing throughout the rest of my college career!

At the fair.
Photo credit: Fernanda Juarez

Hi everyone, Fernanda Juarez here. I recently finished my internship and attended our county fair, and I enjoyed every bit of it! Being able to see all the 4-H kids in person and seeing them work with their animals really made me thankful to experience this internship.

From toddlers to full-grown teenagers, 4-H members were all helping each other in any way they could. It was adorable seeing the little Cloverbuds (kids from ages 5-8 in 4-H) working with their animals, which were also babies! Competitions involved kids of all different ages. In one of the biggest competitions, called “Round Robin,” kids were asked to show different species of animals and show that they are able to work with all the animals. While they did that, my team and I walked all around the arena, picking up score sheets from judges while checking and adding scores.

In 4-H, you always have a helping hand around you, because everyone is so kind to one another . This is always such a big achievement for kids in 4-H because it shows leadership in the older teens and influences the younger kids, inspiring leadership and responsibility in them as well. Introducing these qualities to kids at an early age helps them develop and learn life skills. This will help them all as they grow older and gain more responsibility.

Malheur County is small compared to other counties, so OSU Extension’s office here and the opportunities provided make a big difference to local kids. Extension’s many other local programs help our communities succeed. It’s the small things that make everything worthwhile.

Seven kids in artist smocks work at a long table covered in paper. — Kids get messy with activities at 4-H STEAM summer camp.
Photo credit: Sofie Carlson

Hi again, it’s Sofie Carlson, welcome back to my blog! I am in the final week of my incredible experience as the natural resources intern at Lincoln County Extension. Let me give you an update on the projects I’ve been working on this summer:

I continued composing the monthly newsletters that my supervisor, Evie Smith, sends out: Small Farms TLC Newsletter, which provides relevant information for small farms and ranches in Tillamook, Lincoln and Clatsop counties; and LC Master Gardener’s Newsletter, which contains information and expertise to help our Master Gardeners (and any other readers) meet local challenges. In total, I helped put out six newsletters!
I finished redesigning an updated brochure for Lincoln County Local Foods that will deliver information on all of the producers in Lincoln County conducting farm direct sales at the four local farmers markets in our county: what they sell, how to contact them and when the markets are I am really proud of the final version and can’t wait to see the printed copies make their way into the community. I joined in on one more Cooking Matters Tour at the Newport Farmers Market, with our FCH/SNAP-Ed Program Coordinator, Beatriz Botello, and Nutrition Education Program Assistant Jennifer Pettit. I hope that the brochure I created can draw more attention to Lincoln County’s farmers markets and the valuable tour that Beatriz and Jennifer give.
I collected more blueberries and blackberries at Gibson Farms! I ended up completing seven collections at six different sites within the blueberry farm, contributing data for a larger ongoing research project that monitors a pest called spotted wing
I did my last round of maintenance on a project called Juntos en el Jardin, which is a community garden located at the Newport This has been rewarding work and I am glad to have been involved in making the garden a more accessible space. I also joined Sea Grant marine fisheries educator Angee Doerr for four Fridays, with her Shop at the Dock program. I greeted and organized the tour groups for the guides to then teach families about Newport’s commercial fisheries through a tour of the port.
Lastly, I attended the Kids’ Garden Fair at the Lincoln City Demonstration Garden and assisted 4-H Youth Development Program Leader Shelley Spangler with one of her summer camps. These two experiences helped solidify my love for working with
youth and being outside learning about the natural world.

Picture of a dock in Oregon, with a sign over a walkway that says Port of Newport, Dock 5. — Shop at the Dock gives tours of the fishing boats, gear, and fisheries associated with Port Dock 5.
Photo credit: Sofie Carlson

As my time in Oregon comes to a close, at least for the time being, and I reflect on my summer, I want to give a huge thanks to my supervisor, Evie Smith, for her support and guidance. I have absolutely loved working with her and I could not have asked for a better role model to mentor me in this position. I would also like to thank all of the people I worked with at the Lincoln County Extension office; it was an amazing work environment, and I will miss working there! Lastly, I want to thank my aunt, Emily Blume, for telling me about this opportunity and letting me live with her and her family for the past two months in this beautiful state.

I will soon be heading back home to Vermont, where I will be starting a new job as a Naturalist Educator at North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier. I am excited to begin the next chapter of my life, teaching environmental education to youth in my home state.

A woman sit at an outdoor table covered with a black Extension Service tablecloth and gives the thumbs up sign. — Ava Cordle at the OSU Extension booth.
Photo credit: Olivia Jacobs

Hello everyone! I am already in my last week of my summer internship with OSU Extension’s groundwater protection program. I have really enjoyed getting to learn more about well water and getting to go out in the community to test water for nitrate. I have had the opportunity to grow by planning and attending events throughout the summer. It has been exciting to attend events, since I had been working on planning some of them back in May and June!

A rack of test tubes filled with water. — Testing well water for nitrate.
Photo credit: Ava Cordle

Some of the different events I went to this summer were Harrisburg Sounds of Summer, Silverton Farmers Market, the Corvallis farmers market and more! At these events we set up a booth where we offer free nitrate testing for people in the community to bring in their well water. To run a test, we take a bit of their well water and we use reagents that change the color of the water depending on how much nitrate is present. At a clinic I did at the Lacomb Grange I did 59 tests in just three hours! We also offer publications and information on well water and septic systems, and a lot of people stop by just to ask questions. Attending these events was my favorite part of the internship. I found it rewarding after spending a lot of time planning them.

Overall, some of my favorite parts about this internship was meeting and working with the other groundwater interns, talking with community members and getting to attend events all over Benton, Linn, Lane, Marion and Lincoln counties. I have learned so much about well water over the past few months. Coming into this internship I had never had well water and did not know much about the care of well water. I also gained skills in community outreach, creating flyers and postcards, and got to learn about the 4-H program by volunteering to help at Extension booths at fairs.

– Ava Cordle

A woman holding a microphone gestures at a wheelbarrow carrying tools. — Ashley Armstrong presenting the Champion Herdsmanship award.
Photo credit: Kayla Sheets

Hello again from Josephine County 4-H! This is Ashley Armstrong, finishing up my final week here as an intern. This summer has been amazing, and I have learned so very much, through talking with my supervisor, Lisa Parlette, 4-H outreach program coordinator; talking to our youth members and adult volunteers and getting to plan and put on events during the Josephine County Fair.

Though this year’s fair looked different for 4-H, it didn’t stop us from having a great time. In the weeks leading up to fair there was a lot of work put into updating our static displays, and it certainly paid off in the end. So much time was put into creating new banners, new display boards and other décor so that all of our youth were given opportunity to see their project shine. We even broke out our Clover mascot costume to invite people into our static display room.

A four leaf clover mascot poses in front of a fair exhibit. — Clover at the Josephine County Fair 4-H Static Exhibit.
Photo credit: Kayla Sheets

During my time in 4-H I showed both dairy goats and poultry, and one of my goals was to one day make it to master showmanship. Our round-robin competition looked different this year than it had in the past, but I think some of the changes that had to be made were for the better. Normally in a round-robin competition we would have different animals – cavies, dairy goats, dogs, horses, meat goats, poultry, sheep, steer and swine – shown by the grand champion showman for each animal.

A woman with a microphone reads from a paper while another stands nearby holding green ribbons. — Ashley Armstrong and Lisa Parlette presenting Master Showmanship awards.
Photo Credit: Brooke Armstrong

This year we had no steer or horse projects, so instead of shortening our round-robin, we chose a random reserve grand champion from large and small animal to be our wild card contestants. This meant that as we rotated through, there would be a period where the participants would be showing the same animal twice, so instead we turned those spots into water breaks. Having planned this show and executed it with the help of our animal superintendents, I was so happy when things went smoothly.

I think the best part was at the end while scores were being tallied, the 10 kids we had waiting in the ring for the announcement were happy, joking with each other and hugging. The joy they showed when their fellow 4-H’er was placed was indescribable, and I think my ears are still recovering from the happy yelling when I announced our master showman.

This internship has taught me so much and has only solidified my plans to work in Extension and 4-H when I graduate in June. Though there are times where I am incredibly tired from the work done through the day, I wouldn’t trade the work I have done this summer for anything.

A woman stands near flowers in vases and writes on a clipboard. — Amber Stewart helping clerk in the flower category at the Polk County Fair.
Photo credit: Rachel Brandon

Hello! My name is Amber Stewart and I am an Oregon State University Extension Service intern in Polk County. I am currently attending Chemeketa Community College to pursue my career goal of becoming a nurse. This is my second blog post.

I got to help at Polk County’s Fair in early August. It was a busy but successful week filled with lots of good experiences with many opportunities to grow. Starting off fair week, I assisted with clerking in the 4-H art category. It was fun to see all the exhibits youth in Polk County entered. The following days I was at the front desk of the 4-H building to fulfill any responsibilities needed, some of which included directing our teen staff, setting up for 4-H events during fair and answering any questions that the public had about our 4-H fair or the 4-H program.

A woman arranges a large display of plants on tables. — Amber Stewart setting up the horticulture exhibit at the Oregon State Fair.
Photo credit: Rachel Brandon

At the Oregon State Fair I assisted with horticulture. I helped the judge and clerk specifically in the flower category. I also got to help set up the horticulture exhibit section. I enjoyed the information I learned about horticulture from the judge while I was a part of this section of the state fair. This was such a good experience to expand my knowledge about horticulture. It was great to be able to be more involved with the process of the state fair.

As the end of my internship program draws near, I have been able to be a part of so much with planning learning day camps, 4-H Polk County Fair and Oregon State Fair. I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have gotten to experience and the skills I got to expand, including the new ones I have learned.

OSU Extension Internship Program

Tag Archives: 4-H

Extension intern hopes to learn about the professional world

Longtime 4-H’er joins Extension Internship

Taking time to learn

2023 Summer Internship Reflections: Empowering youth through the 4-H program at Oregon State University Extension Service

Planning to pursue a career in Extension as the result of this internship

Extension’s local programs help our communities succeed

Incredible experience as the natural resources intern

Opportunities to grow by planning and attending events

Internship solidified my plans to work for Extension after graduation

Thankful for all the opportunities and skills

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