Tag Archives: Henry Golb

Internship taught me practical skills that can only be learned in the field

Posted on by | Leave a reply

Hi everyone! Henry Golb again, for my third and final blog post of the summer. As a brief refresher, I’m Christy Tanner’s intern working with the south Willamette Valley field crops. I am based out of Linn County, and my job is to assist Christy in both the field and the office.   

It’s hard to believe that my time with Linn County Extension is coming to an end. It’s been a remarkable experience and I’m very thankful I was able to work with this amazing group of people. I just want to thank the faculty and staff of Linn County Extension for all their support this summer. 

Blooming mint in Jefferson, Oregon. Photo by Henry Golb.
Blooming mint in Jefferson, Oregon. Photo by Henry Golb.

Over the course of my 10 weeks at the OSU Extension office in Linn County I’ve been doing ground sampling and drone flights in grass seed fields looking at vole damage, collected the data for the Willamette Valley Mint Pest Alert newsletter, and I was in charge of compiling and editing the Willamette Valley, Central, and Eastern Mint Pest Alert newsletters each week. I got to be a part of hop nutrient field research study with Christy’s north valley counterpart, Betsy Verhoeven, and so much more. A big highlight of my summer was having the opportunity to be given the tour of Reerslev Farms’ mint distillery just outside of Junction City. Seeing (and tasting) the final product of fields I worked in was pretty special. Riding around with John Reerslev and touring some his mint fields was the icing on the cake.  

All these experiences gave me a real-world taste of Willamette Valley agriculture and opened my eyes up to a world I’d only experienced through classrooms and textbooks. This internship taught me and showed me practical skills that can only be learned in the field.  

I walked into this internship not knowing much about Extension. I came in with the notion that Extension only worked with and helped farmers. While a sizeable portion of the Extension Service is focused on agriculture, I could not have been farther from the truth. I learned about and saw programs from 4-H all the way to food preservation classes. I’m walking out knowing that Extension works with and improves the quality of life for all Oregonians. I hope that more Oregonians see OSU Extension as a resource for them in their daily lives. Extension is here to serve and help the people.  

This internship could not be what it’s been without the people I’ve worked with. I want to take this opportunity to thank Christy, Betsy, and Michele Webster, who manages the Linn County office, for believing in me and guiding me along the way. I would also like to thank KJ Joseph, who coordinates the OSU Intern Program, and my family for all their support.  

Helping with research and learning more about 4-H in the mid-Willamette Valley

Posted on by | Leave a reply

Hi everyone! Henry Golb again, back for my second blog post of the summer. As a quick refresher, I’m the intern for Christy Tanner, the south Willamette Valley field crops specialist for OSU Extension. I am based in the Linn County Extension office, and my job is to assist her in both the field and the office.  

Henry Golb uses a a soil probe to pull some soil samples at a local small farm.
Henry Golb uses a a soil probe to pull some soil samples at a local small farm. Photo by Christy Tanner.

The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a change of pace for me compared to the first few weeks. Lately, I’ve been spending more time at the Linn County Extension office and at the Hyslop Crop Science Field Research Lab in Corvallis (one of OSU’s many research farms). At Hyslop, I’ve been in the lab weighing and tending to grass seed samples that are a part of a vole damage study going on across the Willamette Valley. At the Linn County Extension office, I’ve been working on an article that is to be sent out in GROWING, a publication that goes every other month via the Albany Democrat Herald newspaper, and other projects. 

Despite being in the office more, I still get to go out and interact with the good people of Oregon. Recently I spent a day at the Linn County Fair, where I really got to see Extension shine. Michele Webster, who manages the Linn County office, wanted me to go to the fair and learn more about the 4-H program because before I walked onto the fairgrounds, I knew very little about the 4-H program. I was fortunate enough to have Linn County’s 4-H program coordinator, Abby Johnson, give me the rundown and show me around the fair. By the end of our walk, my mind was blown. I had no idea how big or impactful 4-H is. Learning about what 4-H does and how it positively affects the kids was great, but then actually seeing the kids smile with their hog, lamb, sewing project, etc. was magical. I was so impressed I came back to the fair on my day off just to watch the livestock auctions.  

 All in all, I’m enjoying and finding meaning in my work this summer. Life is good.  

Every day is different in Linn County Extension

Posted on by | Leave a reply

Hi everyone! My name is Henry Golb, and I am a senior at OSU in the College of Agricultural Sciences, studying soil sciences and agricultural communications. Growing up in Camas, Washington, I took a nontraditional path to the agricultural world. 

My family doesn’t farm, and I didn’t participate in 4-H or FFA in high school. But agricultural influences were always around me. I heard my grandfather’s stories from when he was a nurseryman outside of Clackamas, Oregon. And my father is a natural resources water consultant. I grew up listening to him on the phone working with his clients. What I heard growing up, my desire to work outside, and a local farmer taking a chance on a high school senior led me to where I am today. 

Where am I today? I’m the intern for Christy Tanner, the south Willamette Valley field crops specialist for OSU Extension. I am based in the Linn County Extension office, and my job is to assist her in both the field and the office. Each day is different for me; one day I might be changing pheromone traps and sweeping mint fields for pests, and the next I might be walking and sampling a vole-damaged perennial ryegrass field. I love the unique challenges that each day brings. 

Before this internship I knew very little about Extension. All I knew was that Extension helps people, and that was something I wanted to be a part of. Even then, I wanted to improve the quality of life for farmers, ranchers, and the people of Oregon. This summer I am so grateful to be doing just that. It is a privilege to go to work each day knowing my sweat is making a difference. 

Prior to working for Extension, I worked for Shady Grove Farm, a small vegetable farm in Camas for the past two summers. At Shady Grove Farm, I had a hand in every step, all the way from seeding to selling our products at the weekly Camas Farmers Market. I am hopeful that I will be able to use my experiences and knowledge gained at Shady Grove Farm, OSU Extension, and my classes over the past three years to go into the private sector and land a job working in agricultural sales.  

Outside of work you can find me spending time with friends and family, or out on the water fishing. As the president of the Oregon State Bass Fishing Team, I spend lots of time both on the water and helping other people get on the water. My top three favorite fish to target would be Smallmouth Bass, Chinook salmon, and Coho salmon. Aside from the fishing itself I love driving and boating around Oregon and seeing the natural beauty our state has to offer. 

I want to take this opportunity to thank Christy and Michele Webster, who manages the Linn County office, for believing in me. I would also like to thank KJ Joseph, who coordinates the OSU Intern Program, and my family for all their support.