Tag Archives: Macy Jones

OSU Extension intern bridges family health and farming in Clackamas County

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Hi again! My name is Macy Jones and this summer I have had the opportunity to work as a
Family and community health / Small Farms Intern in Clackamas County. Throughout my
internship I have gained a better understanding of Extension and developed valuable skills that
I can take with me throughout my career.

Macy Jones working at the NWREC. Photo: Natalie Padilla

In the second half of my internship, I continued to work with Family and community health and
worked with the walk with ease program and the free food markets. We have made more
progress with walking with ease and hit the goal of walking for 30 minutes each session.
Through this program I’ve learned the importance of empathy, active listening, communication
and the meaning of community outreach. I am grateful I had the chance to build these skills. I
also attended the North Clackamas Free Food Market at the DHS office. This was a great way to
get out in the community and connect with others. One of my personal goals during my
internship was to become more comfortable with public speaking. Participating in the free food
market was a great way to practice and I have grown in my confidence when engaging with the
public.

Another exciting part of the last half of my internship was taking on a new role as a small farm
intern. In this position I was able to enhance my marketing skills by learning new tools such as
Meta business suite, Mailchimp and Canva where I was able to learn to make posts. I also spent
time at North Willamette Research Center where we did farm work and had hands-on
experience. While being on the farm I learned about soil moisture sensors and irrigation
systems and I also got to harvest a variety of cucumelons and bitter gourds. Right now, as a
small farm intern I have been helping prepare for mall farms School by making packets and
prepping name tags. All of these experiences have taught me the importance of hard work and
practical skills such as organization.

This Internship has been full of opportunities to grow, hands on learning and great experiences.
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work in Extension and be a part of a great team.
Thank you to my supervisors for your support throughout these past few months!

OSU Extension intern builds community one step at a time

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Hi, my name is Macy Jones, and this summer I am an intern for Oregon State University
Extension Service in Clackamas County; mainly working with Family and Community Health.
This is my first time interning and so far, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I currently attend Oregon
State University and will be a 2nd year student studying agricultural and food business
management. I have always enjoyed having a sense of community and building relationships
with others and this role does a great job of allowing me to branch out.

Macy Jones tabling at the First City Celebration in Oregon City. Photo: Natalie Padilla

Thus far, this position has allowed me to be more active in the community and helped me start
to develop more communication skills. My position includes being a co-leader with the Walk
with Ease program, which is focused on helping older adults walk with arthritis, Tabling events,
Free Food Markets and advancing my creative and organizational skills.

The Walk with Ease program meets twice a week for about an hour and is designed to support
older adults in improving their health and physical activity, particularly those managing
arthritis. As a co-leader, I help guide participants through a variety of activities such as warm up
stretches, a group walk and cool down stretches. We’ve also integrated resources from the
Food Hero website into the program by featuring a Food Hero Monthly newsletter and
distributing an incentive item on Tuesdays. On Thursdays, we hand out a related recipe to
reinforce healthy habits. In addition to Walk with Ease, I have also assisted with the Free Food
Market, which takes place on the second Tuesday of each month. At these events, we highlight
a Food Hero recipe that participants can prepare using ingredients they receive from the
market. So far, this role has allowed me to connect more deeply with the community and
strengthen my public speaking and communication skills.

Another event I have participated in while being an intern at Clackamas County is the Oregon
City First event. At this event, I helped run the Oregon State Extension booth where I got to
inform the public about Extension and all it has to offer. Before signing up for the event, the
other intern, Natalie, and I met with each department of Extension to gather information we
could then give to the public. This was a great learning experience as before this role I was not
aware of what all Extensions had to offer. At the event, we got to pass out flyers as well as
spread the word of the different types of services not only FCH provides but also Extension as a
whole.

Overall, this internship so far has been very beneficial, and I am excited to keep learning and
advancing my skills.