Tag Archives: Savannah Barron

OSU Extension intern cultivates gardens-and community insight-in Columbia County

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Hi again! My name is Savannah Barron, and this summer I had the pleasure of working as an
intern at Oregon State University Extension Service in Columbia County. During my last legs of
this internship, I have taken on many different projects. One of the largest—briefly mentioned in
my last blog—is the community garden at Lewis and Clarke Elementary School. It had been left
mostly to itself for about a year, so it was in dire need of a good weeding and watering. The
garden itself consists of four wooden plant beds and four metal ones, with previously planted
garlic and onions, as well as a fairly large native plant bed. Weeding out thistle and older plants
was a fun challenge, but planting some seeds in the hope that they would be ready in the fall for
the kids to help harvest was probably my favorite part. Currently, the radishes I planted have
taken off, while the strawberries, cucumbers and various herbs are a bit slower. I’m so excited
to see what the school ends up doing with the garden, and grateful that I could get it into a more
manageable condition for them.

OSU Extension intern, Savannah Barron, and Master Gardeners at Scappoose Farmers Market. Photo: Cassie Hall

I have continued with the Columbia County needs assessment, through both calling farmers and
tabling at events like the Clatskanie Garlic and Pollinator Festival, as well as farmers’ markets—
no matter how hot it may be. I have to say the people I’ve been talking to just have so much
passion for not only their farms and gardens, but for supporting the entire community of
Columbia County. Everyone’s very much invested in growing and changing as a collective, and
it’s been an honor being able to give them a bit of a voice in how they want to do that. Another
really fun bit of programming I’ve been able to do is going on site visits with Janhvi Pandey, who
takes care of our Master Gardener and Small Farms programs. These visits gave me hands-on
experience in what discussions occur about land use, plant diagnostics and even watershed-
based information in people’s day-to-day lives.

Overall, my time at Columbia County Extension has been very engaging. I feel as though I’ve
learned a lot, not just about the programs and events that Extension helps make happen, but
also about the community I live in. The diversity and dedication of the people I have met are
truly amazing things to witness. I am so very grateful for the opportunities that have been
presented to me and for the wonderful people in the Columbia County Extension office who
have helped guide me in this journey. I cannot wait to see how this experience will shape me as
I go on to newer things.

OSU Extension intern bridges botany and outreach in Columbia County

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Hello! My name is Savannah Barron, and I am currently an intern working for Oregon State
University Extension Service in Columbia County, specifically the SNAP-Ed and Small
farms/Master Gardeners programs. I am going into my third year at Oregon State as an
undergraduate in botany, specializing in ecology, evolution and conservation, while also
minoring in chemistry and anthropology. This is my first year with OSU Extension, and the
experience so far has been amazingly full of community outreach and learning. It’s truly
wonderful to have such a hands-on experience in which you can see part of the impact you’re
having on the people you’re working with.

Savannah Barron, alongside coworkers, manage a booth at the Columbia County Fair. Photo: Janhvi Pandey

Entering my sixth week at OSU Extension, I have been able to participate in many different
programs and events. In fact, I just finished tabling at the Columbia County Fair! The diversity of
people I got to talk to and learn about was very insightful, and I cannot wait for more
opportunities to engage with the community. One program in particular that I have been
focusing on is completing a small farms and gardeners’ needs assessment. Part of OSU
Extension’s mission is to help teach the community, and we can only do that once we know
what they need help with. There are two different surveys I’ve been getting people to complete,
one for gardeners and one for small farms. Both have proved incredibly insightful into the
community’s needs, and as more people answer them, we get more accurate information. My
job is to spread awareness of the surveys and try to garner greater participation. I do this by
compiling information on small farms and calling them and working events like farmers markets
and fairs to do in-person assessments.

Besides the needs assessment, I have just started a few other projects. The biggest one I’m
undertaking is the Community Garden at Louis and Clark Elementary School. Due to lack of
time, this garden has been left to fend for itself for about a year. My job is to get it back in
working order—a thistle-and-native-plant filled journey that I am happy to embark upon—so that
the children and community members can have access to the wonderful teaching tool that is a
garden. On the SNAP-Ed side of things, I will be starting to help with summer lunch programs,
and exercise programs with Food Hero.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to be able to play a part in helping my community. I can’t
wait for the next few weeks on this journey and all the opportunities that await!