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Welcome to the July-August issue of the OSU Marion County Extension E-Newsletter! In it you will find educational articles and event information for you, your family, and your business.
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1320 Capitol St NE (corner of Gaines) Suite #110
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-588-5301
Current office hours are from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Monday - Friday
Call or e-mail your questions and photos to the Master Gardener Help Desk. Phone: 503-373-3770 or webmastermcmga@gmail.com.
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Marion County Extension Door is Open to Public
On June 22nd the Marion County Extension office opened again to the public. While we have been serving you even when the office was closed, it was good to see customers again. Unfortunately, the Master Gardener plant clinic is still not available for in-person visits, but we are testing pressure gauges for home food preservers and doing other business. If you come, please wear a mask and practice physical distancing (if you don't have a mask, just ask and we'll give one to you). Extension faculty continue to work remotely unless their work requires them to be in the office, and all of us are still available to all of you via phone, e-mail, zoom or other communication tools.
In this issue the focus is on the 4-H programs in Marion County. Our faculty focus on youth development, learning and leadership, and continue to serve young people in the county during the pandemic by mounting their programs on online platforms, which has the added benefit of extending their programs beyond county borders. The kids will be the first to tell you that meeting online is not the same as in-person interaction at 4-H events, but it’s a way to keep them engaged and learning while at home. Virtual county fair was a new experience for everyone and given the lack of togetherness there was very good participation. Healthy living, service learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), computer science, agriculture, cooking, agriculture and other life skills are being taught to youth in school and community-based programs, and 4-H & U classes. The Central Weekly Booklet is packed with family activities and continues to roll out each Sunday and Ambassadors are honing their leadership skills!
If you want more information about 4-H programs in Marion County, or want to enroll in 4-H, please contact our office.
On a personal note, I would like to thank Mike Bondi for his friendship and leadership. When I arrived at Extension in 2019 he reached out to me and has been a valuable source of institutional knowledge, wisdom and inspiration. He will be greatly missed. You can read more about Mike in this newsletter.
Mark L Chien, office manager
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OSU Extension Publications: Your Window to Knowledge
The mission of land grant universities and their Extension services around the nation is to provide peer-reviewed, research-based information for citizens to improve their lives and businesses.The knowledge that is discovered is available, often free of charge, via extension faculty and publications, both online and in print. OSU has an extensive collection of extension publications on a host of subjects including agriculture, business management, family and home, gardening, health and wellness, natural resources, tools for education, and much more. The publications library is worth regular visits because new publications are constantly being added and you are sure to find something you can use each time. Current publications include Practical Lawn Establishment and Renovation and How to Feed Laying Hens. Click HERE to visit the Extension Publications Catalog. |
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Leadership Development in Quarantine: 4-H Ambassadors |
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By Abigail Johnson, 4-H EPA
4-H Ambassadors learn leadership skills that they can use to mentor other youth and become advocates for 4-H. In virtual workshops, Ambassadors in Marion County were trained on leadership qualities and communication skills, in particular public speaking. If you are in the 8th to 12th grade and want to challenge yourself to be a leader in 4-H and the community, the Ambassador program may be for you. Click HERE to read more about it... |
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Oregon Farm to School in Marion County
By Carly Kristofik, SNAP-Ed; and Kelly Noack, 4-H
What could be more important than encouraging and teaching youth to eat healthy foods, and where their food comes (hint: not a store, a farm and soil) from by growing it themselves! Faculty in the SNAP-Ed and 4-H programs joined forces to secure a state grant to bring nutrition education and positive youth development into four schools in Marion County. Garden kits were delivered to homes so youth can begin to grow their own vegetables and herbs. To read more about this exciting new project, click HERE... |
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4-H Central Weekly Activity Booklet: Keeping Families Smiling and Busy at Home
By Josh Davalos, 4-H Youth Program Coordinator
4-H youth program coordinators are all about bringing youth together for learning and leadership activities, but the pandemic interrupted the close social order of 4-H. Enter Josh Davalos, a new member of the Marion County Extension 4-H team with creative ideas about how to respond to parents pleas for home activities for their children. From this a weekly bilingual activity book emerged, and for many consecutive weeks it has found its way into thousands of homes across the country. Click HERE to learn more about the activity booklet and how it was developed. |
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Wildfires in our Forests: Extension is Taking Action and so can You!
OSU Forestry and Natural Resources Extension
Fire season is officially upon us here in Oregon. It is not always obvious to many of us in the Willamette Valley since we get so much rain during the rainy season. However, it is important to remember that even short periods without rain along with extreme fire weather (windy, high temperatures, low humidity)... read more...
Note: Glenn Ahrens is the forestry extension faculty in Marion County, You can contact him with questions and for woodland management recommendations.
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The first Tree School Online series concluded in July after 15 weeks and 28 webinars. Tree School offers a wide range of classes for forest owners and land managers. After cancelling in-person Tree Schools due to Coronavirus, OSU Extension worked with the Oregon Forest Resources Institute and the Oregon Partnership for Forestry Education to offer Tree School Online. Recordings of all the webinars, along with instructor resources and references are available at https://BEAV.ES/ClassGuide.
Tree School Online will continue with another series of webinars, every other Tuesday at 3:00pm, beginning September 15. For more information about Tree School Online classes, both past and future, visit https://knowyourforest.org/TreeSchoolOnline
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Mike Bondi, NWREC Director, Retires
Since 1978 Mike Bondi has served in OSU Extension in various roles, first as a forestry agent on the coast and then moving inland to Clackamas County and the OSU North Willamette Research and Extension Center as its director. NWREC is just on the other side of the county line, but Marion County farmers have benefited greatly over the years from its applied research and extension activities.
Mike helped to establish the Clackamas Tree School and the Hopkins Demonstration Forest, and the soon to be built new extension center in Oregon City, all of these are legacy projects. Most of all, Mike is universally liked and respected by colleagues and customers alike. He has been described as a doer, not a talker, though whenever Mike speaks people listen carefully.
It's pretty hard to imagine a harvest dinner at NWREC without Mike, but surely he will be invited and hopefully we have further opportunities to benefit from his passion and wisdom. Click HERE to read a tribute to Mike from his colleagues in Clackamas Extension.
Thanks, Mike!
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Pressure Gauge Testing Service: It's Free! |
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If you are a food preserver and you have a pressure gauge that needs to be tested, bring it to the Marion County Extension office from 1:00 to 3:00 PM on any Wednesday and we will provide a no-touch testing service for you. The integrity of a pressure gauge is essential for safe food preservation, and as gardens and trees offer their summer bounty, we're here to help keep you safe. Before you come, it may be helpful to read instructions for your visit. Please call us if you have any questions.
Note: You can purchase Clear Jel, a thickening agent, at the Marion County Extension office for $4 for a one pound bag. |
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Upcoming OSU Extension Events in Marion County - Summer 2020
Note: Many extension events have been affected by the COVID-19 alert. Please check the Marion County Extension website event listings for events online and around the state. Thank you for your patience.
Please contact OSU Marion County Extension if you have any questions about any of these extension events or need assistance with registration. |
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OSU Extension Service: Our Attitude |
We believe that the best way to make a difference is to get straight to the heart of the matter. We start with an accessible and relatable approach and build on it with passion. We listen to our clients, respect their needs, and amplify their voices to create research-based solutions together that empower real and sustainable change. It’s what we’ve done for more than 100 years, and we’re committed to doing it for the next 100 years.
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Thank you for reading our newsletter!
Do you have questions, comments, or suggestions?
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We would love to hear your comments about this newsletter, and what you would like to read about in our next issue of OSU Extension Marion County E-newsletter!
Thank You! -- Mark Chien, Editor
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Non-discrimination Statement
Oregon State University Extension Service prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, familial/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, genetic information, veteran’s status, reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
Declaración de Discriminación
El Servicio de Extensión de Oregon State University prohíbe la discriminación en todos sus programas, servicios, actividades y materiales en base a la raza, color, origen nacional, religión, sexo, identidad de género (incluyendo la expresión de género), orientación sexual, discapacidad, edad, estado civil, estatus de la familia/padres, ingresos derivados de un programa de asistencia pública, creencias políticas, información genética, estado de veterano, represalia o represalia por actividad previa de los derechos civiles. (No todos los términos prohibidos se aplican a todos los programas.)
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