Celebrating Young Artists
The 17th Annual Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Calendar Art Contest wrapped up with a reception at the Oregon State Fair on Sunday, August 26, 2018. Thirteen students were honored at the reception held on the Creative Living Stage in Columbia Hall. Parents, grandparents and educators attended the reception to celebrate the young artists.
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Farm Safety
Farm safety is important for everyone even if you do not live or work on a farm or ranch! Farms, like many workplaces, have many potential hazards. There are several things visitors to farms and ranches need to be aware of. Upon your arrival for a trip to the farm, the farmer or tour guide will generally give your group a brief overview on what to be aware of in terms of safety and if there is anything you are unsure of, ALWAYS ASK, safety is always their number one priority!
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Young Gardeners Bloom at McKinney Elementary
McKinney Elementary (Hillsboro, Oregon) is making use of a Farm to School Grant from the Oregon Department of Education to incorporate agriculture across their curriculum. Partnering with Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom, committed community members such as Debi Lorence, and many local environmental education organizations, McKinney has used the funding to re-establish their school garden, and to hire a school garden coordinator. Six months into her position, McKinney’s coordinator (Megan Kupko) has this advice for fellow school garden educators. “Take things slow, observe and interact with the land, students, teachers and parents and allow relationships to develop. But don’t be afraid to get outside and try new things!”
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Compost Is for Everyone!
I’d like to be able to tell you that my love of worms is purely academic. They are, after all, an excellent addition to any garden. They aerate the soil, which makes plant roots happy, and their waste—referred to in the worm lover community as castings—restores essential nutrients to the soil, vastly improving the yield of your garden. The truth of the matter is...
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Experience Oregon Agriculture
I am thankful to live in the beautiful state of Oregon, where I can explore the outdoors, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and appreciate the variety of food we have available. Although I never grew up on a farm, I had the opportunity to live a country lifestyle, raising animals and working on farms during the summer months. I was surrounded by agriculture in our small town and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Bulb Forcing
My mother loves tulips. She is as faithful to this bloom as the pickiest of pollinators. Even in spring, when tulips are plentiful at the farmers market and grocery store, she will drive the extra 45 minutes to a tulip farm—just for the added choice. Only yesterday over dinner, I noticed a bouquet of deep purple tulips on her windowsill, set against the backdrop of a rainy January evening. I love tulips because my mother loves tulips, and because of the the color they bring to an otherwise typical gray Portland day. In winter, these flowers bring with them a foreshadowing of spring, and can warm the people sitting around a kitchen table. Tulips, and other bulbs, can do the same thing for a classroom.
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Making a Mark on the Future of Agricultural Education
As a sophomore in high school, I was more than hesitant to become an FFA member – after all, I didn’t have livestock, didn’t live on a farm, and I sure didn’t know the first thing about parliamentary procedure. After some constant hounding from a few older members, I reluctantly paid my dues and became an FFA member, having no idea of how the FFA would impact me for the rest of my life.
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The 6 F’s of Oregon Agriculture
When you hear the word agriculture, what comes to mind? Is it an older man in a straw hat and overalls? Is it a big red barn amidst a sweeping rural landscape? Or is it the Ram Truck commercial commemorating Paul Harvey’s “So God Made a Farmer” poem that aired during the fourth quarter of the 2013 Super Bowl?
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