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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 2011)
Spilyay T y m o o , W a rm Springs, O re g o n Oregon State University ^ Page 11 O c to b e r 19, 2011 OSU Warm Springs Elementary Garden Project I UOU Hello my name is John Brunoe and I was hired in March 2011 by Oregon Warm Springs State U niversity as an Education Extension Office Program Assistant to help build a garden area for the students of Warm 4-H Program Springs E lem entary to teach the Morning Rae Ferris children about growing different foods while increasing physical activity. Agriculture and The OSU Warm Springs Elementary Natural Resources Garden Project works with the fourth grade students from Warm Springs Elementary School which is part of Fara Brummer and John the Jefferson County 509-J School | Brunoe District. The garden is part o f the in the Classroom Program Family Community Agriculture Health that has been ongoing at Warm Danita Macy Springs, and is also supported and Arlene Boileau used by the Snap-Ed Program. Our Jeanette Henderson focus is to provide positive hands-on Sara Smith learning experiences for the students John Brunoe • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • a « by creating activities in the classroom and garden that allow the students to ; Staff is available to become active participants. The goal l answer your food of the OSU Warm Springs Elementary Garden Project is to help children • safety/preservation grow in th eir know ledge o f ; questions agriculture, the environment, natural • Contact Danita or Jeanette at resources, nutrition, and fitness. ! 541-553-3238 A long w ith an em phasis on è understanding sustainability and the interconnectedness of all living things. Our first spring and summer involved the planting of four types of Blueberry plants including A E vergreen Huckleberry plant. We also planted were Raspberries (3 types including goldens!), a Boysenberry plant and four varieties of Grapes as well as approximately 20 strawberry plants. These are all perennial bearing plants which meaning they will produce fruit year after year. Also planted were several types of annual vegetable plants meaning they will produce for one year. The vegetable varieties include carrots, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, com and pumpkin. Due to a cold and longstanding spring planting season the results were somewhat minimal (good excuse anyway!) with the beans, carrots and cherry tomatoes producing the most abundance. The first year of the garden required the majority of time in completing the construction of the initial garden area. Next year there will be more focus on overall vegetable production. The fruit plants are all doing well and produced some fruit during their first year. These fruits and vegetables were nurtured and harvested by children over the summer who participated in the Garden Nutrition Club. Next year as the roots get stronger I’m sure we will see more berries in bloom. This school year the Warm Springs Children’s Garden will have a class each m onth that w ill in som e way be connected to the Garden. For October it’s all about Pumpkins with activities that Warm Springs Elementary' Student working on the Garden Project celebrate the Pumpkin and the Halloween season. Recently we were given permission by Dawn Smith the principal o f Warm Springs Elem entary to utilize a separate garden area located by the teacher housing area. The plan is to develop this area and teach the students about composting which is the com bining o f certain decomposing materials to create n u trie n t rich soil. A fter this expanded garden area is composted and development is finished, the students will plant a spring crop which has not yet been determined. The overall goals o f the Garden program is to provide the students o f Warm Springs Elementary with a basic understanding o f where foods come from and how to grow and process them in a manner that is sustainable and friendly to our environment. Also, gardening is considered a weight bearing activity and therefore is in line with engaging the students with increased physical activity. As the program develops my goal is to see increased student activity through different activities and events. The garden is also open to community Facts About 4-H - Understanding the Basics Who Can Participate? Members 4-H membership is open to all youth enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or marital/ parental status. 4-H eligibility ends on December 31 o f the year in which a young person turns 19. Certain 4-H lif t* -Mmm experiences, such as handling large anim als and p a rticip a tin g in competitive events, are limited to youth of specific ages. A young person must know-ingly participate in at least 6 hours of positive youth development experiences annually to be considered a 4-H member. These experiences m ust be planned, organized, and conducted by faculty, staff, or volunteers of the OSU Extension Service. The Extension office serving the county in which the young person is enrolled maintains documentation of enrollment. IU->in <M ft*wm, P a rili ¥ f HPQttfi WftWIlP *«*»*•» ft» tb* fwtf M* Ltniwi 5* k ** f+ + 13Û linctuiM* UHM;' C t # O n v D ut C h MW* me op C m *«* Mamifte Rw Ptm* $ fHMNPfc — - f —rtl-H a: mm A .. U Volunteers In addition to the paid faculty and staff who provide leadership to 4- H, more than 5,000 adult and teen volunteers offer their time and talents to O regon 4-H . T hese volunteers often have consider-able project- based knowledge, and m any also have extensive experience w orking w ith young people. However, such knowledge and experience are not required. New volunteers receive a comprehensive orientation and training specific to their role with 4-H. Volunteering is not a one-size-fits-all experience. There are hundreds of different volunteer roles avail-able in 4-H. Some volunteers assist with a single event or activity annually, and others commit to ongoing service as mentors, coaches, or club leaders. Some volunteers coordinate other v olunteers or serve on advisory councils and planning committees. Engagement Strategies 4-H engages young people through a variety of activities including clubs, camps, school enrichment, and short term experiences. Clubs are organized in communities and schools. They may meet during or outside of the school day and can focus on a single project or multiple projects. Clubs should strive to enroll at least five youth from at least three different families and plan to meet at least six times per year. Members typically elect officers to help lead the club. Clubs m ust be ch artered , nondiscrim inatory, and led by an approved volunteer; they also must abide by the guidelines for use o f the 4-H name and emblem. Young people may participate in organized 4-H clubs beginning in fourth grade. 4-H camps prom ote positive youth development by engaging young people in a group living experience outdoors. Overnight camps involve at least one overnight stay away from home. Day camps are m ultiple-day experiences during which youth return home each evening. School enrichm ent program s are designed to support or enhance an approved school curriculum and generally are conducted during the school day. Extension faculty, staff, and trained volunteers, including teachers, can serve as instructors. S p ecial in terest and sh ort-term program s engage young people in focused learning experiences led by E xtension faculty, staff, or trained v o lu n teers. T hese sh o rt-term experiences do not meet the criteria to be considered 4-H clubs or school enrichment programs. Cloverbud programs are the mechanism by which young people in kindergarten through third grade participate in 4-H. These programs introduce youth to co o p erativ e learn in g and opportunities available in 4-H. C loverbud m em bers do not participate in competitive events and are not allowed to have contact with large animals as part of their 4-H experience. Cloverbud groups do not elect officers. 4-H Activities 4-H members not only belong to clubs but also may participate in fairs, contests, camps, conferences, workshops, tours, and trips. These activities are designed to supplement club and project experiences. They offer opportunities to learn and practice skills beyond the local club level and also allow communities, counties, states, and countries. Revised by Roger Rennekamp, Extension 4-H program leader, and Marilyn Lesmeister, Extension 4-H faculty. Originally prepared by Leonard J. Calvert, associate professor emeritus, Extension and Experiment Station Communications; and Barbara Sawer, professor emeritus, 4-H Youth Development. Previously revised by Lillian Larwood, professor emeritus, 4-H Youth Development. All authors are o f Oregon State University. Body condition scoring in cattle - A tool for planning your feed program Fara Brummer As we near the colder months of the season, it is very important to evaluate our beef herds in terms of their body condition score. Depend ing on our calving season, we want our cows to m aintain good flesh through the last three months of their pregnancy and into calving. Body condition scoring is a way to take account of the energy storage in your cow herd. This can also be thought o f as the bodily reserves of your cattle; in other words, how much stored energy does a particular animal have? Body Condition Scoring can be done with cattle and horses, but for this article, we will only discuss cattle. Why is stored energy important? It is vital for all major processes in a cow, but especially during the last tri mester, and during calving and breed ing season when the cow is not only Reference producing milk and nursing that calf, season is the standard for insuring re but also being bred back. The body productive success. For first calf heif has to be in good condition for all this ers, a BCS of 6 is suggested. Table 1 shows how to visually to occur. If the cow is in poor shape; a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 4 or determine BCS for a cow or a herd. lower, research shows that one or A full rumen or hay belly can be de more of these things are likely to be ceiving as the animal can appear to be compromised. Difficulties in birthing in better condition than she really is. calves, weak calves, lack of milk, The indicators on the other parts of lightweight calves at weaning (due to the body are important in assigning the later calving dates), and delayed es- right BCS for an animal. There is an average of 80 pounds trus for breed back. Body Condition Score works on between each BCS. For example, a a scale of 1 - 9. 1 = severely emaci cow with a BCS o f 3 will need to gain ated, and 9 = obese. Either end of the approximately 160 lbs. to bring her up spectrum is undesirable. A BCS of 5 to a BCS of 5. Of course, this takes - 6 is the desirable BCS for breed time. Excessive overfeeding is not eco nomically sound. A well rounded diet ing beef cows. Research has shown that suc based on the desired weight gain cessful estrus increases with higher should be put together and delivered. body condition scores, as well as suc Oftentimes, if the entire herd is at a cessful conception and Worksheet 7.1 - Application of Body Condition Scoring pregnancy. A BCS of 5 1. What would you estimate your cows’ BCS to be at calving? at calving and breeding 1 Table l:Key Points for condition scoring beef cows 8 7 6 5 4 3 1 2 9 No No No No No No No No No No No Outline of spine visible Yes Yes Yes slight No No No No No 0 0 0 0 Yes No **Muscle Atrophy Yes Yes Sign Outline of ribs visible All All All 3to5 lto2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2. What would you estimate your cows’ BCS to be at weaning? No No Physically weak 2 Fat in brisket and No No Some Full Full Extreme No No No flanks Outline of hip and pin No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes slight No bones visible Fat udder and patchy No Slight Yes No No No No No No fat around tailhead Backfat estimate, 0.68 0 0 0.05 0.11 0.19 0.29 0.41 0.54 inches **Muscle atrophy means that the lom, rump and hindquarter muscles are concave, indicating loss of muscle. Source: CowCalf Management Gide, 2006 1 2 3 5 6 8 3. Approximately how' many pounds on average (if needed) would each cow need to gain to reach “ ideal” condition? (1 BCS = 75 to 95 pounds) 4. When would be the best time to improve the BCS of underconditioned cows in your herd?_______________ 5. Assume the difference in postpartum interval between BCS 4 and BCS 5 cattle is about 10 days and your herd averages BCS 4. How many pounds might you add at weaning by having calves bom 10 days earlier? Calves usually gain from 1.6 to 2.2 pounds per day. Estimated gain (in pounds per day)__________ x 10 days = ___ _ pounds per head x __ ____ number of calves sold at weaning = pounds of lost opportunity at weaning It is important to remember that weaning weight is only one area of lost performance for thin cows. Source: OSU Beef Cattle Nutrition Workbook, 2004 low BCS at calving and breeding time, culling or thinning the herd may be in order, especially if range or pasture con ditions for the year appear compromised. A breakdown of costs associated with thin cows (BCS = 3), compared with heavier cows (BCS = 5) shows that the income per heavier cow is double that of the thin cow at wean ing time. The phrase “it doesn’t pay to starve the profits out of your herd” is true once the math is done. Worksheet 7.1 is helpful in per sonally applying BCS to your herd. For help with the worksheet or to discuss BCS any further, feel free to contact us here at Extension at 553-3238. Take caution with unfamiliar berry plants By Judy Scott, 541-737-1386 Source: Barbara Fick, 541-766- 6750 or 541-967-3871 CORVALLIS - Oregon State University Extension has received calls and inquiries through its “Ask an Expert” program this past week about people possibly eating toxic berry plants. “Many weeds have flowered and the ‘fruit’ can look tasty but should not be eaten,” said Barbara Fick, OSU Extension horticulturist for Linn and Benton counties. One such plant identified recently was the poisonous Black Nightshade. “Children are attracted to the berries o f these plants,” Fick said. “Black nightshade fruit hang in clusters and are green when unripe, black and shiny when ripe. Also in the nightshade family, Bittersweet nightshade fruit turn bright red when ripe and are egg-shaped.” Although ripe fruits o f some varieties may be edible when fully cooked, toxicity varies and unless it is known that the berries are from an edible strain, they should be left alone. Contact poison control at 1-800-222-1222 with questions. Birds and animals often eat berries and plants that are poisonous to humans, Fick warned. “Observing wildlife eating plants is no guarantee that people can safely eat the plant,” she said. If you do not know what a plant is, bring it to the master gardeners at your local OSU Extension office for positive identification.
