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.
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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.