Kenton Kids Cooking Club at Farmers Market

Farmers markets are fun places to visit during the summer. In Portland, there is a market open almost every day of the week, including the Wednesday afternoon Kenton Farmers Market in NE Portland. Last summer, the Portland OSU Extension’s SNAP-ED (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education) teamed up with the Kenton Farmers Market to provide hands-on cooking activities for kids. Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation in Oregon, so many kids in the area get a free lunch at neighborhood schools and parks. The Kenton Kids Cooking Club was offered in the afternoon, after free lunches were served, and aimed to draw neighborhood kids to the market to enjoy free Food Hero market activities and increase awareness and consumption of fresh, local fruits and vegetables.

Each month Metro Connection will introduce a member of our Metro Extension Advisory Board called Regional Extension Citizen Advisory Network - RECAN. Members learn about Extension work and share grass roots trends and needs from their lens and aide us in evaluating our work and planning how best to use our partnerships to reach and serve local communities. We are grateful for their time, ideas and service as Extension advocates.

We'd like you to meet José Jamie

by Stephanie Haugen

José Jaime realized the importance of education at a young age. That’s why he’s dedicated his life to learning, and helping others advance and grow. 

As a child, Jaime dreamed of being a doctor, but his family had no means to support such extensive schooling for their youngest of 10 children. As farm workers in Mexico, his parents worked long, hard hours, yet still barely made ends meet. Jaime knew he did not want that for himself and told his father he didn’t want to be a farmworker. “My dad said, ‘well, there is nothing else,’ ” Jaime recalled. Oh, but there was! Click here to read the full story.



Geek Out Fest Success!

OSU Extension was well-represented at Beaverton City Library’s First Annual Science Geek Out Fest on Saturday, April 20 ^th. Nearly 300 youth and families attended this two-hour event which featured hands-on STEM activities led by over 20 community organizations from across the Metro area. The library plans to hold the event next year and is hoping to expand to include more community partners; if interested in learning more, contact Alice.Phillips@oregonstate.edu .

Alice Phillips, Extension 4-H educator in Washington County engages with a young student.



4-H Pet Pals give seniors a lift

The 4-H Pet PALS club was invited to Jennings McCall center, a senior living center in Forest Grove. Kenzie, a first year 4-H member, and her Holland lop bunny, Biscuit, interacted with a resident this past Saturday. Kenzie and Biscuit met over twenty senior residents, their families, and staff during their Easter event. While petting Biscuit, many of the residents talked about how they raised rabbits as kids and half of them said they were in 4-H!

 

Kenzie and Biscuit passed their Socialized PetPALS test two weeks ago and are now a 4-H Youth Animal Learning Team. Great job Kenzie and Biscuit!

Oregon Bee Atlas

Volunteers with the Oregon Bee Atlas are helping Forestry & Natural Resources Extension faculty Amy Grotta with a native bee research project at the Matteson Demonstration Forest near Hagg Lake. Once a month this spring and summer, local Oregon Bee Atlas volunteers are coming to the forest to collect and record the populations of bees that are there.

There are at least 500 species of bees native to Oregon, and many inhabit forests, particularly forest openings – places where there is bare ground for them to nest and plenty of flowering plants to feed upon. These pollinator species are vital to the food supply and the natural environment around us. Learn more about this project on Amy’s blog, TreeTopics . Also, OPB recently featured the Oregon Bee Atlas on Oregon Field Guide .

UPCOMING EVENTS

Herbage Seed Group Industry Day

Oregon State University will be hosting the 10 ^th International Herbage Seed Group Conference from May 12-19 ^th .

The IHSG is an organization dedicated to improving our understanding of science and technology around herbage seed production. The event will be an opportunity to hear the top researchers in the field make presentations and host workshops. Participants are expected from domestic and international locales, and these attendees will range from seed growers to scientists.

 

There will be a special Industry Day on Wednesday, May 15th which will include conference keynote speakers and OSU’s Hyslop Farm Field Day.

Registration deadline is May th. Click here for more information.



Science on Tap: Secrets of the afterlife- decoding Egyptian tombs, language and culture

Thursday May 30

5:30 pm doors open - 6:00 program begins

Golden Valley Brewery

1520 NW Bethany Blvd in Beaverton, OR

Come listen to Hassan Latif; a Cairo native with a passion for Egyptology and nearly 30 years of experience guiding visitors, lecturing and tutoring. Hassan recently led a tour of OSU Alumni

Association travelers.

Register by May 27: osualum.com/sotsecrets

Click here for the flyer.

Experiencing Wine: Chenin Blanc

June 7th 7:00 - 9:00 pm

Oregon State’s Professional and Continuing Education and College of Agricultural Sciences invite you to join us for a one-of-a-kind wine-tasting event. Sensory Evaluation of Wine. Over two hours, you will enjoy a tasting of the lovely and versatile Chenin Blanc with OSU's esteemed wine expert, Dr.

Elizabeth Tomasino! Click here for more information and to register.

GARDENING

Master gardeners share stories of missteps and successes

We all make gardening mistakes, some more serious than others. Planting an invasive plant will plague you for years. Putting the right plant in the wrong place can be fairly easily resolved by taking up a shovel and moving it.At a recent meeting of the Oregon State University Extension Service Benton County Master Gardeners, those attending participated in a light-hearted competition detailing one thing in the garden they wish they’d never done or alternatively something successful. The top three stories won gift certificates and the best went to Nancy Tovar, a master gardener since 2016. To balance the “oops” stories, Jesse Garcia, who won second place, recounted a positive tale. Click here to read the full article.

Thank you Master Gardener Volunteers!



Thank You to the many wonderful hard working Washington County Master Gardener Association volunteers for the months they have labored over preparations for the plant sale last Saturday! The format, location, and well planned layout were all new and executed so well. We hope it is the first of many successful annual Gardenfest Plant Sales at PCC Rock Creek. Lastly, a huge thank you to PCC and all partners, sponsors and table organizations represented who supported this event.

RECIPES

This month we are celebrating Spring with

Yogurt Parfaits .

A great way to fit in extra servings of fruit, kid and adult approved! Just 3 ingredients- follow the recipe or add in your own twist. Perfect for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack.

Food Hero is your go-to site for quick, tasty, healthy recipes and helpful tips. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, you'll find something new for your family to enjoy . Visit the Food Hero website today!

Emergency Preparedness Topic:

Planning Ahead for Medical Needs

Disaster can strike at any time and without warning. By preparing in advance, you can make sure you and your family will have the medications you need and one less thing to worry about in an emergency. Download the poster here .

How to Deal with a FIRE

Nationally since 2000, 85 fatal fires, claiming 118 lives, have occurred on college campuses, in Greek housing, or in off-campus housing within three miles of the campus. Each year more than 2,500 people die and 12,600 are injured in home fires in the United States, with direct property loss due to home fires estimated at $7.3 billion annually. By preparing in advance, you can know how you will respond if a fire strikes. Download the poster here .

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