Students with migrant farmworker backgrounds reclaim agricultural space

24 students with migrant agricultural backgrounds attended Agricultural Sciences’ Summer Program/ OSU Junior MANRRS Summer Leadership Institute to promote and enhance leadership, higher education, professionalism, communication, community, and culture.
~By Clarisa Caballero-Ignacio.
 

The program was designed for Oregon Migrant Leadership Institute (OMLI) high school students. College Assistant Migrant Program (CAMP) and MANRRS OSU students served as near-peer mentors and program assistants. The program presented connections around clean air, soil, nutritious, and accessible food supply and healthy communities including long-term projected career shortages in Food, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Human Sciences (FANH).

Students gained leadership, team building, and communication skills throughout the week-long program and participated in the Adventure Leadership Institute’s Challenge Course. Students learned about the College of Agricultural Sciences programs’ and visited various departments on campus.

The program consisted of educational, informative, hands-on workshops and tours including admission, financial aid, financial literacy with Ag West Farm Credit alum (Adan Avila), Oregon agricultural history (Wanda Crannell, OSU Faculty and MANRRS Co-Advisor), Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine tour, passion to careers connections (Wanda Crannell), Indicator Invertebrates (Victoria Quennessen), and Strawberry DNA Extraction (David Bugarin Renteria).

Oregon is one of the most agriculturally diverse states in the U.S, producing more than 220 agricultural commodities. OSU, as a land-grant university, we are pleased to be able to visit the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC), a distinguished marine laboratory located in Newport, Oregon. Students were able to learn about research opportunities and programs offered at HMSC and tour the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building, engineered to survive a magnitude of 9.0+ earthquake and resulting tsunami and interact with exhibits at the HMSC Visitor Center.

Oregon Oyster Farms was part of our off-campus programing where students toured and learned about the facility and how oysters are grown, harvested, and processed. Miguel, who worked at the facility for 28 years shared his innovation on oyster lifespan storage technique that has increased production and farm growth. Miguel demonstrated how to identify the years in oysters and how the farm recycles shells.

Grass seed being one of Oregon’s leading agricultural crops (USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service), we were able to visit Victor Point Farms, who strives for excellence in the production of grass seed, while maintaining integrity and sustainability. Students toured the facility and learned about the seed production process including how weather patterns impact crops and changes revenue. Lucas Rue, who is 5th generation farmer and OSU alumni provided educational information on how grass seed helps reduce erosion with its fibrous root system. Some of the production students learned about, but not limited to are fine fescue, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, clovers, radish, and wheat.

Only 45% of Latinx population participates in walking/day hiking on non-local trails/paths (2017 Oregon.gov Survey). The program eliminated barriers and provided the opportunity for students to visit Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Devils Punchbowl and Silver Falls State Park and learn about sustainability and Oregon’s nature from native plants to animals living in their natural habitats.

Our final program tour, but not least was the Willamette Valley Fruit Company, housed under the Oregon Potato Company. Michael Wenger, Raymond Gonzalez, and Brian Block provided a tour of their facility and discussed the impact of weather on fruit production, processing, facility safety, and the importance of higher education and work experience. Michael and Brian, who are OSU alumni shared their experience and different career paths including support programs with our high school students.

Special thanks to College Assistant Migrant Program (Maria Andrade and Amas Aduviri), Oregon Migrant Leadership Institute, Junior MANRRS mentors and Oregon Department of Migrant Education Program for the funding support. Thank you to Wanda Crannell for also incorporating USDA REEU students in the program participation (not included in the total number of students).