The Oregon State University IHSA Western Team won Semi Finals this past weekend in Ocala, Florida. The show consisted of a two-day event with riders competing in their individual classes. Hard work paid off for the western team including Elizabeth Whitman, Cole Newman, Katie Dovenberg, Danielle Lorenz, and Kathryn Sargent as they successfully earned a position to represent Oregon State University at Nationals. Stephanie Borgen will also be competing individually in the beginner class. The National IHSA competition will be held May 2-6 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Jon Calhoun was one of nine students from across the nation selected to be on the Student Advisory Team for the Agricultural Future of America. The team serves as organization ambassadors, act as student advisors for the organization, and aid in planning the AFA leadership conference. Calhoun will receive media, public speaking, and communications training, as well as gain leadership experience and work with corporate and association leaders. He is looking forward to representing Oregon State University by being a part of this amazing organization.

To find out more information about the AFA organization please follow the link.  http://www.agfuture.org/s/1342/index.aspx?sid=1342&gid=1&pgid=556

The AWFC at Oregon State University will be hosting the annual Conclave event held March 28 – 30 in Peavy Arboretum. Conclave was started in 1939 and is the largest logging sports event in the Northwest. Ten college teams from all over the Northwest will be participating in the competition consisting of ax throwing, log climbing, and chopping. Volunteers are needed to help run this event successfully.

If you are interested in volunteering please contact Susan Torgerson at torgerss@onid.orst.edu.

Warren Gawlik, president of the Oregon State University Turfgrass Club was awarded student of the month in February. Gawlik is very dedicated to the club and has even developed team building exercises to make meetings more enjoyable, and build stronger relationships with one another. He created a calendar to communicate more clearly with members, as well as providing emails, texts, and Facebook posts. His hard work has successfully increased the participation and involvement of members. Gawlik will be graduating June 2012 with a Horticulture major, and turf management option.

College of Agricultural Sciences students Jon Calhoun and Rozalyn Patrick were selected to attend the 39th annual National Ag Day held in Washington DC March 6-8. The Agricultural Future of America (AFA) chose to sponsor 40 students throughout the Nation for this event, Calhoun and Patrick proudly representing Oregon State University. While in DC students will attend information sessions, receive training about agricultural policy, and promote agriculture to state legislatures. Ag Day is hosted by the Agricultural Council of America (ACA), and is a campaign to teach others the importance of Agriculture, learn how fibers and food are produced, and encourage appreciation for agricultural uses in every day life.

For more information about AFA and National Ag Day please follow the links below.

http://www.agfuture.org/s/1342/index.aspx?sid=1342&gid=1&pgid=467

http://www.agday.org/media/pr5.php

The Pre Veterinary Club will be hosting their annual Doggie Dash fundraiser on April 21. The Dash will consist of a 5k run and everyone is allowed to bring their dog. The run is being held at the Midge Cramer Pathway from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and costs $20, or if you register online will cost $15. If you would like more information or are interested in helping with the fundraiser please contact the Pre Veterinary Club.

The Oregon State University Livestock Judging Team traveled to Nebraska this past weekend to compete at the Nebraska Cattle Contest. The team judged 10 different classes of cattle and had a very successful weekend, including Kenzie Smith placing in the top ten. The team will be heading to Houston Texas in two weeks where they will judge cattle, sheep, hogs, and goats. They have been working very hard to reach their goal of top ten in Houston.

The Agricultural Executive Council held their annual winter dance for College of Agricultural Sciences Students on Friday, February 17. The dance was held at St. Mary’s Catholic church near campus and consisted of a tri tip steak dinner, swing dancing, line dancing, and fun prizes.  It was a fun and enjoyable evening, we would like to thank the Country Western Dance Club, Meat Science Club, and Fiji for all of their help and support in making it a success.

History

The OSU Turfgrass Club is a student led organization, founded in 1994, that is designed to further the members’ education in the turfgrass industry.  The members are a close group of students who have selected the Turf Management option within the Horticulture major. Most of the students enjoy the game of golf and want to become golf course superintendents, while other students have an interest in becoming athletic field managers, or landscapers.  The club is open to any student who feels they would fit into these categories.

Purpose

The purpose of the club is to increase the student members’ practical knowledge of the turfgrass industry, to provide opportunities to meet people working in the turfgrass industry, and to assist in the process of finding internships, summer jobs, and permanent employment.  In addition, the club facilitates student participation in regional and national associations such as the Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association (OGCSA), the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the Oregon Sports Turf Managers Association (OSTMA), and the Oregon Landscape Contractors Association (OLCA). Most importantly, we strive to enhance Oregon State University’s reputation as a national leader in the turfgrass industry.

Club Meetings

The Turf Club meets five times each term, for a total of 15 meetings throughout the year.  The club generally conducts meetings every other Wednesday, and are held at 6pm in ALS 4000, right before the Ag. Exec. meetings. Industry professionals are invited to speak to the club from not only Oregon, but internationally as well.  This year we have already hosted a former Oregon State University Turf Management alumni that owns and operates a turf consulting business in Asia.  These speakers provide first-hand experience about the industry and offer valuable advice to our members.  The meetings do vary sometimes based upon our guest speakers’ schedules.  On Thursday, February 16^th we are hosting Mike Turner, Superintendent of The Reserve Golf Course and Vineyards.  It is a common occurrence for turf club members to meet a superintendent at one of these meetings and set themselves up with a summer internship.

Events

Each winter term the Turf Club is in attendance for the most important meeting in the turfgrass industry, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America National Educational Conference. This year’s conference is February 27^th through March 2^nd in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Around 6,000 industry representatives, professionals, professors, and students attended the conference last year.  This event consists of over 60 educational seminars and 550 exhibitors that provide access to the most current information, and technologies, related to turfgrass management.

The annual “Turf Bowl”, an industry sponsored and publicized event, allows turf students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge by competing against other student teams from across the nation. Last year, 320 students, on 87 teams, from 39 colleges and universities competed in the Turf Bowl.  This year’s competition is held on March 1^st, and we will be fielding two teams that expect to do very well.  The test consists of sections like grass, weed, insect, and disease identification, as well as management strategies, general turfgrass questions and equipment knowledge.

More Information/Contact Information

Meeting information will be posted on the bulletin board in the Agricultural and Life Sciences Building, on the 4th floor near Room 4159.

The Turf Clubs website is beaverturf.com

Advisor – Rob Golembiewski, Ph.D. Turfgrass Specialist, golembir@hort.oregonstate.edu

President – Warren Gawlik, gawlikw@onid.orst.edu

In December Jon Calhoun was awarded the College of Agricultural Sciences student of the month. He is an Agricultural Business Management major and is involved in several organizations within the college as well as on campus including, Vice President of the Agricultural Executive Council, an officer of Collegiate FFA, a member of the Fraternity Phi Gamma Delta, and is currently in the Leadership Academy. Off Campus Jon owns his very own landscape design business and is a manager at a pizza restaurant. Jon stated that simple leadership techniques are often overlooked which include time management, working as a team, networking, and personal relations.

To read more about the student of the month follow the link below.

http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/our-best/2011/jon-calhoun