Sudden oak death has killed tanoaks and oaks along the West Coast for decades, altering forests, wildlife habitat and cultural resources. In southwest Oregon, it forces hard choices about quarantine, eradication and how to protect...
Lane County’s size and geography have long limited access to 4-H hands-on learning. For years, many camps, workshops and school programs clustered around Eugene and Springfield, leaving rural communities with fewer opportunities to ...
Mar 2026 |
Impact Story
Credit: Aaron Becerra-Alvarez (Cropped from original)
Vegetable specialty seed production is a cornerstone of agriculture in the Pacific Northwest. More than 170 seed crops — including brassicas, spinach, radish, carrot, onion and many others — are grown on relatively small ...
Floral hemp production expanded rapidly after the 2018 federal farm bill, but practical production guidelines have lagged, especially in semi-arid regions where water is limited and irrigation costs are rising. Many growers assumed ...
Nearly all U.S. households use some form of food preservation to extend the shelf life of perishable foods, stretch food budgets and prevent waste. A 2024 nationwide survey found that 49% of households preserved food through ...
Mar 2026 |
Impact Story
Credit: Katterlea MacGregor (Cropped from original)
The Oregon State University College of Forestry owns and manages the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest, an 11,500-acre, heavily visited forest north of Corvallis. After three years of collaboration among scientists, educators, tribes and ...
Elementary teachers want more hands-on, standards-aligned science experiences, but classrooms often lack the specialized equipment and curriculum needed to teach life science in an engaging, practical way. By expanding a proven, ...
Mar 2026 |
Impact Story
Credit: Todd Anderson/Oso Honey Farm (Cropped from original)
Oregon’s tree fruit and nut industries are a cornerstone of rural economies, supporting farm jobs, packing and processing and regional supply chains. Pears, apples and sweet cherries alone totaled $227.9 million in farm gate ...
Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia) is an ecologically important West Coast tree that may disappear from much of its range — from British Columbia to California — as emerald ash borer, an invasive insect, spreads in North ...
In early 2022, many small-scale goat and sheep producers in Lane County faced a critical gap when the last veterinarian who regularly served small ruminants retired. With fewer local options for timely care, producers needed ...