State House District 53

Garden challenge helps Oregon families grow food, skills and health

Oregon ranks high in fruit and vegetable consumption, but many households, classrooms and community sites still struggle to grow and use produce year-round. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a clear need for simple, bilingual, ...

Nov 2025 | Impact Story

Master Gardener volunteers grow food, knowledge and community across Oregon

In 2024, Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener volunteers met Oregonians where they were. Across the state, people were looking for affordable, healthy food, practical and culturally meaningful gardening education, ...

Nov 2025 | Impact Story

OSU survey highlights weed challenges in Oregon agriculture

Weeds pose a serious threat to Oregon agriculture. They reduce yields, lower seed and grain quality, and can keep shipments from meeting market standards. This challenge is statewide although its impacts vary by region. The ...

Oct 2025 | Impact Story

Oregon State research shows how grazing timing affects sagebrush wildlife

The sagebrush ecosystem — a vast, dry landscape that supports hundreds of wildlife species and livelihoods in the West — is shrinking and changing. Livestock grazing is the dominant land-use across much of this ecosystem. ...

Oct 2025 | Impact Story

New OSU study shows persistent airborne spread of carrot disease

In the high desert of Central Oregon, farmers produce some of the world’s most valuable hybrid carrot seed. But their fields face a persistent and costly threat: a plant disease called bacterial blight, caused by the ...

Jul 2025 | Impact Story

OSU Extension enhances mental health support for rural Oregonians

Farmers and ranchers face intense stress from crop failures, market changes, unpredictable weather, injuries and more. These pressures contribute to rising rates of depression — and, too often, suicide. According to the Centers for...

Jul 2025 | Impact Story

OSU rangeland researchers help mitigate spread of invasive grasses

Invasive annual grasses are a growing threat to the Great Basin desert ecosystem which includes much of Eastern Oregon. These grasses — such as medusahead, cheatgrass and ventenata — displace native plants, reduce habitat ...

May 2025 | Impact Story

OSU builds partnerships to conserve the sagebrush ecosystem

Oregon’s sagebrush ecosystem has declined by about 50% over the past 150 years due to invasive annual grasses, increased wildfire activity and encroaching conifers. This large-scale habitat loss has contributed to declines in ...

May 2025 | Impact Story

OSU collaboration leads to investment in resilient food systems in Oregon

Oregon’s farmers continue to suffer losses from drought, heat waves, wildfire and other climate-related challenges. Traditional crop insurance and relief programs often don’t meet the needs of small-scale farmers who grow a wide ...

May 2025 | Impact Story

OSU Honey Bee Lab supports pollinator health, saving beekeepers millions

Honey bees are essential pollinators for crops like apples, blueberries, cherries, melons, almonds and broccoli. In the United States, they contribute an estimated $20 billion in crop pollination each year. But over the past 50 ...

May 2025 | Impact Story