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: 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 ...
Oregon’s hemp industry generates a large volume of spent hemp biomass — the leftover plant material after cannabidiol is extracted. The material has a strong nutrient profile and could serve as a cost-competitive alternative to...
Feb 2026 |
Impact Story
Credit: Daria Van De Grift (Cropped from original)
Raw milk naturally contains microorganisms. Most are harmless, but higher microbial levels can shorten shelf life, complicate processing and signal hygiene problems that raise costs for farms and processors. For Oregon’s dairy ...
Spotted-wing drosophila is a small fruit fly that can ruin berries right before harvest. Unlike the fruit flies many people know from kitchens, it can lay eggs in firm, ripening fruit still on the plant. The eggs hatch into...
Feb 2026 |
Impact Story
Credit: Natural Resources Conservation Service (Cropped from original)
Wildfire risk continues to increase across Oregon, but access to preparedness education is not evenly distributed. Spanish-speaking renters, farmworkers and forest workers often face barriers that limit their ability to prepare for, ...
Wildfire smoke is a growing risk for wine grapes in Oregon and across the West. When smoke reaches vineyards near harvest, grapes can take in smoke compounds that later affect wine flavor and aroma. In bad years, growers ...
