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 ...
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 ...
The Columbia River Gorge is known for its abundant fruit production — but despite the bounty, the region experiences extreme wealth disparities and high rates of food insecurity. Newly available data from a 2025 food insecurity...
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 ...
Wildfire smoke has become a recurring health concern in the Columbia River Gorge. The 2020 Labor Day fires brought hazardous air quality levels to the region, breaking previous records. In 2017, the Eagle Creek Fire also ...
Fresh Hispanic-style cheeses are a growing part of the U.S. dairy market, but they have also been tied to repeated Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks and recalls. The risk is straightforward. Listeria can survive in the cold and, ...
The 2021 “heat dome” brought record heat to the Pacific Northwest, stressing forests at a scale few managers had seen before. Extreme heat can scorch foliage in the forest canopy, reducing photosynthesis and leaving trees ...
Vegetable farmers in Oregon’s Willamette Valley face growing pressure to stay profitable. Labor shortages, high costs and new regulations have added challenges for producers already competing with low-priced imports. At the same ...
