Cattle production is one of Oregon’s leading agricultural commodities. To maintain market access and consumer confidence, beef producers must meet evolving standards for animal health, handling and traceability. The Beef Quality ...
Asthma is the top cause of absenteeism in U.S. public K–12 schools. In Oregon, common school pests such as mice, cockroaches and flies can trigger asthma and spread diseases including E. coli, Lyme disease and salmonellosis. ...
The sagebrush biome is the largest native ecosystem in North America and one of the most at risk. Altered fire regimes, expanding juniper and invasive annual grasses have made management more difficult across Oregon and the ...
Pasture, hay and forage crops cover a large share of Oregon’s agricultural landscape. In 2024, growers harvested more than 1 million acres of hay and grazed more than 250,000 acres of irrigated pastureland. Even so, forage ...
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...
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
Credit: Oregon State University (Cropped from original)
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. ...
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...
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 ...
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 ...