Extension Service

The Oregon State University Extension Service provides practical, research-based information and engages learners, partners, and volunteers in communities across Oregon to meet local challenges and help every Oregonian thrive.

Our programs, partnerships and volunteer opportunities are focused on:

  • Healthy communities and economies
  • Resilient and productive forestry and natural ecosystems
  • Sustainable agriculture, food systems, and gardening
  • Thriving youth, individuals and families

OSU research cuts labor costs in blackberry production

Oregon is a leading production state for machine-harvested trailing blackberries, an industry that supports growers, processors and rural communities. ‘Columbia Star’ has quickly become one of the region’s most widely planted ...

Apr 2026 | Impact Story

Landowners expand prescribed fire use in Eastern Oregon

More than a century of fire exclusion has reshaped forests and rangelands across Eastern Oregon. Without regular low-intensity fire, fuels have built up, increasing the risk of larger, more severe wildfires. Community-led burning ...

Apr 2026 | Impact Story

4-H partnership leads to outdoor school experience for Marion County fifth graders

Many fifth grade students in Marion County have limited access to consistent, hands-on outdoor science learning that connects classroom concepts to local ecosystems. Schools often face constraints related to time, transportation, funding...

Apr 2026 | Impact Story

OSU helps grow dairy workforce skills and industry investment

Oregon’s dairy industry is a major contributor to the state’s economy, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales and supporting jobs in production, processing and value-added products. By helping processors meet ...

Apr 2026 | Impact Story

Producers gain skills to meet beef market standards

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 ...

Apr 2026 | Impact Story

Clatsop County leaders gain insight into forestry and wildfire

Clatsop County’s timber and forest products industries remain an important part of the local economy, supporting jobs, contractors, mills and related businesses. Clatsop County and its service districts receive significant revenue from...

Apr 2026 | Impact Story

OSU convenes food and beverage industry to reduce waste, drive innovation funding

Oregon’s food and beverage industry is a major economic driver, but it faces growing challenges tied to efficiency, sustainability and coordination across the supply chain. By aligning research with industry needs and building ...

Apr 2026 | Impact Story

OSU pruning research helps hazelnut growers cut losses

Oregon is the center of the U.S. hazelnut industry, and the crop is an important driver of farm income, processing activity and rural economic vitality in the Willamette Valley. Hazelnuts support growers, nurseries, processors, ...

Apr 2026 | Impact Story

Central Oregon gardeners gain ecological, fire-resistant skills

In Central Oregon, rapid population growth and dry conditions are increasing pressure on water, landscapes and wildfire risk. More homes are being built in the wildland-urban interface, where development meets forests and rangelands. ...

Apr 2026 | Impact Story

Farmers build skills to reduce wildfire risk

Wildfires are increasingly impacting agricultural lands in Eastern Oregon due to a changing climate, invasive annual grasses and evolving farming practices. Dryland wheat producers have adopted no-till systems to reduce erosion and ...

Apr 2026 | Impact Story