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 Extension aids vegetable farmers exploring Asian crops

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 ...

Dec 2025 | Impact Story

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

Collaborative OSU effort reduces whale entanglement, earns national honor

Whale entanglement in fishing gear is a serious threat that can cause drowning, injury and interfere with feeding. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2022 West Coast Whale Entanglement Summary, 30 ...

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

Oregon State research helps wheat growers manage glyphosate-resistant Russian thistle

Russian thistle (Salsola tragus), also known as tumbleweed, is a persistent summer annual weed and an ongoing challenge for wheat growers in Eastern Oregon. The weed infests nearly 5 million acres across the Pacific Northwest, ...

Oct 2025 | Impact Story

4-H partnership builds employability skills with Training for Teens

Research shows that Oregon needs workforce development strategies for youths. According to the 2020 Oregon Workforce and Talent Board report on essential employability skills, youths need soft skills to help them succeed as employees...

Oct 2025 | Impact Story

Study finds wine industry waste byproduct stimulates organic blueberry growth in Eastern Oregon

Blueberry production is a major agricultural force in Oregon and Washington. Together, the two states account for roughly 55% of the United States’ cultivated blueberry production, with Washington producing about 29% of the U.S. ...

Sep 2025 | Impact Story

Master Woodland Managers strengthen Oregon forests

Oregon has about 44,000 private woodland owners managing 3.5 million acres of forestland. These lands make up 12% of the state’s forests and contribute to economic vitality and environmental health. The program equips landowners ...

Sep 2025 | Impact Story