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

Solve Pest and Weed Problems website gives gardeners solutions

Pests and diseases are the bane of the gardener’s existence. One minute there’s a healthy cucumber, the next it’s a moldy mess. Searching for reliable information can be frustrating, particularly for research-based knowledge ...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension soil fertility study saves grower costs of applying gypsum to hemp crop

Crop production can be challenging on the serpentine soils of southwestern Oregon, where hemp production is an important local crop. Made up of the mineral serpentinite, the soils contain high levels of magnesium and other metals...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension Fire Program increases outreach to Latino communities

Oregon State University Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Program (FNR) has a mission to teach Oregonians how to be prepared for increasing wildfires, which in recent years have been larger and occurring more frequently in ...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

Comparison of irrigation systems shows promise for hay growers in water-depleted northern Lake County

The environment in the Fort Rock-Christmas Lake Valley basin and Silver Lake region of Lake County is unique because of its dry climate, hot summer days, cool nights and soil type, making it one of the best alfalfa-growing ...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

More than 600 fifth-graders learn importance of Oregon’s forests from OSU Extension

Oregon’s forests, an economic and recreational powerhouse, can be a topic of contention. Information – and sometimes misinformation – filters down to children, who when misinformed may grow up with distrust in the state’s ...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension research gives wine grape growers in Umatilla County hope for adjusting to changing climate

The wine region of the Walla Walla Valley labors under the most extreme conditions for grapes in the state. Growers have adapted, but recently the shifting climate has created more unpredictable and extreme conditions as ...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

Sagebrush in Prison Project teaches inmates horticulture and conservation

Climate change, drought, land use and wildfire on the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem of western United States negatively impact the iconic sage-grouse, which has seen its population decline over the decades. Although there are efforts to...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension supports installation of regional air quality monitoring network

Wildfire smoke has been an issue in the Columbia River Gorge for several years. Oregon’s Labor Day week fires in September 2020 led to the Gorge experiencing record-shattering hazardous air quality index (AQI) levels. The Eagle...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

OSU researchers patent new packaging material made from food waste

It is estimated that 30-40% of food in the US is wasted, creating approximately 170 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and fostering climate change. When juiced, only 70-75% of the fruit is used, which means the...

Oct 2022 | Impact Story

Building a ‘spark’ in 4-H for urban and underrepresented families

Traditional programs in Oregon State University Extension Service 4-H Youth Development in Jackson County have seen success over the years. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the deadly and destructive 2020 Almeda fire, shed ...

Jul 2022 | Impact Story