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 expands 4-H access across Lane County

Lane County’s size and geography have long limited access to 4-H hands-on learning. For years, many camps, workshops and school programs clustered around Eugene and Springfield, leaving rural communities with fewer opportunities to ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU survey guides weed strategy for vegetable seed production

Vegetable specialty seed production is a cornerstone of agriculture in the Pacific Northwest. More than 170 seed crops — including brassicas, spinach, radish, carrot, onion and many others — are grown on relatively small ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU study helps hemp growers save water without sacrificing CBD yield

Floral hemp production expanded rapidly after the 2018 federal farm bill, but practical production guidelines have lagged, especially in semi-arid regions where water is limited and irrigation costs are rising. Many growers assumed ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU Extension brings classroom microgreen gardens to Head Start

In 2022, Oregon State University Extension Service began training Southern Oregon Head Start’s nutrition services team to use the Harvest for Healthy Kids curriculum to introduce children to new foods while teaching how food ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU Extension meets growing demand for safe home food preservation

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 ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU Extension helps Josephine County growers use soil tests

When Oregon State University Extension Service resumed in Josephine County in 2025 after a brief gap in local support, many growers and landowners had limited recent experience working with Extension. By offering accessible, locally...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU builds forest biodiversity data through community science

The Oregon State University College of Forestry owns and manages the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest, an 11,500-acre, heavily visited forest north of Corvallis. After three years of collaboration among scientists, educators, tribes and ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

4-H embryology brings hands-on science to Lane County classrooms

Elementary teachers want more hands-on, standards-aligned science experiences, but classrooms often lack the specialized equipment and curriculum needed to teach life science in an engaging, practical way. By expanding a proven, ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU Extension develops roadmap for Oregon organic orchards

Oregon’s tree fruit and nut industries are a cornerstone of rural economies, supporting farm jobs, packing and processing and regional supply chains. Pears, apples and sweet cherries alone totaled $227.9 million in farm gate ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

Volunteers collect Oregon ash seeds to fight EAB

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 ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story