Southern

OSU study links stand spacing to Douglas-fir wood value

Douglas-fir is the backbone of Oregon’s timber industry and a major source of lumber, engineered wood products and manufacturing fiber in the Pacific Northwest. Better knowledge of how spacing affects wood development can help ...

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

OSU field courses bolster rangeland workforce

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 ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU symposium strengthens Oregon pasture resilience

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 ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU Extension guides postfire recovery planning for Eastern Oregon rangelands

More than 1.8 million acres burned in Eastern Oregon during the 2024 fire season, creating urgent needs for communities and landowners. People needed evacuation information, alternative feed for livestock and clear points of contact...

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 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