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

Extension responds to inequities with emergency preparedness events for Lincoln County’s Latino and Mesoamerican Indigenous residents

The 2020 Echo Mountain Complex Fire that burned over 2,500 acres and impacted 368 structures in Lincoln County exposed the communication inequities and gaps in resources for the county’s Latino and Indigenous Mesoamerican ...

Mar 2024 | Impact Story

Farm-to-school field trips teach Marion County students about local food system

Farm-to-school programs provide nutrition education, access to local foods, and agricultural education, serving families inside and outside the classroom. Classrooms that participate in farm-to-school programs such as farm field trips, the...

Feb 2024 | Impact Story

Value-added rental program targets food insecurity in the Columbia Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge region of Oregon has extreme wealth disparities and high rates of food insecurity, particularly among those already receiving food assistance. This region also lacks resilience in local food systems during ...

Feb 2024 | Impact Story

Extension helps establish a statewide Walk With Ease referral process

Oregon State University Extension Service offers all Oregonians free enrollment into the Walk With Ease program. Walk With Ease is an evidence-based physical activity program developed by the Arthritis Foundation that is proven to ...

Feb 2024 | Impact Story

Mushroom Producers Network provides mentorship and resource-sharing

The north Willamette Valley has experienced a notable increase in the number of farmers expressing interest in small-scale mushroom production. These farmers are seeking avenues for farmer-to-farmer support, skill-sharing and collaborative...

Feb 2024 | Impact Story

4-H Egg to Fry projects bring ecology to life in 10 Portland metro area schools

Raising salmon and trout eggs in an elementary school classroom is an effective way to enhance a child’s understanding of how vitally important their environment is for their survival, and how people can greatly influence ...

Jun 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension responds to avian flu with coordinated outreach

When the deadly highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in Oregon in May 2022, poultry businesses were forced to cull infected birds, people with backyard chickens were worried about the fate of their birds and ...

Jun 2023 | Impact Story

4-H’ers experience success at U.S. and world robotics championships

For several years, students in the Oregon State University Extension Service 4-H Youth Development Program’s middle school robotics programs in Wasco County have shown a high level of success by winning three state championships ...

May 2023 | Impact Story

Innovative teen leadership project serves youths in Columbia River Gorge

After virtual school instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon State University Extension Service 4-H Youth Development staff in Wasco County noticed that students coming to after-school programs had difficulty sharing materials, ...

May 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension helps Warm Springs tribal members loop back to food preservation

The summer of 2022 brought high temperatures, high gas prices, and high food prices to Oregon. In the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs community, where food preservation is a means of food security, those higher prices meant...

May 2023 | Impact Story