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 outreach helps slow the spread of deadly X-disease in cherries

Cherry growers in the Columbia River Gorge dread the emergence of X-disease, which makes cherries small, flavorless and unmarketable. At least 239,856 cherry trees were removed between 2015-2023, costing growers an estimated $115 ...

Apr 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension microgreens gardening course reaches thousands of Oregonians

According to the latest National Gardening Association survey, about 55% of U.S. households had a garden in 2021. That number continues to grow with more than 18 million Americans starting the popular activity during the COVID-19...

Apr 2023 | Impact Story

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