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 ...
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 ...
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
Credit: Todd Anderson/Oso Honey Farm (Cropped from original)
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 ...
Oregon’s hemp industry generates a large volume of spent hemp biomass — the leftover plant material after cannabidiol is extracted. The material has a strong nutrient profile and could serve as a cost-competitive alternative to...
In early 2022, many small-scale goat and sheep producers in Lane County faced a critical gap when the last veterinarian who regularly served small ruminants retired. With fewer local options for timely care, producers needed ...
Feb 2026 |
Impact Story
Credit: Daria Van De Grift (Cropped from original)
Raw milk naturally contains microorganisms. Most are harmless, but higher microbial levels can shorten shelf life, complicate processing and signal hygiene problems that raise costs for farms and processors. For Oregon’s dairy ...
Spotted-wing drosophila is a small fruit fly that can ruin berries right before harvest. Unlike the fruit flies many people know from kitchens, it can lay eggs in firm, ripening fruit still on the plant. The eggs hatch into...
Wildfire smoke is a growing risk for wine grapes in Oregon and across the West. When smoke reaches vineyards near harvest, grapes can take in smoke compounds that later affect wine flavor and aroma. In bad years, growers ...
In the high desert of Central Oregon, farmers produce some of the world’s most valuable hybrid carrot seed. But their fields face a persistent and costly threat: a plant disease called bacterial blight, caused by the ...
