What we do

Extension faculty, staff, and trained volunteers work alongside local partners to provide educational workshops, activities, and services tailored to the unique industries, natural resources, and people in our communities.

Oregon State University's land grant mission drives us to conduct research and share research-based education to improve economic vitality and promote personal and environmental health.

We're solving real problems with people and community partnerships.

• Knowledge, networks, and market access improve agricultural success and food systems resilience
• Resilient ecosystems build and sustain our outdoor economy and increase livability
• A skilled workforce attracts businesses and infuses profit potential
• Healthy residents reduce reliance on county services and improve overall population health
• Youth and family programs foster essential skills for life, leadership, and careers

Highlights

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock (Cropped from original)

Family and Community Health

Our Family and Community Health team partners in communities to promote healthy nutrition, food safety and security, physical activity, behavioral health and well-being, emergency preparedness, community resilience, and more.

Hood River County

Photo: Oregon State University (Cropped from original)

Open Campus

Open Campus provides local access to education through community-based partnerships and unique programming, meeting needs of the Oregon communities we serve.

Hood River County

4-H Youth Development

Building confidence, resiliency, and civic mindedness in our youth. Cultivating positive youth development through youth and family programs that foster essential skills for life, leadership, careers, health, and community.

Hood River County

Photo: A. Detweiler (Cropped from original)

Home Garden and Landscape

Supporting gardeners through trainings and opportunities to learn and share knowledge with the community. Providing education through research, technical support, trainings, expert advice, and community demonstration gardens.

Hood River County

Photo by Betsy Hartley (Cropped from original)

Tree Fruit Production and Pest Control

Promoting profitable and sustainable tree fruit production and pest control through trainings, research, technical support, community outreach, and expert advice.

Hood River County

Forestry and Natural Resources

Ensuring our forests are resilient and continue to provide the wide array of benefits that we treasure - now and always. Supporting woodland owners, communities, and industry in natural resource management through trainings, ...

Hood River County

Credit Patty Case (Cropped from original)

Farm to School and school gardens in Hood River County

We connect the cafeteria, classroom and community so kids, farmers, and communities thrive. OSU’s research-backed farm to school activities improve economic opportunities, public health, academic achievement, youth development and ecoliteracy in every county in Oregon.

Hood River County

Programs offered

• Home Food Safety and Preservation Program: Food safety and preservation resources and classes, provided through the Oregon State University Extension Family and Community Health, ensure Oregonians have access to the most reliable information available. It is critical that those...
• Hood River County 4-H: The mission of the 4-H program is to help young people build competence, confidence, connection, compassion and character as they learn and grow.
• Hood River County Master Gardeners: A program that educates Oregonians about the art and science of growing and caring for plants. This program also facilitates the training of a highly educated group of volunteers. These volunteers extend sustainable gardening information to their communities through education and outreach programs.
• Land Steward Program: The Land Steward Program is dedicated to helping owners achieve a viable and sustainable vision for their land. Join us to learn more about your land, figure out what you want to do with it, and make a plan to get you there.
• Master Woodland Manager: The Master Woodland Manager (MWM) training is offered by Oregon State University Forestry Extension as a master's level course for landowners who are interested in an intensive forest management training and sharing the knowledge ...
• Open Campus: OSU Open Campus, a community-based education partnership convened by Oregon State University, provides local access to learning in order to address the unique educational needs of Oregon’s communities. Through a statewide network of...
• Oregon Season Tracker: Oregon Season Tracker (OST) is a project of Oregon State University that aims to link natural resource managers, educators, researchers and others in the community to the science they use through collaborative citizen science. We ...
• OSU Small Farms: The goal of the Small Farms program is to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of small farms by employing appropriate scale production and marketing techniques. The program works toward improving small farm ...
• Outdoor School: This is an exciting time for Oregon and for Oregon’s 5th and 6th grade students as OSU Extension works in collaboration with schools, partners, and communities to support and grow the statewide Outdoor School program, building on a legacy that began in 1966.
• StrongPeople™: StrongPeople™ is a nationally recognized, evidence-based community exercise program designed to increase the number of mid-life and older women participating in safe and effective strength training.