OSU Extension Impact

We’re making a difference in what matters to your community

OSU Extension partners with local communities to provide trusted expertise and science-based knowledge to address critical issues and help every Oregonian thrive. We are committed to creating positive change through programs and providing spaces where each person feels safe and welcome.

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Photo: OSU Extension Service Crook county (Cropped from original)

Out there serving Oregon; here for you

Building resiliency and creating positive change for Oregonians.

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The power of OSU Extension Service

Our work is as richly diverse as Oregon’s communities. We’re helping kids reach their full potential through programs like 4-H. We’re encouraging resilience across the food chain — from pollinator health to farm and ranch productivity. We’re supporting sustainable natural resource management and enhancing health and well-being for every stage of life. OSU Extension is a link. A partnership. A trusted resource. A legacy. This report shows how we contribute to building resilient communities across Oregon.

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Latest Extension stories

Read and share these stories of Extension's work with communities across Oregon.

Healthy communities and economies

Culturally respectful food preservation program builds trust in Warm Springs

In 2020, the OSU Extension traditional foods preservation program changed structure to prioritize Tribal leadership and community input by requiring a Tribal member to lead all traditional foods classes.

Olivia Davis | Apr 2024 | Impact story

First aid training helps North-Central Oregon farmers prepare for accidents

Farm First Aid classes started in 2021 and since then six classes have been taught reaching nearly 100 farm owners and employees across four different counties in North-Central Oregon.

Jacob Powell | Apr 2024 | Impact story

OSU Extension Seed to Supper offers resources for growing food on a budget

Growing their own vegetables and fruits is one-way people can combat food insecurity.

Amanda Woodlee, Cindy Brown | Apr 2024 | Impact story

Resilient and productive forests and natural ecosystems

Exploring biochar as an alternative sudden oak death treatment

The exploration of various approaches and collaborative problem-solving is a promising approach for future solutions.

Norma Kline, Christopher Adlam | Apr 2024 | Impact story

Science of wildfire, provided by OSU Extension, influences art exhibition

The scientists involved were OSU Extension’s Ariel Cowan and Katie Wollstein, who spent several days with the cohort talking about wildfire on Oregon’s high desert rangelands and forests – its ecology, what drives it and the challenges to manage it.

Francesca Rossi | Apr 19, 2024 | News story

Extension partnership focuses on reduction of invasive annual grasses in Wallowa County

A suite of tools will be used to strategically address the problem of annual invasive grasses in Wallowa County through conservation, restoration and management.

Peter Schreder | Apr 2024 | Impact story

Sustainable agriculture, food systems, and gardening

Garden to Table reaches traditionally underserved Yamhill County residents

Ninety-percent of survey respondents believed the course made a positive impact on their choice of dietary lifestyle and health overall.

Heather Stoven | Apr 2024 | Impact story

OSU Extension Small Farms Program among nation’s best

The program works toward improving small-farm horticultural production and small-scale livestock, poultry and forage production.

Lauren Gwin | Apr 2024 | Impact story

Living on the Land supports small-acreage landowners in the south Willamette Valley

OSU Extension collaborates with Oregon’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts and watershed councils to develop the series to best address natural resources concerns in the local area.

Melissa Fery | Apr 2024 | Impact story

Thriving youth, individuals and families

OSU hosts national conference focused on innovative projects for youths in agriculture

The conference brought together six land grant universities, including OSU, to highlight initiatives funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute for Food Agriculture.

Anaïs Alexander, Francesca Rossi | Apr 15, 2024 | News story

Oregon Sea Grant research cruises hook students on marine science

Oregon Sea Grant Extension and the Oregon Coast STEM Hub selected students and high-school teachers to join a three-day Oregon State University research cruise.

Tracy Crews | Apr 2024 | Impact story

Inaugural Extension 4-H Questing Clovers Retreat promotes youth inclusivity

Student leaders designed the quests and helped lead quest stations focused upon five different guilds: leadership, health and wellness, technology, arts and natural sciences.

Apr 2024 | Impact story

Out there: Serving Oregon

Extension is one of three OSU Statewide Public Service programs that serve Oregon’s diverse landscapes and communities. We learn with and from those who are most impacted by Oregon’s most pressing issues. We are building bridges among our state’s communities around shared goals and values that result in real solutions.

Learn about the Statewides

OSU Extension reach and impact

8,000+

volunteers

extend and build community capacity

600+

employees

serving in Corvallis and across Oregon

91,900+

young people

in 4-H and youth programs

Latest educational content

Count on OSU Extension as a source of practical, science-based information on a range of topics. Explore our educational resources.

Whole-Wheat Spiced Pear Bread recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes Makes: 1 loaf (16 slices)

May 2024 | Food Hero recipe Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Livestock disease traceability programs

Livestock diseases are best dealt with at the preventive stage. Proactive programs for several livestock species and specific diseases are available to help with tracing diseases and preventing their spread, as well as continuity ...

Shelby Filley, Sergio Arispe, Jenifer Cruickshank, David Bohnert, Charles Estill, Juliana Ranches | Apr 2024 | Collection

Ask Extension

Ask Extension is a way for you to get answers or refer questions to the experts from the Oregon State University Extension Service. Our breadth and depth of expertise cover family and health, community development, food and agriculture, coastal issues, forestry, programs for young people, and gardening.

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