The power of OSU Extension Service

Serving Oregon, here for you

OSU Extension is a link, connecting Oregon’s people and communities with the university to share knowledge and co-create solutions.

A partnership, with professionals and volunteers collaborating with academic, public and private partners to achieve greater results, build community capacity and obtain funding commitments from local, state and federal governments.
A trusted resource, serving in every Oregon county and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs by delivering credible, research-based knowledge and educational programming.

A legacy. In 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, creating land grant universities in every state. By 1914, Congress had created agricultural experiment stations and Extension services at every land grant institution to bring the knowledge and research of higher education to all people.

In the early days, Extension agents fanned out across the state to work with farmers, ranchers and homemakers. They delivered classes from railroad cars and boats that sailed along the Oregon Coast. They hauled trailers outfitted with exhibits on new technology. They were soon stationed in county offices, developing programs to meet local needs. By the 1960s, nearly 20% of all Oregon schoolchildren were enrolled in Extension 4-H clubs.

Over the years, our mission has endured: to help every Oregonian thrive while staying true to our focus on improving lives and livelihoods and helping Oregon’s environments and economies prosper.

We recognize that all Extension work occurs on Indigenous homelands. Under the Morrill Act, the federal government seized nearly 11 million acres of land from 250 sovereign tribal nations — including 90,000 acres in Oregon — with little or no compensation. We have a responsibility to understand the continuing impact of this shared history, to recognize the many contributions of Indigenous people who are part of our Extension community today and to ensure we act in a respectful way that builds allyship now and in the future.

OSU Extension history highlights

1868 — Corvallis College, now Oregon State University, becomes the state’s official land grant institution
1911 — Board of Regents establishes the Extension Service at Oregon Agricultural College.
1912 — Marion and Wallowa counties hire the first county-funded agricultural Extension agents.
1914 — Extension partners with schools to direct Youth Industrial Clubs, the predecessor of today’s 4-H program.
1918 — Josephine and Umatilla counties hire the first county-funded home demonstrations agents.
1959 — Extension begins a partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
1967 — Extension hires the first agent to serve the coastal fishing industry.
2007 — Extension is placed within what is now the universitywide Division of Extension and Engagement.
2008 — Clackamas County passes the first voter-approved Extension service district.
2012 — Extension Open Campus launches the Juntos program.
2015 — The Oregon Legislature designates OSU Extension as the administrator for the statewide Outdoor School program.
2017 — Extension and Engagement establishes its office of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Read more about OSU Extension's history.

OSU Extension funding

Thriving youth, individuals and families

We promote positive youth development and foster essential skills for life and leadership through 4-H and other programs. We empower youth to learn about the outdoors. We encourage students and families to pursueeducation and advance their careers.

Encouraging best practices for young families

Parenting education specialist Shauna Tominey leads the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative. OPEC supports expanded access to parenting education programs through regional hubs, with a focus on parents from the prenatal stage to age 6.

Providing professional development to educators

Our 4-H Youth Development Program collaborates with the Oregon STEM Hub Network and other partners to provide high-quality science, technology, engineering and math programs statewide. STEM Beyond School provides expertise and resources to out-of-school/after-school educators and community-based organizations statewide.

Expanding access and equity for Outdoor School

Our Outdoor School Program engages with community partners to better serve students who haven’t had access to environmental education programs. Outdoor School has developed resources and self-assessment tools to make Outdoor School more equitable, accessible and culturally responsive.

Experiencing nature with classes and field trips

At the request of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, we created a hands-on course to prepare students for a career in natural resources and related fields. The course includes six field trips and classes in water quality, botany, culturally valued plants, forestry, fire and wildlife.

Resilient and productive forests and natural ecosystems

We advance sustainable natural resource management to ensure Oregon’s forests and natural areas continue to provide an array of benefits. Our programs, partnerships and volunteers support woodland owners, communities and industry through research, education and community-engaged science.

Adapting to and preparing for wildfires

Our Fire Program helps create fire-adapted communities and protections for forests, wildlife and other natural resources. The program provides resources and education to help Oregonians prepare for wildland blazes, protect their property, manage smoke and develop landscape-scale solutions.

Responding to threats in a vast ecosystem

Our Sagebrush Habitat Team conducts research and provides education on threats to the sagebrush steppe ecosystem and wildlife that depend on it, including the iconic sage-grouse. The team helps landowners assess threats and supports management decisions to address fire, juniper spread and invasive grasses.

Presenting careers in natural resources to Portland-area youth

Our Inner City Youth Institute in the Portland metro area addresses disparities among people of color and a lack of representation in natural resource research, management and education through visits to outdoor recreational and natural areas. The program draws an average of 60 participants throughout the school year.

Addressing threats to Oregon waterways

Climate change is having a profound impact on Oregon’s estuaries and rivers. Oregon Sea Grant researchers and Extension educators are at the forefront of measuring and responding to these impacts, including education on aquatic invasive species and studying the ecology of native and nonnative fish in the Willamette River Basin.

Sustainable agriculture, food systems and gardening

We bolster Oregon’s $5.5 billion agricultural economy through research and programs that promote productivity on farms and ranches of all sizes. Our Master Gardeners help Oregonians learn to grow their own food while also creating sustainable landscapes. We help strengthen local and regional food systems.

Removing invasive grasses through cattle grazing

In Malheur County, wildfires have devastated 2.5 million acres, allowing invasive annual grasses to move in. Work by Extension faculty and local and regional partners has shown that allowing cattle to graze invasive grasses helps the land recuperate, restore native species and alleviate wildfire damage.

Helping dryland farmers prosper

Our research and education on farming methods help preserve soil organic matter, fertility, moisture and weed resistance while producing tastier, disease-resistant potato, wheat and barley varieties suited to local growing conditions. Wheat and barley yields increased by $3.2 million in one year, and potato yields increased by nearly $20 million annually in the last decade. No-till farming has become standard practice for wheat farmers in the Columbia Basin.

Expanding relief to small-scale and historically marginalized farmers

We help small-scale farmers access insurance and relief funding for drought, heat waves or wildfire losses. Historically marginalized farmers, often people of color overcoming deep-seated discrimination, can find help through the Oregon Community Food Systems Network. We work with veterans who are launching careers in small-scale agriculture.

Sharing the culture of gardening

The Master Gardener Culture of Gardening program supports our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In this storytelling initiative, one participant learned she had West African roots and now grows Lagos spinach in her Oregon garden. Another is reconnecting with her Indigenous Mexican ancestors by raising tomatillos, squash and chiles.

Healthy communities and economies

OSU Extension works to enhance health and well-being for people of all ages through culturally relevant, evidence-
based programs. We support workforce development by building career skills, breaking down barriers to college
access and supporting youth and adult entrepreneurs.

Classroom exercise program gets kids moving

We were instrumental in creating BEPA 2.0 — BE Physically Active 2Day — a classroom-based physical activity program aligned to state and national health and physical education standards. We have trained nearly 1,800 educators on implementing the program and distributed 3,000 BEPA 2.0 toolkits, increasing access to physical activity during school for over 50,000 children in Oregon.

Increasing preparedness for a Cascadia earthquake

It’s been 300 years since the last major earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the Oregon Coast. Another temblor could arrive at any time, and Extension faculty have created online training modules and publications to help communities prepare for major disruptions to water, power, transportation, sanitation and commerce.

Providing safety and first-aid training to fishermen

Because of injury risks, the U.S. Coast Guard requires commercial fishers to have at least one crew member certified in first aid and CPR. Oregon Sea Grant Extension’s Fishermen First Aid and Safety Training program includes two days of intensive safety training through lectures and hands-on scenario training on vessels.

Creating culturally appropriate recipes and educational materials

Four workgroups — African Heritage, Indigenous Peoples, Latinx and Pasifika (Micronesian and Pacific Islanders) — provide guidance in the development, implementation and evaluation of culturally relevant nutrition and physical activity education and social marketing strategies. Along with recipes recommended and tested by the workgroups, the program includes posters, videos, coloring sheets and handouts available through the Oregon SNAP-Ed Food Hero initiative.