Online help center answers thousands of questions

Ask an Expert gives Oregonians access to Extension's virtual office

Ask an Expert allows people in any of the state's 36 counties to electronically submit questions, and photos, relating to OSU Extension's subject areas. This innovative program requires fewer traditional resources, shares expertise efficiently around the state and engages new audiences. More than 100 Extension faculty and 30 Master Gardener volunteers answer questions in their area of expertise, including gardening, food, agriculture, forestry, coastal and watershed issues, parenting, nutrition, community development and 4-H youth programs. The service can be accessed from the Ask an Expert website 24 hours a day, and most questions receive a response within 48 hours.

The service launched in 2011, and by the end of the year, Ask an Expert had answered more than 2,600 questions about everything from how to sanitize birdhouses to how to make compost.

Contact: Jeff Hino