What we do

OSU Extension faculty, staff and trained volunteers work alongside partners across Jefferson County to provide educational workshops, activities, and services tailored to the unique industries, natural resources, and people in our communities. We've been working in Jefferson County since 1935.

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

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.

Jefferson County

Bees and Pollinators

Bees are an essential part of agriculture in central Oregon agriculture.

Jefferson County

Youth Activities

4-H empowers young people with hands-on learning experiences to help them grow and thrive. By creating a safe and welcoming environment, young people develop the skills needed to make a positive impact on the world around them.

Jefferson County

Credit Patty Case (Cropped from original)

Farm to School and school gardens in Jefferson 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.

Jefferson County

Photo: A. Detweiler (Cropped from original)

Home Garden and Landscape

The home garden and landscape program area provides information for backyard gardeners and green industry professionals including regional specific information for our counties.

Jefferson County

Photo: Nicole Strong (Cropped from original)

Forestry and Natural Resources

Our agents and specialists share knowledge about the latest techniques in natural resource management through educational programs and materials. We work with forest owners, foresters and other natural resource managers, educators ...

Jefferson 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.

Jefferson County

Programs offered

• Central Oregon 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.
• Central Oregon Small Farms: The Small Farms/Small Acreage program in Central Oregon provides research-based educational programming and resources to help commercial and non-commercial small farm entrepreneurs and small acreage landowners achieve their goals.
• 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...
• Jefferson County 4-H: 4-H empowers young people with hands-on learning experiences to help them grow and thrive. By creating a safe and welcoming environment, young people develop the skills needed to make a positive impact on the world around them.
• 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 ...
• Nutrition Education and Outreach Programs (SNAP-Ed): Our Family and Community Health educators deliver community-based nutrition education to adults and youth in all 36 Oregon counties. OSU Extension contracts with the Oregon Department of Human Services to bring SNAP-Ed (Supplemental ...
• 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 Environmental Literacy Program: The goal of the Oregon Environmental Literacy Program is to support teachers in collaboration with non-formal educators to foster Environmental Literacy of Kindergarten through 12th grade students by engaging students in activities and...
• Oregon Forest Pest Detector: Oregon Forest Pest Detectors (OFPDs) are volunteers that help prevent the damaging impacts of invasive forest pests by monitoring for and reporting potential infestations. They usually already have some baseline knowledge of ...
• Oregon Natural Resources Education Program (PreK-12): The Oregon Natural Resources Education Program (ONREP) has been a leader in providing professional development programs for K - 16 educators since its inception in the mid-1980s. ONREP programming has contributed to building ...