Oregon State University Extension Service

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)
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    Out there serving Oregon; here for you

    Building resiliency and creating positive change for Oregonians.

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    Image: 4-H girl grasping a rope swing "The power of OSU Extension Service: Building resilient communities across Oregon 2022. Oregon State University

    2022 OSU Extension Annual Report

    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.

    Read the annual report

    Latest Extension stories

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

    Healthy communities and economies

    OSU Extension helps Warm Springs tribal members loop back to food preservation

    In 2022, 14 Warm Springs community members, primarily elders, went on the Warm Springs Fruit Loop tour. The canning classes held afterward helped participants refresh their skills and get caught up on any changes to methods.

    May 2023 | Impact story

    OSU Extension garden-themed nutrition lesson teaches second graders how to plant healthy vegetables

    Hundreds of schools across Oregon received seed-starting classroom kits through the Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge, OSU Extension’s statewide seed giveaway.

    Chris Branam | May 17, 2023 | News story

    Popular nutrition program returns to help at-risk families in Umatilla and Morrow counties

    In post-program surveys, families have shared that the lessons helped them make healthier choices when purchasing and choosing produce.

    May 2023 | Impact story

    Resilient and productive forests and natural ecosystems

    Beneficial bats help control insects in the garden

    Their voracious appetite for insects turns them bats into a living pesticide that saves farmers billions of dollars a year and helps rid our backyards of insects like mosquitoes, moths, grasshoppers, flies and beetles

    Kym Pokorny | May 12, 2023 | News story

    Douglas-fir in Klamath Mountains are in ‘decline spiral,’ Oregon State research shows

    CORVALLIS, Ore. – Increases in mortality among Douglas-fir in the Klamath Mountains are the result of multiple factors that have the iconic tree in a “decline spiral” in parts of the region, a new study by the Oregon State University College of Forestry and OSU Extension Service indicates.

    Mar 20, 2023 | News story

    OSU Extension Master Gardeners plant plots to help save Oregon silverspot butterfly

    OSU Extension Master Gardeners have planted two small silverspot butterfly beds at the Master Gardener demonstration gardens in Lincoln City and Yachats to draw the silverspot to a friendly place for food and shelter.

    Kym Pokorny | Mar 15, 2023 | News story

    Sustainable agriculture, food systems, and gardening

    OSU Extension’s model cow helps ranchers deal with difficult births

    OSU Extension acquired Alberta, a life-size black model cow without a head or legs, four years ago and the model has been traveling the state teaching people how to deal with dystocia, a difficult birth that usually manifests itself in a turned calf or a calf that is too large

    Kym Pokorny | Jun 5, 2023 | News story

    Gardening can be accessible to all with some adjustments

    “Universal” garden design is planning the landscape so that anyone can access and enjoy it.

    Kym Pokorny | May 26, 2023 | News story

    OSU Extension supports small-scale and historically marginalized farmers

    The Oregon Community Food Systems Network (OCFSN) has been an integral part of building and maintaining the institutional infrastructure essential for the network’s activities and topical working groups.

    Lauren Gwin | May 2023 | Impact story

    Thriving youth, individuals and families

    OSU Extension responds to avian flu with coordinated outreach

    Oregon State University Extension Service quickly recognized the importance of alerting the public about the outbreak.

    Jun 2023 | Impact story

    4-H’ers experience success at U.S. and world robotics championships

    The System Overload team placed fourth at the U.S. Open and eighth at the World Championship. All students had a life-changing experience.

    May 2023 | Impact story

    Innovative teen leadership project serves youths in Columbia River Gorge

    To date, the Teen Leaders have served over 1,000 students in Hood River and Wasco counties with over 460 hours of teaching.

    May 2023 | 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
    87,100+
    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.

    Hemp Disease Workshop

    OSU Extension hosted a Hemp Disease Workshop in April 2023. The event was created in support of the Western IPM Grant. Recordings are linked below. Hemp Powdery Mildew in the Pacific Northwest Dr. Cynthia Ocamb, Associate ...

    Cynthia Ocamb, Govinda Shrestha | May 2023 | Article

    Rosanna’s Fry Bread receta

    Tiempo de preparación: 1 hour (includes mixing, resting, and dividing) Hora de cocinar: 20 minutes per batch Rendimientos: 8 pieces

    Inglés: Rosanna’s Fry Bread recipe

    May 2023 | Food Hero recipe Peer reviewed (Gray level)

    Ask an Expert

    Ask an Expert

    Ask an Expert 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.

    Have a question?

    Advocacy toolkit

    We provide opportunities for those who are passionate about what OSU Extension does to get further involved.

    Pacific Ocean Overlook
    Connect with Extension advisory and advocacy groups
    EXCITE and Extension Logo on top of OSU campus photo
    Join OSU's Beaver Caucus
    Source URL: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/impact