Chris Branam

News and Public Affairs Manager

I serve as the lead public information officer in the OSU Extension Communications office. I cover 4-H, Family and Community Health, Extension Outdoor School and Oregon Sea Grant Extension. I can be reached at 541-737-2940.

541-737-2940
[email protected]

Department/Unit: Extension Communications

Biography

Originally from Fresno, I worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for nearly 20 years before moving to university communications in 2012. I joined Extension Communications in December 2016. I cover 4-H, Family and Community Health, Open Campus, Outdoor School, and Oregon Sea Grant Extension.

Content by Chris Branam

New OSU study values annual economic impact of Willamette Valley agritourism at nearly $1 billion

Agritourism can take the form of farm-direct sales, education, entertainment, outdoor recreation and hospitality.

Chris Branam | Mar 21, 2024 | News story

Watch chickens hatch on OSU Extension’s popular livestream

The livestream started today and will document the chicks as they hatch. The cameras will remain on until March 21. The expected hatch date is March 18.

Chris Branam | Mar 15, 2024 | News story

Linn County families receive local food through unique Extension partnership

The project started in early December, when Extension was awarded a $5,000 local food procurement grant from Linn County Public Health.

Chris Branam | Mar 1, 2024 | News story

Free Level Up series offered by OSU Extension Master Gardeners focuses on growing food

Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series for 2024 launched on Feb. 13. The first webinar was attended by more than 360 people and the recording has been viewed more than 100 times as of Feb. 28.

Chris Branam | Feb 28, 2024 | News story

New OSU Master Gardener Program manager praises power of gardening networks

Leslie Madsen will provide leadership, guidance and direction for county-based OSU Extension employees who coordinate local Master Gardener programs that engage more than 2,400 Master Gardener volunteers in 27 counties.

Chris Branam | Feb 1, 2024 | News story

OSU Extension statewide seed giveaway returns for fifth year

Individuals and households, schools and groups can sign up to receive an individual/household seed kit, group kit or seed-starting teacher classroom kit through the mail. 

Chris Branam | Jan 26, 2024 | News story

Surprising national finish fills Oregon 4-H dairy cattle judging team with joy

Clancey Krahn, a sixth-generation dairy farmer in Linn County, finished fifth in the individual standings.

Chris Branam | Jan 4, 2024 | News story

Morrill named inaugural director of Native American and Tribal programs

Angie Morrill, an enrolled member of the Klamath Tribes, will cross-collaborate with a variety of OSU Extension Service programs to meet the needs of the Native American/Alaska Native communities in Oregon.

Chris Branam | Jan 2, 2024 | News story

Extension faculty in Agriculture and Natural Resources and Family and Community Health recognized by their peers

Five faculty members in the Agricultural and Natural Resources Program in the College of Agricultural Sciences were national award-winners and several faculty and staff in the Family and Community Health Program in the College of Health won awards.

Chris Branam | Dec 1, 2023 | News story

Boileau, beloved in her community, honored with garden naming

The Skuliłama Garden recognizes Arlene and Mickey Boileau’s dedication to supporting youth to become lifelong learners.

Chris Branam | Nov 3, 2023 | News story

OSU Extension developmental scientist receives national award for 4-H Thriving Model

Mary Arnold is a developmental scientist who has led positive youth development program development and evaluation in the OSU Extension 4-H program since 2000.

Chris Branam | Oct 27, 2023 | News story

Sawer, an ‘outside the box’ thinker, inducted into National 4-H Hall of Fame

Barbara J. Sawer, who was inducted into the Oregon 4-H Hall of Fame in 2015, served as a 4-H state youth development specialist for OSU Extension from 1974-1995.

Chris Branam | Oct 10, 2023 | News story

Oregon 4-H’ers show their love for llamas at the Clackamas County Fair

Llamas and alpacas, both native to South America, have been steadily growing in popularity among 4-H’ers across the state. There are a half-dozen 4-H llama clubs in Clackamas County.

Chris Branam | Sep 12, 2023 | News story

Crisis helpline for Oregon’s agricultural and forestry communities is now open

The Oregon Agristress Helpline – 833-897-2474 – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by call or text.

Chris Branam | Sep 8, 2023 | News story

Local food, local dollars: Community partnership promotes Klamath Basin agriculture

A partnership of OSU Extension Klamath County and Klamath Grown, a nonprofit food hub, focuses on promoting a strong local community food system.

Chris Branam | Sep 7, 2023 | News story

Determined 4-H’er helps lead effort to build a skate park in his hometown

Uriel Mejia began the effort to build a skate park in Culver when he was a freshman in high school and made a solo presentation to the city council.

Chris Branam | Jul 25, 2023 | News story

Through Juntos en el Jardin, families come together to grow their own food

Juntos en el Jardin has rejuvenated existing community gardening locations in and around Lincoln City and created spaces that expand access to growing food to Latino and Mesoamerican Indigenous families in Lincoln County that generally have less access to land for growing their own food.

Chris Branam | Jul 19, 2023 | News story

OSU Extension Food Safety and Preservation hotline opens for the season

The toll-free hotline, 800-354-7319, runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, from July 10 through Oct. 13.

Chris Branam | Jul 6, 2023 | News story

OSU Division of Extension and Engagement earns eight awards for communications efforts

The awards were presented June 13 at the ACE annual conference in Asheville, N.C.

Chris Branam | Jun 26, 2023 | News story

USDA awards $10 million to OSU to serve as coordinator of innovative projects for youths in agriculture

Together for Innovating Youth in Agriculture, housed at OSU and designating OSU Extension as a National Center of Excellence for Youth Development, will emphasize support, collaboration and technology to ensure the success of ...

Chris Branam | Jun 22, 2023 | News 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

Juntos National Convening features celebrations, innovative ideas and networking

OSU’s Juntos program is now the largest in the country based on the number of communities it serves. North Carolina State is No. 2.

Chris Branam | May 12, 2023 | News story

Food Hero adds annual garden calendar to its growing catalog of gardening resources

More than 100,000 thousand copies – 80,000 in English and 25,000 in Spanish were produced for distribution through OSU Extension offices and Oregon Department of Human Services field offices across the state.

Chris Branam | Mar 24, 2023 | News story

Using logs, OSU Extension teaches kids how to grow mushrooms for food

It was the first time that Mandy Hatfield, a nutrition educator, and Alicia Christiansen, a forester, had worked together on a project.

Chris Branam | Feb 28, 2023 | News story

Coba, Bales appointed to represent OSU Extension on national land-grant advocacy council

Coba and Bales will represent Oregon State University Extension Service on the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching

Chris Branam | Feb 1, 2023 | News story

OSU Extension vaccination outreach creates comfortable environments

Featuring music and food, the Building Immunity by Building Communities town hall-style event in Corvallis drew about 60 people.

Chris Branam | Jan 25, 2023 | News story

Coordinators with deep ties to their communities join Open Campus and Juntos

Nayeli Contreras will serve as coordinator for Malheur, Morrow and Umatilla counties. Emily Chavez Romero will serve as coordinator for Deschutes and Jefferson counties and provide support for the program in Crook County.

Chris Branam | Dec 15, 2022 | News story

Extension faculty and staff honored for dedication, innovation and contributions

The OSU Extension Association (OSUEA) presented its annual awards, and the Gamma Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi – the national association for Extension professionals – recognized its chapter and national winners. The Extension ...

Chris Branam | Dec 12, 2022 | News story

New OSU podcast aims to broaden understanding of being an Oregonian

The podcast is a vehicle to to share stories from across the state that broaden and deepen our understanding of what it means to be an Oregonian.

Chris Branam | Nov 1, 2022 | News story

Fusion of music and technology draws teens to 4-H Mariachi STEAM Camp

The summer residential camp brings students to the OSU campus to expose them to technology through their interest in mariachi music.

Chris Branam | Oct 24, 2022 | News story

Extension Internship Program concludes third year with record participation

The goal is to provide a meaningful service-learning experience for students, and they could learn more about OSU Extension and its land-grant mission.

Chris Branam | Sep 23, 2022 | News story

Marine scientist hired as new Oregon Sea Grant Extension coastal hazards specialist

Felicia Olmeta-Schult succeeds Patrick Corcoran, who retired in 2020 after 32 years with Sea Grant Extension.

Chris Branam | Aug 19, 2022 | News story

4-H Investigators at Home provides summer enrichment for students and families

Students receive a monthly box designed for third- through fifth-grade students with activities, instructions and all the needed materials to explore hands-on STEAM activities.

Chris Branam | Aug 18, 2022 | News story

Releasing non-native fish to control mosquitoes is often ineffective and harmful to environment

"Do-it-yourself” solutions aren’t effective for mosquito control, and they aren’t good for the environment.

Chris Branam | Jul 29, 2022 | News story

Denny named OSU associate vice provost for engagement

As associate vice provost, Denny will build, sustain and implement a compelling vision of the role of Extension and engagement within the university and Oregon communities, and regionally and internationally.

Chris Branam | Jul 29, 2022 | News story

Outdoor School leader named OSU Extension associate director

Elliott has been the director of the OSU Extension statewide Outdoor School Program since 2017.

Chris Branam | Jun 7, 2022 | News story

Caregivers have a new resource for trauma-informed nutrition and feeding

OSU Extension has partnered with the nonprofit organization SPOON to launch “Nourished and Thriving Children” a free, self-paced course that contains eight learning modules that focus on the six principles of trauma-informed ...

Chris Branam | May 18, 2022 | News story

Extension taps Hibbard-Swanson for new food safety and security position

Jared Hibbard-Swanson is OSU Extension's inaugural program manager for food security and safety.

Chris Branam | Apr 4, 2022 | News story

OSU Extension organizes community preparedness for extreme smoke in the Columbia River Gorge

Extension's work will result in better smoke monitoring, better communication and reduced levels of smoke in the air in the Columbia River Gorge.

Chris Branam | Mar 16, 2022 | News story

Clackamas 4-H volunteer’s compassion leads to donation in her name

The Clackamas 4-H Horse Advisory Board recently voted to use the $750 donation made in Shirley Byrne's name to pay for all of the members’ pre-fair entry fees.

Chris Branam | Mar 1, 2022 | News story

Oregon 4-H boasts several top-10 results at national horse, poultry contests

Oregon 4-H finished second in horse bowl, third in horse judging and 10th in hippology at the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup, and sixth in avian bowl at the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference.

Chris Branam | Feb 3, 2022 | News story

Juntos expands to serve Hillsboro students and families

Juntos, which has served students and families in the Forest Grove School District since 2018, expanded to Hill High School in Hillsboro in the spring of 2021.

Chris Branam | Nov 30, 2021 | News story

Linn County couple inducted into National 4-H Hall of Fame

Fay and Sherm Sallee were among 16 people inducted for their achievements and contributions to 4-H in a ceremony held on Thursday at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.

Chris Branam | Oct 15, 2021 | News story

Extension promotes awareness of federal Emergency Broadband Benefit

So far, more than 46,000 Oregon households have signed up for the program.

Chris Branam | Sep 24, 2021 | News story

Extension begins grassroots effort to increase vaccine uptake among Latinos

OSU Extension, through its Family and Community Health Program in the College of Health, has received grants to accelerate its local outreach to improve vaccine confidence and uptake in the state’s Latino population.

Chris Branam | Aug 19, 2021 | News story

Extension offers free summer day camps for first time at Oregon 4-H Center

The camps will feature arts and crafts, STEM learning, canoeing, fishing, archery, swimming and more.

Chris Branam | Aug 4, 2021 | News story

Oregon 4-H’ers finish in top 20 at national shooting sports championships

Oregon 4-H sent a delegation of 12 competitors and four coaches to Nebraska, which hosted the championships in June at the Heartland Public Shooting Park,

Chris Branam | Aug 3, 2021 | News story

Sea Grant Extension Shop at the Dock tours return to Oregon Coast

Participants are given behind-the-scenes guided tours of commercial fishing docks to learn about how seafood is caught and how to buy it directly from fishermen selling off their boats.

Chris Branam | Jul 27, 2021 | News story

Middle-school cooking class leads to serious conversations about food

A benefit of students making meals at home was that they were able to work independently and create a whole dish, unlike in the classroom environment in which they would work in groups on a single aspect.

Chris Branam | Jun 21, 2021 | News story

OSU accelerates local efforts to improve Latinx vaccine confidence and uptake

Oregon's Latinx population has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and whose vaccination rate lags behind other races and ethnicities.

Chris Branam | Jun 16, 2021 | News story

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