What does OSU Extension do?

Many in our community have had experience with one or more of the Oregon State University Extension agencies but may not realize the depth of the programs they support.

Nicole Strong, OSU Central Regional Director recently gave an overview at the Jefferson County Commissioners meeting. It included:

4-H Youth Development

Horse Showmanship Clinics in fall and winter.Presentation Contest Workshops.Camp Tumbleweed hosted 76 youths.Jefferson County Horse Fair.Started Culture Club & Fishing Club in Warm Springs.Led a series of Garden Education lessons at Warm Springs Academy.Delivered a series of cooking lessons at Warm Springs Academy.Iron Chef nutrition program.

Livestock Program

Beef Quality Assurance Training, 161 ranchers certified.Central Oregon Small Farms School, 87 clients.Eight workshops in 2024 engaging 192 clients.Three livestock health clinics were held in Warm Springs.Calving School workshop with 45 participants.Beef Quality Assurance workshop with 8 participants.Wolf Information training with 49 participants.

Agronomy

Central Oregon Farm Fair in Madras.Weed ID & Management class in Warm Springs.Soils & Health class in Warm Springs.Central Oregon Forage Seminar in Prineville.Unlocking the Secrets of Hay in Prineville.Contributes to publications on equine pasture buying hay.Efficient irrigation of perennial forages with wheel lines.Doing research on Hemp based fiber materials for commerce.

Forestry & Natural Resources Program

Presented fire home defense workshops in Culver and Camp Sherman.Conducts site visits.Private landowner education.Respond to inquiries on forestry and natural resource topics.Forest health & bark beetle mitigation.Juniper management.

Family & Community Health/SNAP Education

Held cooking classes at Madras Senior/Community Center.Plan, Shop, Save and Cook classes for adults at Mosaic and OCDC with 91 contacts.Grocery Outlet display and demos, 3,230 contacts.509J Schools, Culver Schools programming outreach.

Community Horticulture & Master Gardener Program

Conducted free growing vegetables classes in Madras.Conducted seven zoom webinars on gardening topics in April.Conducted mobile plant clinics at Madras community garden & Cove Palisades lands day.Published updated Fire-resistant Plants for Home Landscapes publication.Plant clinic volunteers answered 42 gardening questions from Jefferson County.Provided mini classes during Jefferson County Fair.Facilitated student gardening projects with Madras Middle School & Warm Springs Academy.

OSU Open Campus and Juntos

Assist high school students with OSU visits and 145 college applications.Provide financial aid and scholarship support.Facilitate interview preparation.Conduct OSU Science Camp iINVENT program.

“The Extension service is a collaborative, cooperative entity which relies on County contributions for our operations funds, while OSU state and federal dollars contribute to faculty admin, and central services,” stated Strong.

The OSU Extension staff in Central Oregon supports programs in the tri-county area: Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson County as well as Warm Springs. Staff is located in offices throughout the region. Every extension office is different we tailor our programming to meet community needs wherever they are at. If the community sees a need that is not being addressed, they are invited to contact the Extension office.