Sonny's Observations

March 2010
Volume 1, Number 3

Our Statewide Presence

True or False?  The College of Agricultural Sciences is located exclusively in Corvallis, Oregon.

The answer: False.

Whenever people hear of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University, they think of our presence in Corvallis.  This is, of course, true.  However, what many, particularly in Portland or Salem or Eugene or other urban areas, do not realize is the statewide footprint our college has through our branch experiment stations and Extension agricultural sciences and natural resources faculty.

Our statewide reach offers us a connection with the citizens of the state that no other institution in Oregon can muster.  The college has 11 branch experiment stations at 15 locations in the state; Extension faculty are in every one of the 36 counties.  Through this statewide presence and network, we are Oregon’s principal source of knowledge relating to agricultural and food systems, and a major source of knowledge regarding environmental quality, natural resources, life sciences, and rural economies worldwide. At our branch stations and county locations, our researchers and educators are generating new knowledge on our food and agricultural systems that helps our state’s economy and its food security.  We are utilizing integrated research and Extension/outreach approaches to address complex challenges and issues in partnership with key stakeholder and clientele groups.  These statewide challenges include sustainable food and agricultural systems, steeply rising farming, processing, and transportation costs linked to skyrocketing energy prices, land and water use and watershed management, salmon management and recovery, impact of climate change on agriculture, the impact of ecosystem services, international trade, and local foods and marketing, to name a few. 

This issue of The Source is dedicated to telling the story of our statewide presence and how our faculty are addressing the challenges we face.