Good food is our commitment. Through research, teaching, and extension, OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences works with people who care about good food and healthy land. Agriculture is our culture.
Whether it’s researching how to keep Oregon’s crops pest-free or how to develop award-winning artisan cheeses and craft brews, the College of Agricultural Sciences is dedicated to bringing the best quality food to people’s tables in our state and beyond. The work we do helps Oregon’s food, wine and beer industry stay vibrant and profitable. And our mission is to help students carry on that rich and vital tradition, so that what they learn in the classroom, in the clubs they join and in the research they do will help them provide food and drink to future generations.
Agriculture is where food begins.
Fermentation science
Fermentation: it’s the culture. A story of the yeast that launched a thousand industries
A Heady Success. OSU's fermentation science comes of age as Oregon bubbles to the top of the microbrew industry.
Beer
OSU receives $1 million gift for hops breeding. Gifts from Oregon hop merchant Indie Hops will strengthen existing hop research at OSU.
OSU malter will end bottleneck between Oregon barley and beer. OSU is building a malter for its research brewery as part of its effort to create a market for Oregon-grown barley.
Northwest Microbrew. Defining a new vocabulary for craft brews
OSU brews up new online, on-site classes for beer makers. To fill a knowledge gap among both professional and hobbyist beer-makers, Oregon State University has created several online and on-site short courses for brewers who want to refine their technical skills.
OSU Alumni: Some legendary brewmeisters went to OSU
Enology
Oregon Wine. OSU researchers help bring the full flavor of grapes to Oregon wines.
New OSU-trained taste testers will evaluate experimental wines. Oregon's wine industry will now be able to better understand how what its doing in its vineyards and vats is impacting the quality of its final product thanks to a new cadre of tasting experts trained by Oregon State University.
OSU turns winemaking waste into fiber supplement, food preservative and flowerpots. Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered how to turn the pulp from crushed wine grapes into a natural food preservative, biodegradable packaging materials and a nutritional enhancement for baked goods.
Can Vino be More Keeno? OSU food scientists are testing a substance from egg whites that could help wine makers.
The Oregon wine industry has a history of innovation. New wines promise economic and environmental dividends—and an exciting future.
Finding Their Niche. With the help of OSU researchers, Oregon growers are finding new markets for specialty products.
Playing With Food. An OSU scientist fights food-borne disease with a surprising collection of natural ingredients.
Online Vines. OSU Extension viticulturist Patty Skinkis uses web conferencing software to help educate even more grape growers throughout Oregon.
Good Vintage. Good advising in the College of Agricultural Sciences helped alum Gretchen Boock work her way up in Oregon’s wine industry.
Oregon Wine Research Institute
Sensory science
Taste and aroma: As the southern Oregon wine industry brings new wines to the table, a wine chemist explores the nuances.
A Matter of Taste: In one OSU laboratory the mouth is an important piece of equipment.
Cheese Making
Portland couple endows OSU dairy professorship. Portland couple gives $860,000 to Oregon State University to endow dairy professor, upgrade dairy processing facility and support interns.
The Age of Cheese: Bedecked in hair nets, OSU food science students crowded around four plastic rectangular vats filled with a milky white liquid. The students stirred, removed some liquid and added other liquid, and generally marveled as curds slowly thickened into their final product—Havarti cheese.
Oregon State's New Cheese Plant Aims To Break The Rind: When we think of Oregon, we don't necessarily think of cheese — maybe a nice Pinot Noir, but not cheese. But lst fall, Oregon State University's new cheese plant rolled out its first batch of product: a specialty alpine cheese (like Swiss, Comte or Gruyere) dubbed by the students "Beaver Classic." It's a mild cheese, with nutty flavors like caramelized onions.
Vineyard management
Juiced: Wine industry innovations look promising for the state's economy and environment.
Barley
Barley World is an evolving web gateway to resources provided by the Oregon State University Barley Project. The principal area of research is in genetics and breeding, but fascinations with barley are many.
Hops breeding
The USDA-ARS Hops Breeding & Genetics program on the campus of Oregon State University is working to develop advanced hops germplasm and cultivars that incorporate superior pest and disease resistance, increased yield, and enhanced brewing characteristics.
Other Foodies Articles: Seafood Research | Phytonutrients and Other ‘Healthy’ Food Research