Aided by hatch and smith-lever capacity funding, the oregon agricultural experiment station (OAES) and OSU extension (OSUE) at oregon state university are able to provide unbiased, research-based…

Aided by hatch and smith-lever capacity funding, the oregon agricultural experiment station (OAES) and OSU extension (OSUE) at oregon state university are able to provide unbiased, research-based knowledge and deliver educational extension and outreach programming to the people of oregon, which serves to strengthen agricultural enterprises, enrich communities, stimulate economies, sustain natural resources, and promote healthy individuals, families, and communities. The OAES directs the expenditure of hatch capacity funds and state matching funds to address critical issues within broad themes, including 1) agricultural competitiveness and resilience, 2) animal diseases and animal production systems, 3) food innovation and market access, 4) marine food systems, and 5) working and natural landscapes, while fostering scientific collaboration, network building, and team dynamics, and enhancing researcher professionalism. Our collaborative and comprehensive approach to addressing these issues is effective in leveraging additional research resources in these strategic advantage areas. Our work directly aligns with the overarching research themes for the oregon state univer sity strategic plan 2024-2030: prosperity widely shared, in making 'big discoveries that lead to big solutions' around the following priority areas: 1) climate science and related solutions, 2) clean energy technology and related solutions, 3) robotics, and 4) INT egrated health and biotechnology. The OAES stands as a trusted, impartial source of knowledge on agricultural and food systems in oregon, while also serving as a significant contributor to global information on environmental quality, life sciences, and rural economies and communities. The work we do and the discoveries we make have impacts locally, regionally, nationally, and worldwide. Through activities supported by these capacity funds at the OAES we plan to: develop digital decision support tools, robotics, artificial intelligence, and other innovations for use in agricultural production systems; continue developing new plant varieties and animals to improve resiliency; develop strategies to combat current and emerging plant and animal diseases (including honey bees and aquatic species); collaborate with food entrepreneurs, farmers, and processors to broaden markets and enhance food safety; develop methods for converting plant biowastes into sustainable packaging products for food; develop tools for fire risk mitigation, including the use of grazing livestock in forested ecosystems; develop technologies for both surface and groundwater management throughout oregon; develop methods to augment carbon sequestration and reduce emissions from oregon crops, landscapes, and livestock; and support climate-adaptive and wildfire-resilient approaches to forest management. Together, OAES and OSUE at oregon state university play pivotal roles in enriching the lives of all oregonians through research-based knowledge, as well as well-developed and directed outreach education and community engagement. Our work supports healthy communities and economies, resilient and productive agricultural and CO astal communities and businesses, and resilient managed and natural ecosystems. These capacity funds, along with the collaboration between OAES and OSUE, enable our researchers and extension/outreach specialists to address contemporary and emerging needs faced by agricultural producers, agribusinesses, consumers, and communities, positioning oregonians and the state's agriculture for success on local, national, and global scales.