Supported by hatch capacity funding, and in close partnership with oregon's farmers, ranchers, growers, and rural communities, the oregon agricultural experiment station (oaes) at oregon state…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Oregon State University $2,873,615 in Hatch Act formula grant funding on October 1, 2025, under the Payments to Agricultural Experiment Stations Under the Hatch Act program (CFDA 10.203).

The Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station (OAES) at Oregon State University delivers research-based knowledge and high-impact solutions across five broad theme areas: agricultural competitiveness and resilience, animal diseases and animal production systems, food innovation and market access, marine food systems, and working and natural landscapes. Activities supported by this funding enable development of digital decision-support tools, robotics, artificial intelligence, and other innovations for agriculture. OAES engages in interdisciplinary research that strengthens agricultural enterprises, sustains natural resources, and supports food safety and health outcomes throughout Oregon. The station maintains advisory boards and exchange mechanisms with farmers, ranchers, and food entrepreneurs to ensure research addresses current market and production challenges.

The award covers the period October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027, with place of performance in Corvallis, Oregon. The Hatch Act formula grant funds research on all aspects of agriculture conducted by state agricultural experiment stations, with at least 25 percent of funds directed to multi-state projects addressing regional or national issues.

Supported by hatch capacity funding, and in close partnership with oregon's farmers, ranchers, growers, and rural communities, the oregon agricultural experiment station (oaes) at oregon state university delivers unbiased, research-based knowledge that drives innovation and keeps oregon agriculture at the forefront of productivity. Oaes prioritizes research excellence and efficient use of resources to deliver high-impact solutions that directly benefit american farmers, ranchers, growers and agricultural businesses. Framed by a university strategic plan of advancing big discoveries that lead to big solutions our research efforts within the oaes are clustered within broad theme areas of agricultural competitiveness and resilience, animal diseases and animal production systems, food innovation and market access, marine food systems, and working and natural landscapes. We engage in interdisciplinary work to address critical issues and provide solutions that strengthen agricultural enterprises, enrich community life, stimulate local economies, sustain natural resources, and promote the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities throughout oregon. We actively engage with farmers, ranchers, food entrepreneurs, and agricultural business through advisory boards and other exchange mechanisms to ensure we are knowledgeable of the challenges they face and deliver relevant, timely solutions. Our collaborative approach effectively leverages additional resources and fuels innovation that supports the production of safe, healthy food, protects america's food, fuel, and fiber supply, and expands market opportunities. Central to our land-grant mission is the integration of research and education to prepare the next generation of agricultural leaders to address current and future challenges. Activities supported by hatch capacity funds at oaes enable the development of digital decision-support tools, robotics, artificial intelligence, and other innovations for agricultural production. We will breed resilient plant varieties including wheat, potatoes, and hazelnuts and create new livestock management tools; develop strategies to combat emerging plant and animal diseases (including honey bees and aquatic species); collaborate with food entrepreneurs, farmers, and processors to expand markets and enhance food safety; convert plant biowaste into sustainable packaging; create fire mitigation tools, including livestock grazing in forested ecosystems; and advance technologies for improved surface and groundwater management across oregon. This work, aided by hatch capacity funding, will enrich the lives of all oregonians by delivering research-based knowledge that will be amplified through a well-developed and strategically directed outreach, education, and extension community. These hatch capacity funds empower our researchers and to address contemporary and emerging needs faced by agricultural producers, agribusinesses, consumers, and communities, positioning oregonians at the forefront of agricultural resilience and productivity.