Southern Oregon Research & Extension Center

Would you like to be part of a dynamic team? Do you enjoy developing, promoting and teaching educational programs related to community health? We're hiring for a Family and Community Health Program Coordinator. You'll be part of a dedicated team supporting agriculture and community education in Southern Oregon. We offer excellent benefits including paid medical, dental, and vision, generous PTO and paid sick leave, tuition discount for you and qualifying dependents and more. Go to https://lnkd.in/gZ3_yN2C?for more details and to apply. The application deadline is December 12, 2024. Photo: Alyson Yates #GoBeavs #OSUExtension #SouthernOregon #SORECOregonState #CommunityHealthWorkers

“It was so quiet, I could hear the crew the whole time,” he said. “In a typical year, they need to yell to get my attention. No one was going deaf,?or?breathing fumes. It was fantastic.” That’s what Jake Hoyman (pictured), the Farm Manager at #SORECOregonState, had to say about the all-electric Polaris UTV we’ve been using since March 2024. That quote comes from an article by the Oregon Environmental Council discussing a partnership with Pacific Power and Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences to bring electric UTV vehicles for use at Experiment Stations around the state. Here at SOREC, these vehicles not only help us get research and farm work done, but they save us money on gas. The surprisingly powerful UTVs have even replaced tractors for some of the farm work! Read more of the article and learn how the Polaris UTVs are being used at other Experiment Stations at: beav.es/Gqs

In observance of Veteran's Day, SOREC will be closed this coming Monday, November 11th. We will reopen for normal business on Tuesday, November 12th.

We're getting in the spooky spirit here at?#SORECOregonState?as harvest 2024 wraps up and we start to head towards a slightly slower pace for the winter months. Want to learn more about what we're up to at SOREC and what we accomplished over the summer? Sign up for our quarterly newsletter at beav.es/pXY before the next issue comes out in early November. #GoBeavs?#AgResearch?#SouthernOregon

We’re thrilled to announce that Dr. Nan Xu joined the SOREC team this week as our General Agriculture Assistant Professor of Practice! Dr. Nan Xu earned her Ph.D. in Soil and Water Sciences from the University of Florida, where she specialized in sustainable crop production research and extension. Dr. Xu brings extensive expertise in advancing sustainable agricultural practices through innovative research and outreach. Her doctoral research focused on the impacts of organic amendments, cover cropping, and crop rotation on soil health, plant nutrition, and crop yield in Florida’s agricultural systems. This work established sustainable management practices tailored to specific soil conditions, enhancing soil ecosystem functions, and providing valuable decision support to local growers. In her professional career, Dr. Xu has led research projects centered on organic and sustainable vegetable production, optimizing agricultural management practices to improve soil health, crop performance, and environmental sustainability. She has worked extensively on promoting practices such as anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) and grafting techniques through collaboration with growers and extension agents. Photo: University of Florida #GoBeavs #OSUExtension #SouthernOregon #SORECOregonState

It’s time for #SharktoberFest again! We’re partnering with the #BigFishLab and providing delicious #SORECOregonState wine made from our grapes right here in Central Point to help support research at COMES (Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station). Although we’re landlocked here at SOREC, we’re thrilled to be able to support fellow Agricultural Experiment Stations and Beavers like the incredible scientists at COMES. Don’t miss this night of fun, learning, and support for COMES (and a chance to try SOREC wine!), grab your ticket now at beav.es/pt5. #GoBeavs #AgResearch

Please welcome a very special intern who will be at #SORECOregonState for the month of October: Mr. Tony Skelet. He’s our chief greeter, welcoming everyone to the Research Station and SOREC. Fun fact: the tractor Tony is riding has been part of SOREC’s work as an agricultural experiment station since the 1940s! #GoBeavs #RogueValley #SouthernOregon #Autumn

It's almost October, which generally means the end of fire season here in Southern Oregon. But that doesn't mean the work Alec Levin's lab is doing on the effects of wildfire smoke on grapes is done. Read more about this summer's research efforts, and how the data from that research trial is being used to help support winegrowers across our region: https://lnkd.in/gCTfkU7i #GoBeavs #AgResearch #WineResearch #SouthernOregonWine #RogueValley #SORECOregonState

Dr. Alec Levin's lab has kicked off their second week of their overnight smoke trial here at #SORECOregonState. This research trial aims to mimic the effects wildfire smoke can have on grapevines, studying specifically how increasing levels of smoke impact vine physiology and the quality of grapes. For wineries in the Rogue Valley, Oregon, and across the U.S., the impact wildfire smoke can have on grapes and future harvests is a growing issue. The research happening here at SOREC, as part of multi-disciplinary effort spanning across labs within Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences, is focused on developing novel interventions like a spray coating to protect grapes and inform updated best practices for real world conditions wine growers face. No word yet from the Levin Lab crew on whether they’re telling spooky ghost stories while camping overnight to run the research trial… Learn more about the research happening at SOREC by visiting us at https://lnkd.in/g3yFKXzn. #GoBeavs #WineResearch #Viticulture #AgResearch

Last Friday, #SORECOregonState hosted our first annual Bilingual Field Day since 2018. This event provided a great, hands-on educational opportunity for folks who work in vineyards around the Rogue Valley and Southern Oregon to learn more about how to trap, monitor, and identify pests like leafhoppers and mealybugs. Participants visited several area vineyards where Dr. Achala KC, bilingual instructor Dr. Luisa Santamaria, and Alexander Butcher, a graduate student in OSU’s Entomology department, presented on how to identify issues like Grapevine Red Blotch Disease and evidence of mealybugs. Back at SOREC, participants went over the use of microscopes to correctly identify pests, and enjoyed lunch before heading back to help grow, manage, and harvest the grapes that area growers turn into delicious wines! Learn more about the research and outreach we do by visiting us at https://lnkd.in/gRDXHPih. #SouthernOregonWine #AgResearch #GoBeavs #WineResearch