(Gordon Jones is an agronomist with the OSU Extension Service. Based in Central Oregon, he serves Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties, as well as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs | Photos courtesy of OSU-Cascades)
Oregon State University – Cascades’ Science Pub series continues on January 16 with The Roller Coaster of Hemp in Oregon, a talk on the history of the hemp industry in Oregon from its legalization in 2018 to today.
Presenter Gordon Jones is an agronomist with the OSU Extension Service. Based in Central Oregon, he serves Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties, as well as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Jones will explore how shifting regulations, farming challenges and an untested market, as well as nefarious actors, caused the hemp industry to grow exponentially and decline just as quickly. He spent six years working in the Rogue Valley, considered the epicenter of Oregon’s hemp production industry.
He will discuss uses for hemp and challenges producing and marketing hemp and hemp products.
He will also share some of the research underway within OSU’s Global Hemp Innovation Center and other research efforts that can help create a path to a more stable future for the hemp industry in the Pacific Northwest.
Jones is an associate professor in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences. He conducts research, teaches classes through OSU Extension, and provides technical assistance around pasture, forage, small grain management, soil fertility and drought resilience.
The Science Pub will take place from 5:30-7:15pm in the Charles McGrath Family Atrium in Edward J. Ray Hall at OSU-Cascades. Doors open at 5:30pm for networking and dining with the presentation to follow at 6pm.
Registration is required and on-campus parking is free. The event is $22 per person, which includes a light, pub-style, pre-lecture dinner by OSU-Cascades’ Edge Catering. The no-host bar will offer beer, wine, cider and soft drinks.
To register, visit OSUcascades.edu/event-registration. Space is limited to 100 attendees.
For accommodations for disabilities contact 541-322-3100 or events@osucascades.edu.
About OSU-Cascades:
Oregon State University’s campus in Bend brings higher education to Central Oregon, the fastest growing region in the state. Surrounded by mountains, forest and high desert, OSU-Cascades is a highly innovative campus of a top-tier land grant research university, offering small classes that accelerate faculty-student mentoring and experiential learning. Degree programs meet industry and economic needs in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, natural ecosystems, health and wellness, and arts and sciences, and prepare students for tomorrow’s challenges. OSU-Cascades is expanding to serve 3,000 to 5,000 students, building a 128-acre campus with net-zero goals.
What:
OSU-Cascades Science Pub explores “The Roller Coaster of Hemp in Oregon”
When:
5:30-7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, January 16
Where:
Edward J. Ray Hall on the OSU-Cascades campus in Bend
Cost:
$22 includes a light, pub-style, pre-lecture dinner prepared by OSU-Cascades chefs. A no-host bar with beer, wine and soft drinks will also be available. Registration is required.
