Look closely at this quilt. It illustrates a story of 50 years of Progress stitched together by emeritus editor Andy Duncan and designer Tom Weeks. That’s 50 years of research, people, pictures, and stories documented in this magazine since 1953.
And the stories continue.
Fifty years ago, bald eagles like those on our cover were rarely seen in Oregon. Back then, that little eaglet would have run the gauntlet of threats from chemical poisons to habitat destruction. In 1978, with the symbol of America headed toward extinction, two OSU researchers started studying bald eagles in Oregon. Writer Lynn Ketchum tells the story of Oregon’s bald eagle renaissance.
Twenty-five years ago, Oregon’s Outback began its own recovery from years of overgrazing and poor land management. Writer Bob Rost chronicles research at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center in Burns that’s helping to heal the land and make the cattle industry sustainable.
It’s back to the future for some Oregon growers as they develop new markets for specialty products. Writer Carol Savonen examines how OSU experts are helping growers find their niche in the marketplace.
Time is of the essence in our story about OSU’s Dennis Hruby, as he races to find a treatment for smallpox. Developing a new drug to fight this ancient scourge builds on knowledge that Hruby’s developed during 20 years of research at Oregon’s Agricultural Experiment Station.
In each of these stories, knowledge that developed from long-term research is helping people adjust to change or face new threats. Research is part of the land grant system. Our interview with Ed Ray, OSU’s new president, reflects on the land grant mission, and its role in Oregon’s future.
It’s a future rooted in agriculture and natural resources, as far-reaching as the flight of eagles.
Happy reading.