Faculty member since 2003

How I got interested in this field

I grew up on a fruit farm in western Oregon. We milked a couple of cows and had a few brush goats and chickens, in addition to commercial strawberries, walnuts, prunes, cherries, raspberries, and blackberries. We fished and camped a little in the summers, in fall I hunted deer with my dad, and year-round I hunted squirrels and birds on the farm. In summer and fall we cut wood for the stove and built fences in our spare time. We pumped water from a shallow well that dried down in late summer, so I appreciate the luxury of drinkable water on demand year round. In college in the ‘60’s, I majored in biology at a time when molecular biology was a new field of study. Discovering that my inclination was to combine basic and applied science, to solve problems on the landscape, I went to Oregon State University in soil science. Since that time I’ve worked to combine my research, teaching, and extension interests in horticulture/agriculture, environment, and natural systems, so NRES is a perfect fit for me and my background.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Research Interests
Sustainable production and management of food and ornamental plants, and the health of rural and urban landscapes, especially soil and water

Wesley M. Jarrell