Aerial view of extensive orchards
WSU Extension

Yakima County

Connecting People, Resources and Knowledge

About WSU Extension in Yakima County

Washington State University Extension in Yakima County connects the residents of Yakima County to the world-class research and knowledge generated by Washington’s only Land Grant University. We partner with local agencies, businesses, our community, and volunteers to provide solutions to local problems and thus stimulate our local economies.

Our county-based educators work with producers, research agencies, commodity groups, community leaders and officials, as well as community volunteers to provide educational programs and leverage the broad resources of a major university to resolve issues and create a positive future for the residents of Yakima County. We specifically focus on expanding the problem-solving capacity of communities within the county, enhancing and sustaining the local economy, enhancing natural resources and the environment, enhancing economic opportunities for agriculture, and eliminating barriers to success for youth and families.

Our local programs include tree fruit horticulture & pest management, animal agriculture, range, pasture and riparian zone management, small farms business development, vegetable pest management, 4-H youth development, food safety and nutrition, and Master Gardeners. In addition, Washington State University provides over 2,200 publications, numerous online educational opportunities and other statewide educational programs and technical assistance from four Research and Extension Centers, 15 Academic Departments and six of WSU’s Academic Colleges.

Vision Statement

WSU Yakima County Extension empowers our families, communities, and local partners through a network of educators and volunteers to provide research-based outreach and creative solutions to enhance agricultural productivity, environmental stewardship, and quality of life.

Contact Us

2403 S. 18th St.
Suite 100
Union Gap, WA 98903
509-574-1600

Hours of Operation

Monday – Friday
8:00a.m.-12:00p.m. & 1:00p.m.-4:30p.m.
Federal Holidays – office closed

Master Gardener Clinic

Monday, Wednesday, Friday
9:00a.m.-12:00p.m. & 1:00p.m.-4:00p.m.

Master Gardener Flower Logo

County Programs

Statewide Resources

Food Safety

Visit the WSU Food Safety experts for information on safe food handling and storage.

Washington’s Water

Whether you’re a homeowner, farmer, citizen scientist, or simply enjoy life-long learning, you’ll find WSU publications, training opportunities, partner information, and information on research and programs here!

WSU Publications

Looking for guides, articles, forms, and more published by WSU experts? Visit the Publications Store to find resources by WSU faculty and staff.

Upcoming Events

Support Our Work

We leverage every dollar we we receive from Yakima County with federal, state, grant and private funding to maximize our reach and effectiveness.  The 2015 funding breakdown for Yakima County programming is as follows:

  • Yakima County funding 19%
  • Grants/contracts 5%
  • WSU support in Yakima county 24%
  • Other WSU support 52%

To donate to WSU Extension programming in Yakima County, please contact Tipton Hudson, County Director at hudsont@wsu.edu.

The Art of Range Podcast

The Art of Range podcast provides education through conversation with some of the brightest minds in rangeland management.

Featured Content

Requiem for the Packaging King

It can hold the most delicate objects AND be detrimental to our environment. The Packaging King — expanded polystyrene foam or EPS — pollutes our water and takes hundreds of years to breakdown in landfills. Once broken apart, the polystyrene components crumble into small bits that contaminate our environment even further. Discover ways to reuse EPS and learn how it can be reprocessed into products with a longer lifespan. Future solutions include using textile waste and biomaterials as sustainable packaging filler.

Preserving the Salish Sea

Discover simple ways to help keep the Salish Sea beautiful and reduce plastic pollution.  National Microplastics expert and WSU grad Julie Masura shares tips to help maintain this biologically diverse inland marine ecosystem.  Together, we can make a difference in the health of wildlife, salmon, orcas, and other marine species.