Luisa Santamaria, a plant pathologist with OSU’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center, teaches plant disease prevention measures to local nursery workers. Since 2011, Santamaria has reached about 500 Spanish-speaking workers from 25 nurseries through a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Institute of Food and Agriculture. She is currently working in collaboration with OSU’s Professional and Continuing Education Program to create a certification that focuses on plant disease prevention. Her work is crucial to the preservation of Oregon’s largest agricultural commodity: the $745 million nursery industry, which produces 18% of the nation’s nursery crops.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/bridges/bilingual-outreach-keeps-agricultural-businesses-sanitary