June 13, 2025 3:20 a.m.

The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, in collaboration with the Oregon State University Extension Service Douglas County, has announced the launch of the Tribal Roots Horticulture Program.

An Extension release said it is a free, bi-monthly educational series designed for tribal families.

Beginning on Tuesday, June 17th, the program will be held on the third Tuesday and last Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Agricultural Learning Center on River Forks Park Road, northwest of Roseburg.

This field-based workshop series will focus on:

*Sustainable crop production

*Traditional ecological knowledge

*Food preservation techniques

The program will offer participants the opportunity to deep their connection to the land, preserve cultural traditions, and develop practical agricultural skills in a supportive, community-centered environment.

Program coordinator Dustin Looney said, “This initiative is about more than agriculture – it’s about stewardship, heritage, and resilience”. Looney said, “We invite tribal families to join us in cultivating both the land and our shared cultural roots”. Looney will be joined by OSU Extension Service Small Farms Program Coordinator Logan Bennett. This will be the second long-form educational program the two organizations have collaborated on since Bennett joined Extension in 2022.

Registration is free and open to all tribal families. To register, contact Dustin Looney at 492-5289 or via email at: dustin.looney@cowcreek-nsn.gov