Tribal Roots Collaboration featured IN OSU Article

The Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe was recently featured on the Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service website in an article about the Tribal Roots collaboration project.

The collaboration began in 2025, led by Logan Bennet, small farms and Master Gardener Program coordinator for OSU Extension in Douglas County, and focused on “blending horticultural education with cultural practices, community building, and support for people in recovery.” It was a continuation and expansion of a previous partnership in 2022 between the Tribe and OSU that helped teach agriculture to at-risk Tribal youth.

“The goal with Tribal Roots is really to provide horticultural therapy and community and horticultural education,” Bennett said. “Oftentimes, we’re working with folks who have never planted anything before, never been able to garden or had the opportunity to garden.”

Bennet worked with many Cow Creek Umpqua staff, including Cow Creek Umpqua Tribal member Dustin Looney and the Behavioral Health department of Cow Creek Health & Wellness Center.

You can read the entire article by clicking this link.