Business & Economics

Doug Boon, enrolled member of the Tulalip Tribes (left) and Gordon Jones, OSU Extension faculty member (right) check out hemp varieties being tested at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center near Central Point. Photo courtesy Jeff Steiner. 

Since its inception in 2019, Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center has prioritized building strong relationships with rural businesses including Native American tribal partners throughout the region. 

On a warm day in mid-August, Marianne Dickson stood in the middle of her sprawling garden, checking on her marigolds. Smiling under a broad brimmed sunhat, she surveyed her domain as hens clucked in the distance.