In summer 2022, high temperatures, gas prices and food costs strained families across Oregon. In the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, where food preservation is an essential part of household food security, many residents worried they would have to forgo preserving apples, pears and other seasonal fruits.
The restored Fruit Loop Tour helped rebuild a trusted, community-centered space for learning, sharing and reconnecting.
For several years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oregon State University Extension Service in Warm Springs organized a free, community-based tour to Hood River County’s orchards and farm stands. Known as the Fruit Loop Tour, the event gave participants — many of them elders — access to affordable bulk produce and included food preservation classes afterward.
In 2020 and 2021, pandemic restrictions forced the Extension team to pause the in-person tour. They tested a modified format in which community members preordered fruit and Extension staff picked it up. While helpful, this approach lacked the sense of connection and personal choice that participants valued. As one staff member noted, everyone has their own method of selecting the “perfect pear.”
In fall 2022, the Fruit Loop Tour returned. Funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program, Extension used two OSU vehicles to transport 14 participants — primarily elders — along with their purchased produce. Two additional participants followed in their own vehicle.
Following the tour, Extension hosted hands-on canning workshops open to the tour group and the broader Warm Springs community. These sessions helped residents refresh their food preservation skills, learn new safety updates, and ask real-time questions. Many participants expressed how much they had missed the in-person events and the opportunity to share ideas, recipes and stories.
The 2022 tour highlighted that beyond food access, events like this play a critical role in social support and knowledge-sharing. One elder shared that due to unreliable transportation, they had not been able to go out in the spring to forage for wild roots. In response, the Extension team sees an opportunity to expand the program to other seasons to support the gathering and preservation of traditional foods — building resilience and food sovereignty through deeper cultural connection.
By restoring the Fruit Loop Tour, OSU Extension not only supported food preservation and nutrition — it also helped rebuild a trusted, community-centered space for learning, sharing and reconnecting.