People Who CollaborateDarcy Patterson's transition from government healthcare policy to higher education outreach wasn't planned—it was "fast and furious and not even on my radar," she says. Yet eight months into her role as Harney County Engagement Coordinator with Treasure Valley Community College (TVCC), Patterson has found her calling in helping rural students access educational opportunities.
Patterson's typical day reflects the diverse nature of her position. "I love the variety of the position," she explains, describing how she starts at 8 a.m. or earlier to accommodate students. Patterson's main objective is "to provide outreach to all of Harney County, to create a pipeline to higher education as well as be a conduit to the TVCC Ontario Campus." The 130-mile distance between Burns and Ontario has "proven to be enough of a distance to create a chasm in terms of connection," she notes, making her local presence crucial for bridging that gap. READ MORE
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Treasure Valley Community College Grand Re-OpeningMeet Darcy Patterson, this month's People Who Collaborative profile and visit the Harney County Center, the offices of Treasure Valley Community College's Burns Outreach Center.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
10am - noon
TVCC Burns Outreach Center
1110 Oregon Avenue, Burns
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Wetlands Collaborative Seeks Ways to Combat Invasive PlantsA meadow can look green and healthy from afar. However, upon closer inspection ecologists are finding invasive plants that discourage native plants from growing. These non-native plants can be vigorous, taking over vast expanses of meadow and changing the habitat to a monoculture that is not conducive to supporting resident and migratory bird populations.
Three such plants are hybrid cattail, smooth brome and reed canary grass. These are plants that have likely been in the Harney Basin for some time, but it wasn’t until recently that local ecologists have taken notice. “It’s like many things, when you start looking for something, you start to see it in places,” said Ken Bierly, a consultant for the Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative (HBWC), a collaborative supported by the High Desert Partnership. “It may have been here, but it wasn't as noticeable in the past. It may have been because people weren't looking for it.”
With monetary support from the HBWC through legislative funding and grants from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, partners are starting to identify these invasive species and form ways to combat them. READ MORE
Pictured: A portion of Baker Ranch photographed June 2021 by Nick Wagner, Foresight Drones.
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Harney Basin Groundwater Actions To TakeURGENT: Two Actions Needed This Week on Harney Basin Groundwater
Our community has a chance to shape how groundwater is managed—with local solutions instead of blanket state regulation. Rep. Mark Owens has worked with local leaders, the Tribe, and community members to file a petition that protects our water rights while addressing real concerns.
We need YOUR voice:
→ Action 2: Join the virtual meeting THIS FRIDAY, Oct 3, 10 AM-12 PM.
Public testimony available. Block your calendar now and join us this Friday.
Attend By Phone: (719) 359 4580 Webinar ID: 882 6873 7213 Passcode: 197603
Why it matters: This petition focuses regulation where problems exist, protects legal water rights, minimizes economic impacts, and keeps local control.
Share with neighbors and friends. The more voices, the stronger our message.
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Thank You Trust for Civic LifeExciting News! We're thrilled to announce that we've been selected as one of 26 organizations nationwide to receive a Civic Hub grant from the Trust for Civic Life!
This incredible 3-year grant of $250,000 will support our work as a "Civic Hub". Civic hubs are "local organizations in rural areas that are bringing people together across their communities by creating a shared vision, solving problems and distributing resources."
We're especially grateful to Tracy Kennedy with The Ford Family Foundation, and a High Desert Partnership board member, for her nomination and belief in our mission. Tracy's support and advocacy made this opportunity possible.
Thank you to the Trust for Civic Life for investing in locally-led solutions. We're excited to join this network of rural communities who are cultivating a culture of working together. READ MORE and MORE
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Community Catalyst Award
We're honored to be recognized as a recipient of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Tom Holce Community Catalyst Award. For more than a decade, High Desert Partnership has been committed to fostering collaboration and creating opportunities that strengthen our communities in Harney County and beyond. This recognition means the world to us and reflects the incredible work of our entire team and the partners of the Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative who make our mission possible.
We're thrilled to join fellow honorees, Dave Barcos/North Bank Innovations and Jon Maroney (formerly Oregon Venture Fund at the Choose Your Own Adventure celebration on Thursday, November 13.
Thank you to Oregon Entrepreneurs Network for the tremendous honor and for recognizing the importance of community driven collaboration in building a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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Bountiful Harvest at the Crane Field
September marked a significant milestone for the Harney County Food Systems initiative's drip irrigation farm experiment in Crane. Students from Crane and Burns visited for special educational sessions about this pioneering project—a collaboration between the Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative, High Desert Partnership, and Owens Hay LLC (along with remarkable guidance and expertise from Roxanne Bailey) to demonstrate how local food can be grown with less water while strengthening community food security.
The harvest proved the experiment's potential, with the team bringing in 138 sugar pumpkins, 7 hubbard squash, 12 acorn squash, and corn. Several boxes of fresh corn were donated directly to local schools—an early success for the Farm to School connections the project aims to build. The final harvest was completed Oct 1 gathering additional beets, pumpkins, squash, and corn stalks for fall decorations.
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2025 Upcoming Events
Wednesday, October 22 | Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative Meeting
Monday, October 27 | High Desert Partnership Board Meeting
Wednesday, October 29 | Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative Meeting
Thursday, November 6 | Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan Collaborative Meeting
Wednesday, November 19 | Harney County Forest Restoration Collaborative Meeting
Wednesday, November 19 | Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative Meeting
Monday, November 24 | High Desert Partnership Board Meeting
Tuesday, November 25 | Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative Meeting
Wednesday, December 17 | Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative Meeting
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