This article originally appeared in the January/February 2018 issue of Northern Gardener magazine. The Minnesota Food Association (MFA) operates Big River Farms in Marine on St. Croix where it teaches sustainable farming methods to new farmers, many from diverse backgrounds, who grow certified organic produce. Operating a community-supported agriculture farm and participating in farmers markets,…

The debate over whether to display a real or an artificial Christmas tree dates back to the 1930s. That was when a toilet brush manufacturer-Addis Brush Company-discovered it could create an artificial tree using the same bristles it used in its brush. (Before that, many artificial trees were made of feathers dyed green.) At the…

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2014 issue of Northern Gardener magazine. The International Institute of Minnesota provides services and programs to meet the needs of refugees. It received a three-year community enrichment grant, and decided to build a garden at the Marion Street Apartments in Roseville, where a large number of refugees from…