This article by Becky Grefthen originally appeared in the November/December issue of Northern Gardener magazine. Since 2016, Peace Lutheran Church in Coon Rapids has been a member of the MSHS Minnesota Green program. This has enabled the church’s garden committee to improve and add new plant material to the perennial beds located throughout the 3-plus…

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This article by Maria Brosofske originally appeared in the September/October issue of Northern Gardener. SLP Seeds founder Julie Rappaport began planting the seeds for educational urban farming and community food equity in St. Louis Park more than seven years ago. As part of its mission, SLP Seeds manages eight community gardening sites including gardens at…

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This article by Tom McKusick originally appeared in the May/June 2019 issue of Northern Gardener. Since 2011, the Donation Garden in Long Lake has planted, harvested and delivered fresh vegetables to local food shelves. Growing vegetables on a little less than a tenth of an acre, the garden yielded more than 2,700 pounds of produce…

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This article by Tom McKusick originally appeared in the March/April 2019 issue of Northern Gardener. Munsinger and Clemens Gardens, a free public garden located on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, attracts more than 350,000 visitors every year. The park consists of two distinct but adjacent gardens. Munsinger Gardens began in the…

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This article by Brenda Harivieux originally appeared in the January/February 2019 issue of Northern Gardener. The Episcopal Homes of Minnesota in St. Paul has a long history of caring for older adults and offers several care levels and services. With a large campus in the city, gardens are important to the residents. “There’s no green…

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It’s that time of year when garden prognosticators are laying out the trends they see on the horizon. The garden trend list from Garden Design, a magazine website for high end gardeners, seems on-track with the trends we see in northern gardens here. Things like finding ways to keep landscapes lower maintenance, incorporating food-growing in…

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This article by Brenda Harvieux originally appeared in the November/December 2018 issue of Northern Gardener magazine. It’s one of a series of articles about community gardens assisted by the Minnesota Green program of MSHS. The Hennepin County Horticultural Society (HCHS) has tended several gardens at the Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale for four years.…

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This article by Brenda Harvieux originally appeared in the March/April issue of Northern Gardener. CAPI is a nonprofit organization that serves more than 4,000 low-income immigrants and refugees primarily living in Hennepin County. Within its food and nutrition services, CAPI offers a garden program that creates access to culturally suitable food for Hmong, Laotian and…

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This article originally appeared in the January/February issue of Northern Gardener magazine. For more information about Minnesota Green, contact Tom McKusick at MSHS. 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.…

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This article originally appeared in the November/December 2017 issue of Northern Gardener magazine. “We want to feed hungry people in our community,” says Andy Lapham, community garden director with Sisters’ Camelot, a community-supported food share with community gardens. Volunteers collect donated organic produce that would otherwise be thrown out and distribute it in low-income neighborhoods…

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