The mission: helping communities grow healthy food. This article first appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of Northern Gardener magazine. Visit our shop to order this or other available back issues. STORY ANNA MARHEFKE PHOTOS MINNESOTA GREEN PARTICIPANTS Since 1988, the Minnesota Horticultural Society (MSHS) has supported community gardeners through its Minnesota Green program. This…

“I am blessed to have everything I need, so supporting the society is my way of passing on my good fortune,” says Susan Peterson, MSHS member. Susan understands communities in need. After retiring from teaching for 42 years in 2011, she returned as a substitute teacher for the Anoka-Hennepin School System, the state’s largest. “I…

By carefully choosing which crops and varieties you grow in your vegetable garden, it’s possible to extend the growing season several weeks in the North. But frost is frost, and eventually all but kale and parsnips will fall to its power. For determined season extenders, the next step is to add layers of warmth to…