MINNEAPOLIS (March 22, 2016) — Gardening Matters can help residents get their gardens off to a great start at seed and plant distribution events held across Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Gardener memberships are no longer based on the size of a garden. Now, membership is based on the level of involvement a gardener wants in the gardening community. All members are invited to neighborhood “gardening socials,” a new social space for gardeners to meet each other and talk gardens.
Skill-shares on a variety of topics from knife and tool-sharpening to canning tomatoes are being planned for gardeners. Membership is meant to foster community development and provide benefits throughout the growing season.
New this year, we are offering an option to choose burlap coffee sacks (used as weed barriers), compost and containers for container gardens, or cookbooks featuring fresh produce. Membership fees can be met in a variety of ways, making the program accessible to all income levels.
Last year, there were 800 members in the network, and the Hubs distributed more than 22,000 packets of seeds and 27,000 seedlings. Almost 3,000 adults and 3,000 more youth participated in Hubs member gardens. We estimate that members throughout the Twin Cities are growing on nearly 20 acres of land. This area could potentially grow almost 500,000 lbs of food, valued between $500,000-900,000. Yes, that’s right. Twin Cities gardeners are growing nearly $1 million dollars worth of food!
Imagine a day when we save and exchange our own seeds, cooperating with our neighbors and creating local interdependence! Together, we will grow, cook, share, and preserve food in our communities to create a just, diverse, and sustainable local food system. This is only the beginning. The time is now!
Residents should visit www.gardeningmatters.org/
See below for upcoming seed distribution events. Members from any neighborhood in Minneapolis/St. Paul may join and pick up their seeds at distribution events.
All the plant distribution events will take place Saturday, May 14, 2016. Visit www.gardeningmatters.org/
Neighborhood Garden Networks are coordinated by Gardening Matters. Partners include: Homegrown Minneapolis; Afro-Eco; CAPI; Waite House; Minneapolis American Indian Center; Hope Community; St. Peter’s AME Church; Northside Fresh Coalition; Appetite for Change; St. Olaf Community Campus; Redeemer Center for Life; Grace Center for Community Life and Little Kitchen Food Shelf; the Ventura Village, Northeast Park, and Columbia Park neighborhood associations; Powderhorn Park and Corcoran Neighborhood Organizations; Southeast Como Improvement Association; St. Paul-Ramsey County Food and Nutrition Commission; Hamline-Midway Coalition; Saint Anthony Park Community Council; Great River School; Frogtown Farm; East Side Prosperity Campaign; Urban Roots; First Covenant Church; Healthy West 7th Coalition; Growing West Side; Rivers Edge Academy; East Side Food Co-op; Mississippi Market; Seward Co-op; St Paul Area Council of Churches; Hmong American Partnership; Urban Oasis; Dayton’s Bluff Community Council; Frogtown Urban Garden Alliance, and many more neighborhood partners.
West Side St. Paul
Tuesday, Mar. 29th | 6:00-8:00pm
River’s Edge Academy | 188 Plato Blvd. West, St. Paul
Southside Minneapolis
Saturday, Apr. 2nd | 12:30-2:30pm
St. Peter’s AME Church | 401 E. 41st St., Minneapolis
Northeast Minneapolis
Saturday, Apr. 9th | 10:30am-12:30pm
Northeast United Methodist Church | 2510 Cleveland Ave. NE, Minneapolis
Frogtown/Midway
Friday, Apr. 15th | 5:30-7:30pm
Pilgrim Baptist Church | 732 Central Ave. W., St. Paul
North Minneapolis
Saturday, Apr. 16th | 10:00am-Noon
Redeemer Center for Life | 1800 Glenwood Ave. North, Minneapolis
Phillips
Saturday, Apr. 23 | 10:30am-12:30pm
Waite House | 2323 20th Ave. South, Minneapolis
East Side, St. Paul
Details TBA
