Community Gardens Nearby

I had a great time in my garden this weekend. My brother left some perennials at my house last week and the weather on Sunday was finally nice enough to put them in the ground. It felt so nice to be out in the sun turning soil, finding worms, and getting rid of the weeds. I’m excited to see what color my asters and rhododendrons turn out to be and I hope the ferns will forgive me for transplanting them. They were not pleased, but I think the shady spot I found will appeal to them a bit more. 

It is so nice to have a space where you can dig and plant at home, but if you don’t have the luxury (or the burden) there are many ways to put your garden gloves to work in your community, sometimes for a great cause. This week I’m talking about Youth Farm & Market Project. 

Youth Farm is a fantastic nonprofit that does summer programming for youth focusing on empowerment through urban gardening and fresh cooking. At two sites in South Minneapolis (Lyndale & Powderhorn neighborhoods) and one on St. Paul’s West Side they grow vegetables that are distributed to farmer’s markets, food shelves, and families in the neighborhoods.  Besides providing educational activities for youth around urban agriculture, they also provide a cultural nutrition program to support the diets of new immigrants and curb the spread of childhood obesity. 

Youth Farm partners with HandsOn Twin Cities to recruit volunteers to maintain the gardens.  Tuesdays from 2-5 pm volunteers gather at Zion Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis to work in the Lyndale gardens and on June 10th volunteers are invited to work at the Powderhorn site from 4-6pm.   Check out the HandsOn project calendar for more info!  Individuals interested in leading volunteer or service projects should give HandsOn a call too!

Here are some tips to start your own community garden.