Crookston Daily Times, Minnesota Friday, August 11, 2006 Celebrate the Mount's Community Garden on Aug. 16 By Times Staff
Explore the world of community supported agriculture, enjoy fresh locally grown foods, and meet the experts at the Mount Saint Benedict CSA Garden open house on Wednesday, Aug. 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Community members of all ages are invited to tour the 13.2-acre, organic garden that despite drought-like conditions has flourished - providing more than 35 shareholders with a plethora of summer vegetables, fruits, and herbs. It has also offered many others the opportunity to learn about the rewards and risks of farming, while preserving the garden legacy at the Mount. Attendees should gather near the back parking lot at the Mount St. Benedict Monastery, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, Minn. Tour participants will have the opportunity to discover what it takes to manage the garden, tending and nurturing the dozens of crops that are harvested and delivered throughout the summer. From leeks, Swiss chard, tomatoes, eggplants, herbs, and peppers to lettuce, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, watermelon, and cantaloupe, there's a huge variety of plants to learn about and enjoy. Some 400 pounds of cucumbers alone were harvested in late July, and the garden boasts seven varieties of peppers, five types of potatoes and eggplants (white, pink, and purple), and four variants of sweet corn. A tasting table will offer samples of melons, cucumbers, and peppers along with some of the 23 different varieties of tomatoes, including heirloom (old varieties), which have been brought back into production nationwide due to their flavor, heartiness, and low acidity. (Tomatoes have been raised in a high tunnel environment at the garden, which helps speed the ripening process along.) Background The historic Mount Saint Benedict Garden began as a quarter-acre plot in 1924 and grew to some 12 acres in 1955. It continued to provide fresh produce and preserved food for the Mount community and those in need in the community until 2003 when the sister's were unable to continue managing the garden. The garden was left black in 2005. In 2006, the sister's teamed up with organic gardener Mike Klawitter, now project manager, to bring the garden back to life as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) garden. CSA's provide community members with the opportunity to buy memberships in a garden and enjoy the produce that is harvested for about 15 weeks, based on weather conditions and availability. The Mount St. Benedict CSA hoped to attract at least 20 members and ended up expanding the garden to fit the demand. Members this year include Minnesotans for Hunger Solutions who fund shares to the North Country Food Bank in Crookston, Minn. Excess produce is also graded and sold to local markets including Hugo's in East Grand Forks and Amazing Grains in Grand Forks, N.D. Some 11 shareholders are on the waiting list for next year. The dedication and know-how of many individuals have ensured the success of the project. On-site personnel include garden manager Rachel Hextell and workers Katie Becker and Holly Schmidt. Led by Klawitter's expertise and the Sisters of Saint Benedict's passion for preserving a garden tradition, the team has nurtured the garden from soil preparation and seeding, to the trials of much-needed irrigation and onto harvest and delivery. Research and demonstration aspects are also built in. The project is funded through a grant from the University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership with support from the Community Assistance Program with the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) of the University of Minnesota. ______________________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden
