Garden Goals

• To create a beautiful green space for all to enjoy
• To create connection between people and the land
• Community building
• To share food and ideas
• To provide access to land
• To preserve land, culture and tradition
• To educate and expand knowledge about:
  • Sustainable agriculture
  • A variety of cultural foods and flowers
  • Gardening processes
  • Food preparation
  • Natural environments and organic practices

Six Pillars of Impact

1. Educational Innovation: Our garden breaks down classroom walls, integrating hands-on learning across disciplines from art and anthropology to environmental engineering, and creating graduates who understand the importance of community engagement.
2. Thought Leadership: From TEDx stages to international keynotes in Italy, our model has inspired community gardens worldwide, positioning St. Cloud as a leader in sustainable community development.
3. Food Justice in Action: Direct partnerships with Anna Marie's Shelter, Salvation Army, and Second Harvest Heartland transform academic theory into tangible solutions for food insecurity—right here in our community.
4. Bridge Building: The garden creates unprecedented connections—linking the Whitney Senior Center with Boys & Girls Clubs, connecting university students with master gardeners, working with residents in senior communities such as Chateau Waters and Real Life Co-op—fostering relationships that transcend traditional boundaries.
5. Economic Partnerships: Local retailers like Jules Bistro, Kohinoor, The White Horse, Korppi Café, and The Kitchen at Copper Pony aren't just buying our produce—they're investing in a model that keeps university talent and resources rooted in our community.
6. Sustainable Stewardship: Partnerships with Stearns County Soil & Water Conservation and sustainable farming associations ensure we're not just growing food but growing environmental consciousness.

Collaborations

• Promise Neighborhood Community Garden: We grow a variety of vegetable plants annually to supply the Promise Neighborhood Community Garden each growing season. The variety of plants grown are based on the specific requests of the participants in the garden and include tomatoes, peppers, greens, etc.
• African American Youth Forum: The garden continues its practice of growing collard greens in the garden, with surplus greens to be harvested at the end of the season by youth involved in the African American Male Youth Forum. The harvested greens are then cleaned and preserved by the youth to be later used for a community Kwanzaa celebration. In addition, after the season is complete, the garden continues its practice of growing collard green plants in the campus greenhouse to later be distributed to members of the community at the annual MLK breakfast. We have been doing this over 15 years.
• University of Minnesota Extension SNAP-Ed Health & Wellness Central Region Health & Nutrition Programs “Garden in a Box” project: he Central Region SNAP Education Programs coordinate a “Garden in a Box” project supplying 50 area Latino families with plants that will provide each family with the opportunity to grow the ingredients needed for salsa. Plants grown and supplied include Roma tomatoes, jalapenos and serrano peppers, bell peppers, cilantro, onions, and marigolds. Annual revenue generated: $300
• Buffalo Schools Future Teacher Academy: In collaboration with local educators, we work with several groups of students during the season as they do service in the garden.
• Tech High School, District 742: We grow and donate a variety of plants for the school’s garden club. Additionally, we work with the faculty advisors of the club to consult on garden challenges and to arrange a tour and discussion of the SCSU Community Garden.
• Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School: Working with school Social Worker James Turner, we designed a plan to resurrect a neglected raised bed garden on the school’s campus. We grew plants for 7 of the beds and taught Mr. Turner about square-foot gardening.
• VA Health Care System: In partnership with the in-patient facility, we grow plants for Veterans to plant and tend in the facility’s raised beds.
• CentraCare Chateau Waters (now Ecumen): We visit with residents of this 55+ community annually off-season to get a list of their preferred plants for the over 50 raised beds on the community’s property. These plants are grown here at SCSU and we work with residents in the Spring to get their beds planted. We also consult throughout the season and offer short food preparation workshops and tasting sessions. Annual revenue generated: various donations
• St. Cloud Rotary Richard C. Wilson Community Outpost: We grow a variety of vegetable plants annually to supply the Outpost’s community garden each growing season.
• Jule's Bistro: We deliver fresh produce weekly throughout the growing season. We also collaborate occasionally on local events (e.g., contributing pickles to the Bistro’s pickle soup for an annual pickle fest). Annual revenue generated: $550
• The Kitchen at Copper Pony: We deliver fresh produce weekly throughout the growing season. We also collaborate at annual celebrations at the retail store, marketing garden products at two or more events per season. Annual revenue generated: $1,500
• Kohinoor Bar & Grill: We deliver fresh produce weekly throughout the growing season. We also supply specialty products (e.g., freeze-dried Tulsi basil) grown exclusively for the restaurant. Annual revenue generated: various