Local Food Strong Communities
Many tools and resources are available to community members who wish to start their own backyard garden or who just want to learn more about gardening and urban food production.
- University of Minnesota Master Gardener Program - Connects community members with trained gardening experts with the goal of protecting public environmental resources and increase the overall public health.
- University of Minnesota Horticulture Website - The U of M Horticulture Society has recommendation to help design and assure beautiful, bountiful, and sustainable yards and gardens in Minnesota.
- The U of M offers soil testing services for a small fee. To find out more information or to set up a soil test please visit the Soil Testing Laboratory Website.
- Minnesota Green - Minnesota Green promotes community gardening as a way to strengthen community bonds. Through activities centered around gardening Minnesota Green works to immerse people in the gardening mindset. Minnesota Green is open to anyone.
- The Land Stewardship Project is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1982 to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture and to develop sustainable communities.
To preserve your produce when all the harvesting is done set up a time to use a local community kitchen (PDF) to can and preserve fresh fruits and vegetables. The City of Saint Paul has a very extensive list of local kitchens and the cost of facility rental.