People’s Gardens empower communities to participate in local food production and provide diversity and resiliency to the food supply chain.
SAINT PAUL, MINN, Sept. 9, 2022 -
“North Minneapolis is going green,
Give us a call and learn what we mean.
Where once lie urban blight,
Now sits luscious garden sights.
Gardens without borders,
Classrooms without walls,
Architects of our own destinies,
Access to food, justice for all.”
Above is a poem from Michael Chaney, founder, and director of Project Sweetie Pie, and one of the coordinators of the People’s Garden Initiative at Oak Park in Minneapolis. This poem is just an introduction to the North Minneapolis green initiative. With Michael’s enthusiasm, ability to educate and provide real solutions to real people, he was able to partner with the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Xerces Society to bring a People’s Garden to the state of Minnesota.
What is a People’s Garden?
People’s Gardens empower communities to participate in local food production and provide diversity and resiliency to the food supply chain. They also teach about the benefits of sustainable, local agriculture and how gardening can foster community collaboration, provide green gathering spaces, and benefit the environment.
The goals of the People’s Gardens across the nation are to:
- Grow fresh, healthy food and support a resilient, local food system.
- Teach people how to garden using sustainable practices.
- Nurture habitat for pollinators and wildlife, and greenspace for neighbors to gather and enjoy.
Check out https://www.usda.gov/peoples-garden/what-pg for more information.
The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Saturday Sept. 24 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm at The Celestial Garden – 2210 Emerson Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411. It will be a family friendly event with vendors and performance artists, so all are welcome.
“The People's Garden Initiative, reborn and expanded under Secretary Vilsack, is highlighting urban community gardens,” said Molly Mehl, Natural Resources Conservation Service Minnesota State Public Affairs Specialist. “Project Sweetie Pie is a model of a positive urban agriculture that is community-based, multi-faceted, and cross generational.”
Project Sweetie Pie is partnered directly with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service but works with numerous other organizations including: Growing North Minneapolis, Northside Safety N.E.T., University of Minnesota Extension, Hennepin County, and Pillsbury United.
In July 2022, Xerces Society, Project Sweetie Pie, and partners planted a long-term pollinator habitat alongside the vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Karin Jokela, Natural Resources Conservation Service Partner Biologist with Xerces Society, said “we selected about 40 different species of native plants species that will flower from Spring to Fall so that we have abundance flower floral resources for pollinators throughout the growing season.”
Xerces Society has worked with Urban agriculture but typically works with more rural farmers. Xerces Society is in the urban agriculture scene with Farmers Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA. Jokela said, “this is new territory for us working hand-in-hand with urban farmers and bringing pollinator habitats to urban ag.”
Planting pollinators in urban settings is important because nearly 80% of the world’s plants rely solely on pollinators to bear fruit. Mehl said, “urban agriculture is becoming more and more important in America and in places like North Minneapolis, where we have food deserts and where healthy, local food may otherwise not be available.” Urban gardens, like the Minneapolis People’s Garden, bring to the community together and supply local, healthy, sustainable food.
The sense of community stands strong in the gardens. Chaney said, “in this process we have young people who are planning the garden, designing the garden, planting the garden, maintaining the garden, harvesting the garden, growing and serving the food that is grown in the garden, cooking the food that's in the garden, and eating the food that's in the garden.” In addition to the People’s Garden, there is a community dinner program Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, where everyone in the community can enjoy a shared homecooked meal.
“My interpretation of the People's Garden is really no different than the Victory Gardens during World War II. This is a modern-day iteration of that.” Chaney added, “It was made even more aware through the pandemic that we’re not only just talking about food security we’re talking about national food security. It is incumbent that we train the next generation of urban farmers and that we train the next generation of horticulturists.
“This work is regenerative, transformative, and something that really can help you heal.” Jahliah Holloman, Growing North and Project Sweetie Pie Leader added, “Anything we can do to help the youth understand the importance of growing life, giving back to the earth, giving back to each other, growing with each other, and working with each other is super important.”
The Minneapolis Foundation states that North Minneapolis is a food desert. With a community of nearly 67,000 people and only one supermarket. Patience Caso, of Hennepin County Environmental Education Grant Department, and partner of Project Sweet Pie said, “We're here to support the work that's happening in the community around environmental issues, food, and environmental justice.
“I'm glad that the USDA is providing these resources because they're sorely needed,” said Michael. “I would like to see us even get deeper collaboration as we move forward to green North Minneapolis and beyond.”