Community Gardens Growing in Maple Grove

In the empty space outside of Lord of Life Lutheran Church, church members are cultivating the land - tilling the soil, spreading seeds and sprinkling fertilizer.

They're working in the LifeGARDEN, a one and a half acre field, three quarters of which consists of a community plot that grows food for the C.R.O.S.S. food shelf, which serves northwest Hennepin County. The other half consists of individual plots purchased by parishioners. Individual plots are 10-by-10 feet at a cost of $25.

Community plantings are led by Lord of Life Director of Worship and Garden Ministry and Master Gardener Alice Woodard Cummings. She said she often teaches her fellow church gardeners about caring for the soil. Maple Grove's clay soil, she said, can be difficult to grow in.
 
"Maple Grove's soil is almost all clay, so it's hard to grow anything," she said.

In addition to the garden's community plantings, members work on their individual plots throughout the day. Lucy Schliemann, a retiree in Maple Grove, has planted a variety of vegetables in her plot. Although planting has been delayed this year due to rain.

"We were supposed to be have planting day last Saturday, it rained, we were supposed to have planting the Saturday before and it rained," Schliemann said.

The LifeGARDEN is one of two community gardens that have surfaced in Maple Grove, meant to provide food for the hungry and teach families and individuals how to grow their own food. The other is the Grove Community Garden, located on a parcel of city property near Lakeview Knolls Park.

Though it's on public land, the garden is supervised by the Grove Christian Center at Maple Grove Assembly of God. The garden is currently in need of people to come forward and purchase a plot.

"There are 15 plots and there are 14 plots available," Maple Grove Assembly of God Secretary Sheila Quiggle said. "The ground is tilled, but I've only received one application....we wanted to do 30 plots but we haven't got any responses so far."

The Grove Community Garden is located on city-owned property behind the church parking lot.

Quiggle said the church proposed turning the property into a garden and the city approved. The church paid a fee to the city to use it and church members are responsible for its care. Rental fees are $50 for a 10-by-25 foot plot, seniors 55 and older pay $45. Plat funds go to the church and Deacon Claudia Rouw said the church pays an insurance fee to the city for use of the property.

Rouw, who oversees the garden project, said there are benefits to gardening vegetables at plots like the one at the community garden versus purchasing vegetables at the local supermarket. She said she thinks the garden will be good for area residents living in townhomes and other similar housing that don't have a place to grow anything.

"It will pay for itself, pretty easily," Rouw said. ""It'll be economical once they get the crops in and they start producing."