The Allen & Freda Community Garden has been reinvigorated and Crookston area community members have encouraged to participate in gardening and agricultural production, thanks in part to a grant from the Crookston Area Community Fund.
The University of Minnesota Crookston’s Office of Outreach & Engagement led an effort to add 12 raised garden beds to the community garden, making them available by lease to local residents while also committing to continuous information-sharing and education through workshops, farmer’s markets, county fairs, and other channels.
“Participation and engagement within the community garden was open to all, providing multifaceted benefits creating a sense of community health and wellbeing,” the university wrote in the final grant report. “Dialogue circles, special speakers, and/or educational community garden tours occurred. Hands-on experience (accompanied) these activities.”
The project was embraced by the community as a whole, with ongoing partnership with the City of Crookston and its parks and recreation department, local 4-H, University of Minnesota Extension, and other community groups.
“Collectively, each partner assisted by communicating and collaborating to create awareness about the community garden (and) sustainability,” the university wrote. There also was a focus on “expanding the notion of growing one’s own food (and) the fundamentals of agriculture and its importance in one’s wellbeing, mental and physical, while providing nutrition and fun ways to prepare items grown for consumption and preservation.”
Due the impact of the community fund’s grant, an additional $50,000 was secured from another source to bolster this work into 2025. The garden is a “living laboratory”, enhancing experiences for students and adults alike while also providing learning opportunities for youth programs and community activities.
“The success of our collaborating community efforts depends on building a broader engaged participant base to enhance awareness, education, and supporting inclusivity, embedding this effort into the “Empower Crookston” initiative,” the university reported.
