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Plant a Row for the Hungry this Season
As our gardens start to produce for us and we find we have extra produce please consider donating extra produce to area foodshelves. You can join the thousands of gardeners who "Plant a Row for the Hungry, " a national campaign designed to help gardeners make a difference in their community by donating fresh produce to food banks and shelters. PAR was started by a garden writer in 1995 and in 2005 alone over 1.4 million pounds of home-grown produce was donated to people in need.
"Plant a Row for the Hungry" is a people helping people program. There is no money involved, just you, your garden, and the opportunity to lend a hand to people who are not sure where their next meal is coming from. Below are Sherburne County Area Foodshelves to contact about donating extra produce:
CAER Food Shelf
19279 Watson Street NW
Elk River, MN 55330
phone 763-441-1020
hours M,W,F 10-3,M 5-7pm
Big Lake Community Food Shelf
160 Lake Street
Big Lake, MN 55309
phone (763) 263-2432
hours M,Th 5:30 -7:30
Becker Food Shelf
12060 Sherburne Ave
Becker, MN 55308
phone 763-261-4612
hours T 9-11; Th 4-5:30
Clearwater-Clear Lake Emergency Food Shelf
1100 County Road 75
Clearwater, MN 55320
phone 320-558-2954
hours Open every Tuesday 9 a.m.-11 a.m. and 6 p.m.-8 p.m. & Wednesdays 3-5 p.m.
Catholic Charities Emergency Services
157 Roosevelt Road Suite 100
St. Cloud, MN 56301
phone 320-229-4560
hours M 1-6; W 1-4, 6-8 ; F 9-12 website: www.ccstcloud.org
Good News Food Shelf
712 17th Ave S
St. Cloud, MN 56301
phone 320-255-0620
hours 4th T 6pm-until finished and by appt
Salvation Army St.Cloud
223 E. St. Germain Street
St. Cloud, MN 56304
phone (320) 252-4552
hours M-F 9-4:30
Princeton Pantry
104 6th Ave. S.
Princeton, MN 55371
phone (763) 631-3578
hours M,W,F 1-3pm
If there is a topic for which you would like some current information, please leave a comment with your request.
Composting is one of the best ways to deal with accumulating yard waste (grass clippings, autumn leaves, etc.). Compost can increase the organic matter in soil and supply some essential nutrients for plant growth.
Composting 101: The what, when, where, why, and how of composting (PDF powerpoint slides, 2.6 MB)
Read our Composting brochure (PDF, 880 K)
View a handy Composting Recipe Card (PDF). It includes basic ingredients and instructions for composting.
Also, be sure to visit UM Extension's Gardening Information page on Soils & Composting.
If you've got questions, we've got answers! Here are several ways you can easily access yard and garden information.
Yard and Garden Line 763-241-2732
Leave a message 24 hrs a day. A Master Gardener will return your call within 3 days.
Publications on the Internet
Many University of Minnesota Extension publications are available for free on our website at: www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo
Join Us!
A love of gardening, a search for knowledge and a desire to share that knowledge with others is central to why people join the Master Gardener program. They remain Master Gardeners to enjoy the friendship of others who share their interests, to gain and share research-based horticultural knowledge and to give back to the community through their volunteer commitment.
If combining your passion for people and plants sounds appealing, you may be a good Master Gardener candidate. A formal education in horticulture isn’t necessary—we will provide the training and resources to help you teach others. There are five steps to becoming a Master Gardener –