Our world seems to be growing at Zoom speed these days. People are racing to find toilet paper at their nearest stores and stocking up. And the snow just didn’t want to seem to quit even by mid-April when we spoke to Meg Allen about her plans for this year’s Embracing the Northside growing season. Last year the Embracing the Northside project started with the help of a U of M Seed Action Learning grant and brought three gardens to life over the summer — with the help of many volunteers, youth and elderly, and community partners working together in the garden.
Over this winter, Meg Allen hasn’t stopped growing! With the help of a donated hydroponic garden (set up from U of M Master Gardener Julie Dahl), a spare room at Kingsley Commons in the Lind Bohanon neighborhood, and some green-minded residents to help with tending and harvesting, this little hydroponics garden is kicking out its fourth crop of greens.
“Growing our own healthy food, keeping healthy boundaries, all seems to help with keeping our energies healthy and positive,” said Allen. “Embracing the Northside, and so many of our neighbors, are steadily planning for when both the ‘stay at home’ order and weather lift, and we can get in the gardens again. But until then we’re grateful for the positive gifts of growing our own healthy food and lifting spirits with this little garden.”
Meg Allen uses EcoGarden Supply in St. Paul but there are many hydroponic garden resources online. To learn about the Embracing the Northside project check out https://vimeo.com/375271.