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Master Gardener volunteers in Crow Wing County report expanded volunteer ranks and food donations
Summary
Crow Wing County Master Gardener volunteers told the county’s Committee of the Whole that active volunteers have roughly doubled since 2019 and that their giving‑garden effort has delivered about 16,000 pounds of produce since 2020, benefiting local food shelves.
Crow Wing County Master Gardener volunteers told the county’s Committee of the Whole on Aug. 19 that their program has grown from about 40 certified volunteers in 2019 to roughly 80 active volunteers this year, and that volunteer-run gardens are contributing measurable amounts of fresh food to local food shelves.
"Since we started this project, we've done over 16,000 or 8 tons of fresh produce that's been delivered across the county to various food shelves," said Dan, a Master Gardener volunteer presenting the group’s summary. Dan said the program estimates that produced food provided about 32,000 servings since 2020 and used a local food-shelf average price of $2 per pound to estimate the retail-equivalent value of the donations.
The group said volunteers started about 2,300 bedding plants for county projects and that last year the program delivered about 4,500 pounds of produce to partner organizations. Tony Hansen, regional director with the University of Minnesota Extension, framed the presentation by noting Extension’s partnership role and thanking the board for ongoing support.
Commissioners praised the volunteers’ outreach and the visible impact on youth participation; the chair noted the program’s expansion across districts and encouraged continued partnerships. The presentation closed with an invitation to the Master Gardener open house the following day.
