Discover what’s growing, the practices and techniques behind permaculture, along with the beauty of Valley Natural Foods’ Co-op Community Garden on August 11th.  The Co-op Community Garden will be open for free self-guided tours from 10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. as part of Community Garden Day, a statewide community garden open house event. Over 55 participating community gardens across the State of Minnesota, 13 of which are in the Twin Cities south metro, will host events and activities that are free and open to the public. The goal of Community Garden Day, organized by Gardening Matters, is to allow the general public the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of these community spaces directly from the people who steward them.

Established in 2011, Valley Natural Foods has two mandala community gardens with 51 plots and 40 gardeners.  Community Relations Developer at Valley Natural Foods, Gary Johnson, will give guided tours at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. of the community spaces, the edible landscaping and the artfully designed teaching garden alongside the store.  Refreshments will also be available.

Also, down the road from Valley Natural Foods, the Partnership Garden at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley will also be open for tours from 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Their address is: 12155 Johnny Cake Ridge Rd, Apple Valley. Tour their circular organic community garden, their wind turbine, solar panels and other sustainable features. Meet with other gardeners, try food made from garden vegetables and enjoy kids’ art activities. View Valley Natural Foods’ south metro Community Garden Day flyer listing all the tours and activities in Dakota County.

For a complete listing of the gardens participating in Community Garden Day, the event times and activities offered, visit www.gardeningmatters.org.

The average last frost date for the Twin Cities usually happens around mid-May. But that has not stopped a few of our co-op community gardeners from starting a few things right now in their garden plots—yes, our community gardens are now officially open! Plot reservations filled up quickly for the 2012 season, however  four plots have just become available again and we are offering them to anyone interested on a first come, first served basis.

If you are hoping to get involved with us in our co-op community gardens, now is the time to act by contacting Gary Johnson at community@valleynaturalfoods.com or 952-891-1212, ext. 236. You may also inquire about availability at customer service.

Slowly, the snow is melting away around our Co-op Community Gardens. And slowly, our garden plots are being leased out to future community gardeners. As things begin to heat up in the garden area, so will the leasing of our plots! Currently we have 6 keyhole gardens and 18 field crop areas available for lease.

If you are interested in getting dirty and participating in co-op community gardening, please stop by customer service to reserve your spot. For more information read our brochure. If you are ready to register, download a copy of our Agreement Form and our Health and Safety Policy. Sign and return the Conditions form with payment to Valley Natural Foods. Members of the co-op receive a discounted price.

If you want more gardening education, be sure to check out our current class schedule.

Finally, if you have questions, please contact our community relations developer Gary Johnson, here at Valley Natural Foods. He can be reached at 952-891-1212, ext. 236, or community@valleynaturalfoods.com.

For more insight, read Gary’s Latest Gardening Thoughts.