The garlic is, that’s what! Last fall, Gary Johnson, now serving as our community relations developer planted northern-hardy Chesnok and Krasnodar hardneck varieties of garlic last  November.  We noticed the garlic shoots poking up through the straw right after the snow receded!

Throughout the growing season, we will learn through this garlic demonstration how to harvest scapes (the flower stem that shoots up from the center of the plant before the plant matures), the final harvest of garlic bulbs and how to dry and store them.

The Valley Natural Foods garden classroom is located on the south side of our building and will serve as a teaching platform for various gardening techniques, styles and plantings. It ties into our Farm to Market education—a belief that we should know where our food comes from. The Garden Classroom also supports our mission of a healthy community.

This spring look into ways to improve your mind, body and spirit along with eating some good food!

We have gardening, cooking and health and wellness classes beginning in April at Valley Natural Foods. Take some time for yourself this spring and join us at the co-op!  Sign-up for all classes by stopping by customer service or calling 952-891-1212 ext. 221. Sign-up  early to ensure all classes will take place (all classes need to have a minimum amount of  participants).  Check out a full listing of the classes online.

Attend our cooking classes to discover  fresh spring and summer recipes for grilling, picnics and graduation parties. Many of our classes are catered toward those who are gluten/dairy free. Our gardening classes focus on design, layout, seed starting, healthy soils, and best growing practices. We have a little bit of everything for this year’s gardener! Health & wellness sessions will teach you how healthy dietary changes can have a positive impact on your physical and emotional health. Also, discover the ease of eating healthy on a budget.

WEEKLY CLASS FEATURE: Sign-up for this class!

Urban Chicken Farming 101
Wednesday, April 6th, 6:30-8:30pm
Instructor: Albert Bourgeois
$20 members / $23 for non-members
Minimum: 6 people

Are you  interested in raising chickens?  If so, you will be embarking on a fun and exciting journey! Yes, it is possible to raise chickens in the city and Al will show you the basics. He will go over where to get chicks, how to care for them in the first 60 days along with general care instructions for after 60 days.

Why Raise Chickens? 
Here are a few of the most frequently expressed reasons people raise chickens:  

• Easy and inexpensive to maintain (when compared to most other pets)
• Eggs that are fresh, great-tasting & nutritious
• Chemical-free bug and weed control
• Manufacture the worlds best fertilizer
• Fun & friendly pets with personality (yes, you read that right)

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.

With the approaching Daylight Saving Time (2:00 a.m. March 13), what a great time time to start thinking about your garden! And why not start early by planting your seeds indoors with an easy-to-use Jiffy Professional Greenhouse seed-starter kit. Stop by our produce department and pick-up a kit or two. Then check out our colorful display of  High Mowing Organic Seeds. It won’t be long before Spring arrives (official date is 12:00 a.m. March 20)!

No space for a garden? Come garden with us by leasing a plot right here at Valley Natural Foods. If you are interested in community gardening, please visit: Want to Get Healthy? Get Dirty!

Discover the benefits of gardening in a safe, educational and community setting!

As a cooperative, member-owners of Valley Natural Foods expressed interest in the co-op developing community gardens as part of our expansion.

We now have 24 key hole garden beds and 24 field crop areas available for lease!

Lease rates for members:
Key-hole $18.00
Field crop area $5.00
Lease rates for non-members:
Key-hole $22.00
Field Crop area $7.00

The Co-op Community Gardens are to:
*Be an open growing space for our community
*Provide home-grown produce for healthier eating
*Mentor and develop tomorrow’s gardeners
*Connect children, youth, adults and seniors
*Share gained gardening knowledge through classes
*Provide education and outreach to Dakota County schools
*Promote and demonstrate environmental stewardship
*Encourage gardening as a fun and enjoyable activity

Registration information:
Forms available online (print out and bring in with your payment)
Forms available by e-mail (contact the coordinator, Gary Johnson at: community@valleynaturalfoods.com)
Forms available at customer service

Take a look at our Co-op Community Gardens brochure!

Starting next week Wednesday, Small Planet Foods® will be holding a consumer sweepstakes!

Enter for a chance to WIN an organic garden when you buy ANY 5 Muir Glen® or LÄRABAR® products. (Prize to be awarded in the form of a $2,500 check)  Products must be purchased in one shopping visit between 3/1/11 and 3/31/11. Look for entry forms on a tear pad near the Muir Glen® or LÄRABAR® products starting March 1.

For every valid entry form received, Small Planet Foods® will donate $1 to support the Organic Farming Research Foundation. (max. donation: $5,000).

So what a great time to stock up in March – not only will you be supporting the Organic Farming Research Foundation with your sweepstakes entry, but selected varieties of  LÄRABAR® Nutritional Bars and Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Organic Soups will be on sale!

Valley Natural Foods kicked off its January-March 2011 Gardening series with an Intro to Permaculture class taught by Dan Halsey last night, January 25th. The class was a success , provoking people to think about how they live their life in regards to preparing for future generations.

The fundamentals of permaculture go beyond the concept of sustainability. Permaculture is a holistic approach to sustainabile living, based upon ethics and the idea that we need to create more natural wealth and less waste than what we consume.  In relation to gardening, Permaculture design follows nature’s natural patterns and involves  capturing and storing energy and resources for future use.  If you missed this week’s class, Dan will be back on March 1st from 6pm-9pm to teach another Intro to Permaculture Workshop. Sign up at customer service or call 952-891-1212.

If you are interested in learning more in-depth knowledge about local food production models that following Permaculture design techniques, we have a great new February organic gardening class series for you! Wednesdays in February will explore several different organic growing practices and how they can fit into your backyard garden. Discover how to  design your garden and what crops fit best. Become familiar with basic business strategies and skills that will bring your crops successfully to the market. Courtney Tchida, the Student Program Coordinator for the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, is the instructor.

View complete descriptions of the classes by downloading our entire January-March 2011 class booklet here. All organic growing classes listed below are $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Sign up at customer service or call 952-891-1212.

Principles & Practices of Organic Growing:

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Biointensive Growing:

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

 SPIN Farming:

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011, 6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m.

Field Layout & Design for Production:

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011, 6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m.

Feeding Your Community One Tomato at a Time: Marketing Strategies & Options:

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

As announced at the annual meeting last month, Valley Natural Foods has been planning to establish community gardens on the property. The planning and approvals are now complete, and the installation date has been set.

We are asking for your assistance on Saturday, November 20.  Our planned start time is 9:00 a.m. and the goal hour for completion is 5:00 p.m. Coffee and scones in the morning to get you going and a lunch at mid day will be served.

Digging holes for posts, tamping them in, cutting and hanging fences, moving wood chips, compost, soil and straw (all in a safe and efficient manner) are on the agenda for each garden space. It sounds so simple, but many hands make for lighter work for all.

It should be quite an exciting day filled with conversation and learning as we raise the gardens.

Please RSVP to vnfgarden@gmail.com or at customer service in the store.

Check out where your friends and neighbors are growing fresh food at the 5th Annual Parade of Community Gardens Gardens on August 21st, 10am-2pm. 65 community gardens from all over the Metro Area, including 8 gardens from Dakota County, invite you in to celebrate and discover these community treasures. Each garden’s celebration will be as unique as the garden itself: featured activities include food samples, art activities, a beehive demo, youth-led yoga, and much more!

The Parade of Community Gardens is sponsored by Gardening Matters, a Twin Cities-based non-profit that supports sustainable community gardens by connecting gardens with each other and to their communities. Learn more about the Parade and download a map on the Gardening Matters Website or call Gardening Matters at 612-492-8964. Parade events are free and open to the public.

What happens to a garden that contains rich soil, gets full sun from dawn to dusk  and receives tender-loving-care from a couple of member-owners? It produces an overwhelming abundance of veggies, that’s what!

Yes, our south-facing Valley Natural Foods Garden Classroom is in full swing now producing squash, cucumbers and hot peppers by the dozens, massive-sized zucchini, large heads of broccoli, kholrabi and cabbage, genereous bunches of bok choi, mustard greens, chard and lettuces, and basil plants that are almost hedges (in 4 varieties)!  Not to mention those 5 foot tall bushy tomato plants!

So you may be wondering what we do with all those fresh, nourishing veggies. Dakota Woodlands, the only short-term housing facility for homeless women and children in Dakota County, receives our fresh harvests. Dakota Woodlands is already a recipient of our usable perishable items, so we thought they would enjoy garden fresh produce too.

If you have an abundant garden yourself and end up with extra produce, consider donating to Dakota Woodlands too! Visit their current needs page for details.

The next time you enjoy a lunch or snack out on our patio, feel free to take a walk over to our Garden Classroom and enjoy the sights and sounds of birds, butterflys  and even our gardener darting about the beautiful veggie plants and flowers.