Minnesota State Mankato’s New Maverick Food Garden to Supplement Maverick Food Pantry
Camp for high school students set for July 11-14
Mankato, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has broken ground on a Maverick food garden, which includes 12 raised garden beds on the south side of Carkoski Commons – about 200 feet from the Maverick Food Pantry.
Produce harvested from the garden will supplement food offered to food-insecure students at the University’s Maverick Food Pantry, which was founded in December 2020 by Diversity, Equity and Inclusion along with the Kearney International Center and University student government.
“The Maverick food garden provides us an opportunity to remember where our food comes from and demonstrates the radical act of growing your own food,” said Liz Steinborn-Gourley, director of Minnesota State Mankato’s Women’s Center. “We are grateful for the generosity of Terri Anderson at Valley Veggies, who donated our tomatoes, peppers and basil.”
Other vegetables planted in the garden include beans, peas, radishes, zucchini, yellow squash, cantaloupe, lettuce, kale, chard, cucumbers, cilantro, green onions, sunflowers, nasturtiums, oregano and mint.
Steinborn-Gourley said she expects most of the garden to be ready for harvesting in late July.
Local high school students are invited to learn about the Maverick food garden and food pantry during a July 11-14 camp, “How Does Your Garden Grow?” Camp participants will also hear from local growers and take a trip to the Living Earth Center and Blue Earth County Farm. To learn more and register for the camp, visit https://www.mnsu.edu/wcenter.
For more information about the Maverick food garden, contact Liz Steinborn-Gourley by phone at 507-389-6147 or by email at elizabeth.steinborn-gourley@mnsu.edu.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,546 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.
