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   With food insecurity at an all time high, what does a person do when they have the skills and ability to make a difference in their community? Master Gardeners Matt and Laura Moraczewski have taken the challenge head on and have transformed the Remer Community Garden into the largest community giving garden in Minnesota.

   Matt and Laura met in college in the Twin Cities. Both of them had frequently visited the Remer area and continued for the next 40 years. When they retired, Laura began taking classes through the University of Minnesota to become a Master Gardener. Matt took the course shortly after.

   When Laura joined the Master Gardener program in 2019, Washington County, the county she lived in at the time, was not taking applicants. At the time, the Moraczewskis had a cabin near Remer. Cass County did not have an active program, so Itasca County “took her in” and she became part of the group. 

   Last fall, the Moraczewskis were approached by the Master Gardener leadership team and asked to consider becoming leaders for a new group in Cass County. They said “yes” and hit the ground running. 

   During the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain issues ran rampant across the world. One of the most common results of this was expensive and unpredictable supply of produce in grocery stores. Many stores wouldn’t know what inventory they had for the week until it came in the truck on delivery day. These supply chain issues hit rural areas much harder than urban areas. If something wasn’t stocked in Remer, residents would have to travel approximately half an hour to Grand Rapids, 20 minutes to Longville or 40 minutes to Walker. This coupled with gas prices, inflation and closed businesses made it very hard for locals to eat healthy and get exercise. Matt and Laura were well aware of these issues and began expanding the garden to be able to donate more fresh produce to local food shelves. Beacon North Church has allowed the garden to use their raw land, electricity and water for the garden, giving them much more space than they could have imagined. The Remer Lions also became involved, working with the others to secure grants, labor and a well thought out plan.

   Their first project was to put in a solid fence to keep the various wildlife out of the plots. Now, they have around two acres of land, fencing, water supply, an apple orchard, berry bushes, ground and raised plots, beehives and a large wall of sunflowers in the summer. 

   The community garden has a sizeable portion of the garden that is donated directly to the Remer Food Shelf, called the “Giving Garden.” Over ten thousand pounds of fresh produce has been donated to food shelves in Grand Rapids, Walker, Longville and Remer. Without their donations, many food shelves have no fresh produce. 

   Rather than having a basket that people can dig through and grab produce, Laura and Matt buy packaging out of their pockets and clean, sort and package all of the produce they donate. Local food shelves have also received grants to renovate the interiors of their buildings to make it cleaner and more inviting. This makes going to the food shelf much more human, clean and more like grocery shopping. This helps supply lower income families with fresh, locally grown produce that they may not have been able to afford otherwise. 

   With their involvement with the University of Minnesota, gardeners at the Remer Community Garden help conduct seed trials. The University sends them dozens of seeds of the same plant from different manufacturers, then they document the growth and compare it to different sectors across the state. This results in an excess of a certain fruit or vegetable. Last year, Matt and Laura donated squash to a local school for their lunches. Laura also conducts taste tests in the Remer Food Shelf of their produce as part of their trials. Matt and Laura participate in the Adopt A Highway program on Highway 200 through Remer. 

   The community garden has come a long way and has much more planned in the future. Matt and Laura have been working on extensions to the garden itself to meet the recent growth of participation in the garden. At the Northland school board’s last regular meeting, Matt and Laura gave a presentation and asked the board about a collaboration between the two. They are looking to build a walking path from the school to the garden as Highway 6 is dangerous to walk. On this trail, the two are hoping to add signs about native trees and plants in student’s backyards. The University of Minnesota has a hands on curriculum for elementary students to teach them about healthy eating, exercise, local plants, pollinators, wildlife and simple recipes using fresh local produce. They are planning to include it in curriculum for younger students next school year. The garden works with the city to grow and display 32 hanging baskets down Main Street in Remer. Matt and Laura also grow local plants and with the help of the Remer Lions, plant them around the cemetery, park and depot in town. These small details can make a town much more alive and highlight the beauty of the lakes area.

   Income disparities and affording healthy food is a real problem locally. With inflation, gas prices and overall high costs of living in the area, it’s difficult for many to afford healthy food for their families. Matt, Laura and others who donate time, energy, knowledge, labor, creativity and fresh produce help to bridge the gap and supply everyone with healthy options. Projects to promote exercise, connect the community, inform on local wildlife and growing your own produce projects are underway. 

   In the journey of the Remer Community Garden, we are not only contributing to the garden’s growth, but the power of collective action and determination. People should not be defined by what they lack, rather what has been cultivated together—a bounty of nutritious fruits and vegetables that nourish both body and soul. 

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