THE GARDEN STORY

Retail Construction Services, Inc. is dedicated to giving back.

We give back not only to those in need within our community, but also the future generations of this wonderful community. What started out as a great idea has grown exponentially and became an amazing reality. Here at the RCS Giving Garden, school groups, master gardeners, corporate volunteers, and our own employees work together for the common good of teaching children the art of gardening and the importance of healthy eating. Click Here for Full Story.

LOCATION:
Retail Construction Services, Inc.
11343 39th Street N.
Lake Elmo, MN 55042

From HWY 36 - go south on Lake Elmo Ave, turn left onto 39th Street, garden is at corner of 39th and Laverne.
From HWY 5- going west from Stillwater take right onto Laverne (near Fury dealership) garden is on the right at corner of Laverne and 39th street.

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The RCS Giving Garden

The RCS Giving Garden

10/20/10

The Garden Sleeps

Tangled roots and blooms
of this garden sleep,

But Ahhh, its soul?
Continues to grow ever deep.
- Joni Fletty
Morning Group L to R: Nick Heino, Blia Vang, Tom Wendt, Dylan Peltier, Cole Tarrars, DJ Kammerer, Dan Pilquist

Afternoon Group - Back L to R: Nate Hanson, Steve Yang, Luke Caffey,
Shanan Martin, Connor Goulet, Tom Ament, Race McDonald, Scott Seifert
Front L to R: Tom Wendt, Blia Vang, CJ Walker, Jake Sonnen
(Click on photos to enlarge)
We had an amazingly successful year in the garden. Our goal was to reach 2,000 lbs of fresh food donated to the food shelves, and we surpassed that goal by 403.3 lbs, for a grand total of 2,403.3.
Thank you to the young adults from the Stillwater ALC who joined us to put the garden to bed for the winter. They took down the fencing, removed the irrigation system, took down the structures, pulled large plants, removed the row markers and pulled up the landscape fabric. Both the morning and afternoon groups accomplished a lot in the time they were here!

A big "Thank you" to Neil and Deb Krueger from Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm, http://kruegerschristmastrees.com/, who were out here to multch up the garden until they till it again in the spring!

It will be quiet in the garden as the temperatures drop and the snow covers the ground with a blanket of "rest". But this winter, while the activity will not be on land, it will be in the class room as we once again involve the ACL with putting together the garden plan for next season.


10/7/10

Final Harvest & Record Setting Day!

The ALC Students reached a new daily record
by picking 223.7 lbs of produce today!

(Click on photos to enlarge)
1st ALC Group: Left to Right - Bronson Koller, Nate Eldridge, Laura Buys, Connor Mulcahy (front), Dexter Peltier (back), Brian Dickie, Todd Derousier

2nd ALC Group: Left to Right - Steve Yang, Travis Brown, Tom Ament, Race McDonald, Connor Goulet, Nate Hanson, Blake Tomasko

Thank you ALC Students! The frost hit our garden hard this past weekend and this was the final picking day. We reached a 2010 grand total of 2,403.3 lbs of produce donated this season! That is up +596.5 lbs from 2009.

We will be putting the garden to bed on Thursday, October 21st. Anyone who would like to join us in the garden to help is welcome! We will be starting around 9 am. The ALC students are confirmed for that date as well.

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank