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.

See what else RCS and the Giving Garden are up to:
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The RCS Giving Garden

The RCS Giving Garden

9/29/14

UPS Employees Brave a Very Wet Morning Harvest!

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Photo bomber!  Missed the action leap!

A "very" soggy garden!

9/25/14

Johnson McCann

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Today was a beautiful sunny day in the RCS Teaching Giving Garden.  Johnson McCann employees spent time harvesting the produce that was ready to be brought to the food shelf.  They also spent time dismantling the garden structures that are ready to store for the winter.  This is a great group of women that care very much about people helping people.  


Volunteers are the glue that holds a community together.  Knowing that you are helping to bring much needed food to those in need is to contribute your goodness and works to humanity unselfishly, without seeking any reward.  Some of the richest people in the world are not millionaires, they are volunteers.

- Joy Grognet, RCS

9/22/14

It's winding down!

It's winding down!

Fall is here and the garden has done its job and provided a bountiful harvest!  The eggplant, beans, corn, etc. are gone but those powerhouse tomatoes are still going strong!  Anissa and I harvested boxes of them...Beam's Yellow Pear, Green Zebra, Power's Yellow Heirloom, Amish Paste and Redfield Beauty, just to name a few.  We managed to find a few more zucchini, cucumber, raspberries, peppers, cabbage and rutabaga as well.  Our grand total harvest weight for the day was 53 lbs!  Thanks for your help today, Anissa! 

We were amazed by the activity of the squash bugs basking themselves in the sunshine while using their sucking mouthparts to feed on the squash vines and leaves!  Good thing our squash crop is nearly finished for this year!  Here is a link to information about these insects and what to do if you have an infestation in your garden next year.



- Kathy Luoma, WCMG

9/12/14

Honey Donation to the Food Shelf!


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Thank you to A.J. Moses, our bee keeper!  It is because of your generosity in not only placing bee hives at the Teaching Giving Garden, but maintaining, and processing - that today, we were able to donate 42 pounds of honey to the food shelf!  Valley Outreach was thrilled to receive this for their patrons!

They were going to post a story on their facebook page. Please watch for that at:
https://www.facebook.com/ValleyOutreach/photos/a.148547801833863.20363.124418197580157/800724269949543/?type=1&theater

And this link for the full Facebook page for Valley Outreach!
 https://www.facebook.com/ValleyOutreach

Here is the email we received from Kateri Routh - Director of Operations at Valley Outreach:

"I loved reading through some posts and am astounded with how much produce has come from the garden since 2009. This is a pretty incredible way to give back to the community, and from all of us at Valley Outreach, thank you!

Kateri Routh - Director of Operations

651.430.2739 Office Line
651.342.5553 Direct Line

Helping Our Neighbors In Need of Food, Clothing and Emergency Financial Assistance.

For more information on honey, its benefits and interesting facts, check out this link to the University of MN Extension!
http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/farm-to-school/fruits-vegs/honey/

“The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.” -Henry David Thoreau

Thank you A.J. for all that you do!
- Joni Fletty - RCS

9/8/14

PowerUp Returns to the Teaching Giving Garden!

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What I Learned After Taking a Homeless Mother Grocery Shopping

Courtney, a Pre-Kindergarden teacher with "Time for Me Early Learning Center, sent the following email after their kids visit to the garden:

"I linked an article I found posted to a friends Facebook page, her caption stating simply 'great read.' So of course, I clicked it. It's very eye opening how everything is broken down. It makes me even more grateful for the wonderful work you do at the Giving Garden and that we get to be apart of it."

Thank you Courtney for sharing this link and your thoughts, and now we can share that with our followers.

Please click on the photo to read the full article:


9/5/14

Willis of Minnesota Returns to the Giving Garden

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Several of Willis employees enjoyed spending time in the RCS Giving Garden today.  Stories were shared of other gardens they had worked in, favorite recipes and the urge to beat the food poundage records of other companies. 

It was great to be out doors, share education and watch the scale go up with each weighing.  

Willis of Minnesota's team still holds the daily harvest record of 402 pounds, set in 2012.  This energetic team returned to the garden today and harvested 155.15 pounds of produce.

Thank you Willis of Minnesota for all or your volunteer time!
- Joy Grognet - RCS

And Debbie from Willis shared this that they had sent out to their staff:

I want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to those who participated in the Giving Garden harvest at Retail Construction Services this morning. Those who braved the wind and chilly weather were:

Sheila McMath
Kelly Coutier
Shannon Warner
Nikki Henderson
Megan Monette
Michelle Sylvester
Heather Goedtel
John Primozich
Dan Tolman
Debbie Rentz

We picked over 155 pounds of vegetables – tomatoes, corn, beans, carrots, zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, edamame, radicchio, lettuce, raspberries, green peppers, yellow peppers, hot peppers, etc.…….and we only saw one live mouse and a few beetles, spiders and various other creepy crawly creatures. We didn’t break our record from a couple of years ago but we still had a good harvest – and a good time together!  Plus we got to deliver the harvest to the Valley Outreach food shelf.


I’ve attached the brochure that they have on their reception desk – they have listed all of the organizations that have partnered with them and Willis is listed too!

The link to their website is www.rcsgivinggarden.blogspot.com  They will be posting our photos and doing a little write up about us so stay tuned for further information!
   
Again, Thank YOU for supporting one of our clients and helping the community!! Willis Associates ROCK!!!!

Sincerely,
Debbie Rentz

And Debbie added  "I know that everyone had a great time and felt like they were part of something very important!"




9/2/14

Angels in the Teaching Giving Garden

We had angels arrive at our office in the form of Washington County Master Gardeners.  Not only were they here the Friday before Labor Day weekend to harvest produce AND weeds, but they came again today for a repeat performance.

The unexpected surprise was the flowers, bagels, cream cheese and card they brought for our staff.

"I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people living ordinary lives." 
~Tracy Chapman

The compassion each of you has shown not only toward the hundreds of youth who have had lessons in this garden, but the care and compassion you show with your volunteering in the garden - knowing full well the people that this food impacts - is an inspiration for us all.  Your work hasn't gone unnoticed.

Thank you for all that you do Washington County Master Gardeners for all that you contribute to this Teaching Giving Garden.

You are the fertilizer when the soil is not fruitful and the strength when the weeds threaten domination.

From the bottom of our hearts, Thank you from the entire staff at Retail Construction Services, Inc.

- Contributing Writer, Joni Fletty