Cambridge Medical Center’s garden adds a fresh surprise for food shelf visitors

[Allina Health Newsroom, August 24, 2023] The annual harvest is underway at our Cambridge Medical Center Employee Giving Garden — and it’s a good one.

“It’s a robust growing season, despite the drought,” said Karla Patrick, the Allina Health community health program specialist who leads the volunteer gardeners who plant, weed and water the vegetables.

This year, the green-thumb team is tending to radishes, onions, peppers, beans, tomatoes and potatoes. They’re also having first-time success with cabbage.

The plot is technically a sharecropping garden, which means the team could take half the harvest. But for these volunteers, the mission is about giving, and almost all of what’s gathered goes to Family Pathways in Cambridge. 

“The garden is small but mighty,” said Karla. “We’re close to 600 pounds of donations over eight years.”

This year’s harvest is still happening, and the gardeners are waiting to see if their work will weigh in at more than 109 pounds — the current record for a single season. The nearly five-pound heads of cabbage will certainly help with the total.