WALKER — Matt Moraczewski is no stranger to Cass County community gardens.
Now he has a new title after accepting the position of Master Gardener coordinator with the Cass County Extension Office. Moraczewski was introduced in his new role during the regular meeting May 6 and shared an update on the program.
Cass County has six Master Gardeners, including Moraczewski, and there are plans to recruit more with visits to community gardens, attending farmers markets and setting up a booth at the Cass County Fair in June. However, the actual recruitment for master gardeners doesn’t begin until October. In order to become a master gardener an individual must complete a 40-60 hour course, have 50 hours of volunteer time and complete a background check.
Currently, Northland Community School is working with the local community garden in Remer as a teaching classroom, Moraczewski shared. The Remer Community Garden has been hosting numerous activities for students. Some of those learning opportunities include kindergarten students planting pumpkin and flower seeds, watching them grow and then harvesting the pumpkins when they become mature. Students in seventh and eighth grade had the opportunity to visit the newly built high tunnel where they were each given growing bags to plant carrots and potatoes. Toward the end of May the students will check on the progress of their crops and the following September they will harvest them.
Volunteers set up the plastic for the high tunnel at Remer Community Garden. The tunnel will extend the garden’s growing season.
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Commissioner Neal Gaalswyk asked about how many potatoes the growing bag would produce. Moraczewski said approximately 5 pounds. Another group of students being taught through the garden was sixth through ninth grade special needs students.
Moraczewski said last fall members of the Northland Lions assisted in the construction of a high tunnel measuring 30 feet wide by 72 feet long. This will allow the Remer Community garden to extend its growing season and produce fresh produce beginning in early spring and lasting well into late fall. Grants to build the high tunnel were acquired through various organizations and programs.
Another program Moraczewski said he is excited about is the current collaboration with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in creating a 20 acre food production garden in Cass Lake. The purpose and end goal of this garden is to provide fresh produce to tribe members along with selling the produce to local grocery stores. Moraczewski stated he is currently working with training individuals in the Cass Lake area to become master gardeners, helping the Band with obtaining grants through various sources and assisting in the development of the garden. Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe will begin the project with 5 acres and have received soil and water testing kits from the University of Minnesota Extension.
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe currently has two high tunnels to extend the growing season, fencing for the garden area and equipment to assist with planting.
To learn more about the Master Gardener Volunteer Program contact Moraczewski at 651-895-7696 or email
moraczewskimatt@gmail.com
, or visit
https://extension.umn.edu/master-gardener/about-master-gardener
.