As a seasoned gardener and plant fanatic, Seeds Feeds Operations Director Ariel Steinman said she is excited to coordinate the newly minted Garden Club. The club, which will host its first meeting Jan. 31, will serve as a home for planters of all kinds.

“One of the coolest things about gardening is you never know everything. I’ve been gardening for about a decade, and I still learn new things from people all the time. You have different experiences based on your soil, what you grow near each other, the season and everything,” Steinman said. “(The club) is a way for us to share all those lessons learned.” 

According to Steinman, the Garden Club will also help its members develop their gardens through discussion and seed kits.

“Last year we started making indoor salad kits and beginner vegetable gardener kits that people could get for free or purchase if they had the ability,” Steinman said. “With COVID, everything happened very fast and chaotically, so this year we are planning it a bit better and want to help people be successful in these endeavors.”

Senior Audrey Long, a Seeds Feeds apprentice and member of the organization’s hydroponics team, said she loves the idea of joining the Garden Club.

“It would be super cool. I work at Seeds Feeds, so I’ve been seeing the start of the kit creation at the warehouse and it looks super cool and I’d love to expand my garden,” Long said.

According to Steinman, the club is looking for those interested in working tactilely and who enjoy gardening.

“We really hope we can get a wide variety of students,” Steinman said. “Anyone who thinks they are interested in working with plants or loves getting their hands dirty, we want to engage with all of them.”

Senior Liz Hodges, who works alongside Long as a Seeds Feeds apprentice and hydroponics team member, said she feels the club is best suited for those interested in growing plants.

“Anybody who is interested in learning about gardening or has been involved in gardening in the past (should consider joining). And, also anybody who wants to learn more about sustainable agriculture or about food production in general,” Hodges said.

Especially when combined with the Seeds Feeds cooking classes, Long said she believes the Garden Club could be an exciting and enriching experience. 

“I think it could apply to anyone who’s interested in gardening and also cooking, because growing your own vegetables, plants and herbs and then cooking with them is a super satisfying process,” Long said. “We do cooking classes with Seeds Feeds so those things together would be super cool.”

The Seeds Feeds Garden Club will host its first meeting 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m Jan. 31. Interested students can sign up at seedsfeeds.org or contact Steinman at 612-406-8731 or [email protected] for more information.