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Page 46 Stories of the Heartland • Sunday, September 21, 2025 hometownsource. com / heartland /
Gardeners invited to donate fresh produce through October
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. CLOUD
Catholic Charities of St. Cloud is inviting local gardeners to share the bounty of their summer harvest with neighbors in need through its annual Grow & Give produce donation drive.
Running through October, the campaign benefits the Catholic Charities Food Shelf and accepts donations of fresh fruits and vegetables from area gardens. Whether it’ s a surplus of tomatoes, a bumper crop of cucumbers, or an extra basket of apples, staff say every contribution helps put healthy food on the tables of local families.
Donations can be brought to the Catholic Charities Food Shelf, 157 Roosevelt Road, Suite 100, in St. Cloud. Donors should use Door D and ring the buzzer during drop-off hours— 9 a. m. to 3 p. m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a. m. to noon Friday. Staff or volunteers will meet donors at the door to accept items.
For food safety reasons, produce must be handed directly to staff and should not be left unattended or dropped off outside posted hours.
Catholic Charities encourages residents to“ grow a little extra” or share excess from their gardens to help feed the community.
For more information, contact Catholic Charities Emergency Services at 320-229-4560 or visit ccstcloud. org.
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ly guide where funding goes.”
Clyne said her office’ s priorities are shaped by what landowners tell them.“ Even if you’ re not sure we can help, we still want to hear your concerns,” she said.
At this meeting, participants placed stickers on a board to rank resource concerns. Cover cropping, managed grazing and forest management rose to the top.
Steffen reminded the group that not every NRCS project involves cost-share funding. Sometimes it’ s just about advice.“ We can hand them a plan and let them run with it,” he said.
Clyne noted the SWCD’ s small fleet of rental tools— from no-till drills to tree planters— and said her agency can connect landowners with equipment from other counties if needed.
Funding levels may go up and down. Steffen said the Inflation Reduction Act brought a surge of money in the recent past, but a January freeze cut approvals to about 30 % statewide. That’ s why having a plan ready matters, he said.
“ We can get it teed up,” he said.“ Then, when funding opens, you can move without delay.” Clyne left the crowd with a simple closing thought.“ Call us,” she said.“ We might not always be the ones to help— but we’ ll find you someone who can.” For more information, visit www. nrcs. usda. gov.
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