DoomsdaysCW<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Burnsville" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Burnsville</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Minnesota" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Minnesota</span></a> to pilot ‘<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FoodForest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FoodForest</span></a>’ at <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CivicCenterPark" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CivicCenterPark</span></a> </p><p>By Christine Schuster, February 7, 2025 </p><p>"An old hockey rink in Burnsville will soon be transformed into an educational <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/garden" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>garden</span></a> under a new citywide initiative to implement <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/sustainable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>sustainable</span></a> land practices and build long-term solutions to health inequities.</p><p>"The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MarketGarden" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MarketGarden</span></a>, where student interns will help grow produce for local nonprofit, is one of several new programs being launched this summer under the 'Grow Burnsville' initiative.</p><p>"The City of Burnsville’s sustainability pitch won first place at this year’s Childhood Obesity Prevention and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EnvironmentalSustainability" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EnvironmentalSustainability</span></a> Awards held by the United States Conference of Mayors and the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America.</p><p>"The $125,000 prize money set 'Grow Burnsville' into motion.</p><p>"'It’s just thrilling,' said Sue Bast, the city’s environmental specialist and sustainability coordinator.</p><p>"A 'food forest' planted at Civic Center Park this spring is one of Grow Burnsville’s pilot projects, Bast said.</p><p>"Once it’s matured, the food forest will be an open food resource to anyone looking for free access to fruits and other edible plants. Using the principals of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/permaculture" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>permaculture</span></a>, no chemical <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pesticides" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>pesticides</span></a> or <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fertilizers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fertilizers</span></a> will be used in maintaining the forest, according to Bast.</p><p>"David Woods, the conservation program director with Urban Roots, said Burnsville’s food forest is designed to be low-maintenance.</p><p>"The city enlisted <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UrbanRoots" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>UrbanRoots</span></a>, a St. Paul-based nonprofit, to help with the design and implementation of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GrowBurnsville" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>GrowBurnsville</span></a> initiatives.</p><p>"The food forest will take 3-5 years to fully develop, according to Woods. The forest includes around 40 different plantings, such as apple, pear and plum trees, herbs and a variety of native shrubs with edible berries or nuts.</p><p>"'I’m hoping the successes that’ll come from the Burnsville project will help promote it elsewhere,' Woods said.</p><p>"'We’re going to see how this works,' Bast said. 'It could possibly be a direction we want to go with some public land that is underused.'" </p><p>Learn more / listen:<br><a href="https://www.twincities.com/2021/06/24/burnsville-to-pilot-food-forest-at-civic-center-park-2/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">twincities.com/2021/06/24/burn</span><span class="invisible">sville-to-pilot-food-forest-at-civic-center-park-2/</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SolarPunkSunday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SolarPunkSunday</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/foodsovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>foodsovereignty</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FoodForest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FoodForest</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FoodSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FoodSecurity</span></a></p>