University of Minnesota Research & Design Team Onsite for December 18th Session
(FERGUS FALLS, Minn.) – The public is invited to hear the U of M’s Design Team recommendation for a long-term master plan at Lake Region Healthcare’s wellness project “Lake Region Takes Root” (LRTR) Community Garden.
Funded by Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, the University of Minnesota’s Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR) has created a Master Plan recommendation for Lake Region Takes Root including future phases and ongoing infrastructure projects such as a packing & receiving shed and handicapped accessible gardening spaces.
During a community input meeting held in Fergus Falls in October, the UMN Design Team made up of Alex Thill and Virajita Singh, provided three potential design scenarios for improving the sustainability of Lake Region Takes Root community garden. Participants reacted to the preliminary design options and provided feedback. The design team has since completed additional research and incorporated the input of residents into the final design. The team will present a final design scenario at a public meeting on December 18th and community members will have an opportunity to provide comments for improvement. A final comprehensive plan will be completed by early January.
“The goal is to provide Lake Region Takes Root community garden with a sustainable plan to help keep it successful for many years to come,” said Virajita Singh from the CSBR. “We have spent the last several months gathering community input, researching best practices and identifying achievable goals towards achieving sustainable practices that will allow the garden to serve the greatest number of people with the highest quality food in the most efficient manner,” she added.
“We have only just begun in terms of the number of people we can reach and the amount & quality of food we can provide to families in need and improve community health,” said Jason Bergstrand, LRTR Garden Project Coordinator. “We are grateful for those that participated in the first planning meeting and those planning to participate on December 18th. We value the participation from the community as it is vital towards positioning Lake Region Take Root for long-term success,” he added.
The public meeting will be held in the lower level conference room of Lake Region Healthcare’s hospital building from 5 to 6:45pm on Thursday, December 18th. It is free and open to anyone interested in the project. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information on the garden’s Long Term Master Design Session contact Jason Bergstrand at Jason.bergstrand@co.clay.mn.us or 701.306.5280.
About Lake Region Healthcare
Lake Region Healthcare is living out its vision to be Minnesota's preeminent regional healthcare partner. With over 80 medical staff and over 900 employees, its team is dedicated to serving its patients and community with integrity, teamwork, compassion and excellence. For more information about Lake Region Healthcare, visit www.lrhc.org.
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Attached Photo: A volunteer team from Ag Country Farm Credit Services at the community garden this summer.