Grant partnerships
Camp St. Croix is continually grateful to partners and mentors, the Paul Rosso family and the 10th St. Farm and Market in Afton, who have seen a vision for addressing food insecurity in the St. Croix Valley, and have donated funds, time, and invaluable advice, which has directly contributed to success!
The High Tunnel portion of The Farm at Camp St. Croix is funded in part by River Valley Charities. RVC provides funding for Camp St. Croix to operate the educational programming, giving kids the opportunity to learn and farm outside, while donating the harvest to the Backpack Programs in the St. Croix Valley. Learning, growing, AND giving back are important cyclical patterns on the farm at Camp St. Croix.
The RCU Prairie Harvest Barn is under construction and currently being transformed into a maker space, demonstration kitchen, and farm store. This is made possible by Royal Credit Union and Prairie Burn grant funds.
Where does all the produce go?
The produce goes to four places:
- The Backpack Programs sponsored by the River Valley Charities in the St. Croix Valley
- Camp St. Croix’s very own camp dining hall where the kitchen cooks prepare it for meals (Farm to table is REAL at Camp St. Croix)
- Produce is sold at the camper family Farmer’s Market Night
- Vegetables go directly into the hungry stomachs of campers during farm programming. Eating vegetables has never been so popular as it is on the farm at Camp St. Croix.
What even is a high tunnel?!
A high tunnel is an unheated structure with walls that raise and lower for extra ventilation in the summer months. Just with the heat of the sun, the high tunnel can warm up to 85 degrees on a sunny February day at Camp. Because of the heat trapping ability, produce can be grown and harvested in the high tunnel nearly year-round.
Questions?: Contact Camp St. Croix Farm and Garden Program Coordinator, Anna, at anna.zimmer@ymcamn.org or call her at 651-739-6599