In 2020, Mary became emeritus professor and extension horticulturist with the University of Minnesota. Mary obtained her Ph.D. in 1993 in Plant Breeding and Genetics, her M.S. from Cornell University, and her B.S. from Clemson University. For over 40 years she has studied grasses and their use in the landscape in the Northeastern and Midwestern U.S. She joined the Horticultural Science faculty in 1994 with an Extension, teaching and research appointment. Her research interests include native and ornamental grasses and sedges. She’s studied the propagation and
production of grasses including cold hardiness, and low maintenance sustainable landscaping. Blue Heaven is a patented grass she released in 2007. She’s conducted research on alternative low maintenance turf grasses.

From 1993-2007, Mary was the State Coordinator for the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener program, and worked with several Extension Educators to coordinate statewide multi-media educational programs in environmental, consumer, and commercial horticulture, including sustainable home landscapes. She was the Interim Director of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and from 2013-2014 was President of the American Society of Horticultural Science when she started the national initiative Seed Your Future along with Dr. Douglas Needham at Longwood Gardens. Mary currently manages the North American Plant Collections Consortium Ornamental Grass Collection – “the best grass collection in the country” – at the Landscape Arboretum and is the current Chair of the Board of Directors for the Minnesota State Horticulture Society.

Mary is the author of several publications, including Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates, and The 10 Plants That Changed Minnesota, co-authored with Susan Davis Price and you can read more on her blog http://grasstalkmhm.blogspot.com/ She has received many national awards in addition to the 2016 Garden Club of America, Marion Thompson Fuller Brown Conservation Award and the GCA/LMGC Club Horticulture Award in 2020.
The 10 Plants That Changed Minnesota CLICK HERE

More importantly, Mary has been extraordinarily generous in sharing her extensive knowledge of horticulture and love of native grasses and prairies with our membership.

Mary was also one of the authors of The Best Plants For 30 Toiugh Sites.
View this publication HERE

Many family farms disappeared in the 70’s and 80’s as a result of Department of Agriculture policies. The genesis of the CSA movement was that idea that the community should share the risk in seasonal farming through customers paying a fee upfront for a share of food produced that summer. That guaranteed income helped small organic farmers continue to grow fresh produce for local customers.

CSAs have changed and adapted to customer’s needs over the years; in Greg’s approach, the procedure is to offer an a la carte CSA. He provides a list of currently ripe produce for customers to order what they want, and he harvests and washes the produce in the morning and customers pick it up in the afternoon at the farm. Do you remember being a child and someone handing you a strawberry from their garden or green bean warm from the sun right off the vine? That is the vision and flavor of locally grown organic food.

Sarah Lindblom, an independent female entrepreneur, is a member of the next generation of organic farmers. Sarah has offered CSAs in the past but is now focusing on the development of a Farm Store where she sells her organic produce, eggs, maple syrup, honey, flowers and value-added baked goods. She is also expanding into medical and culinary herbs, botanical skin care and creating workshops for customers. Through many market changes, organic farmers have offered nutritious and delicious, locally grown produce that nurtures the soil, protects pollinators and wildlife and feeds our families.