Lake Minnetonka Garden Club is proud to announce the winner of our 2022 scholarship, Amelia Hayden

Amelia Hayden has always loved finding ways to give back to her community. She credits her time in 4-H and FFA with showing her the value of service and giving her opportunities to serve the agriculture community. Hayden grew up taking on leadership roles at the local, county, and state levels of both 4-H and FFA. In FFA, Hayden sought out every opportunity to inform others about agriculture. This work led her to being named national winner for her projects related to agriscience research and agriculture education. Hayden served as Wisconsin State FFA Vice President in 2017-2018 and Wisconsin State FFA President in 2018-2019. In these roles, she delivered workshops, keynote speeches, and interviews promoting Wisconsin agriculture and youth involvement to thousands of students and stakeholders.

It was these experiences that led Amelia to major in agricultural education at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. There, she continued her passion for service and was President of the Agriculture Education, Communication and Marketing Club, was active in the Agricultural Business Club, and served as a Teach Ag Ambassador. She interned with Vivayic, Inc. during college – developing agriculture literacy resources, planning training webinars, and collaborating on media campaigns for numerous national and international clients. She just graduated in May 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education. This fall, Amelia will be the agriculture teacher at Osseo-Fairchild High School, where she will teach a variety of subjects, including Horticulture, Field Conservation, and Introduction to Agriculture.

Lake Minnetonka Garden Club is proud to announce the winner of our 2021 scholarship, James Miller.

James is a recent graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Geography. As an undergraduate, he prioritized coursework that taught him about food systems, plant cultivation, ecology, and the history of the land upon which we stand. Grounded in community, he is passionate about building more equitable food systems and creating spaces in which people can commune with plants. With a wide range of work experiences propelling him, including having served as student manager of Gustavus’ micro-farm and having held multiple roles with Youthprise, a philanthropic, equity-building nonprofit in Minneapolis, he is eager to continue driving progress on initiatives related to agriculture and food equity following graduation. In addition to receiving the Lake Minnetonka Garden Club Scholarship, he was also humbled to be named a 2020 Udall Scholar of the Environment by the Morris and Stewart Udall Foundation. While recognizing challenges posed by climate change, he remains hopeful about the possibility to seek environmentally and socially responsible alternatives to large-scale production that bring people into more intimate relationship with plants.

Lake Minnetonka Garden Club is proud to announce the winner of our 2020 scholarship, Sarah Anderson.

Sarah Anderson is a master’s student at the University of Minnesota studying Horticulture with a focus on sustainability and ecology. Prior to pursuing her masters, she attended Gustavus Adolphus College, graduating summa cum laude in 2020. At Gustavus, she double majored in Biology and Environmental Studies, was a two-time captain of the cross country team, served as a Biology tutor for three years, and also worked in the campus greenhouse. Another notable accomplishment was her selection for the college’s first year research experience (FYRE) program in 2017. Through this, she researched the carbon storage capacities of prairies in Southern Minnesota as a mitigation strategy to combat climate change under the advisement of ecologist, Dr. Amy Kochsiek.

Since then, Sarah has completed a variety of internships to gain experience in the fields of ecology and environmental education. For the past two years, she has interned with Spark-Y Youth Action Labs, focusing on projects including the construction of urban garden beds and bee houses, STEM education in North Minneapolis, curriculum development, and aquaponics systems. This meaningful work has affirmed her passions to inspire the future generations to care for our vulnerable environment and declining pollinator populations through education.

Even more recently, Sarah worked on an urban flower farm in St. Paul—Honken Dahlias. Through this experience, she learned about the importance of sustainable cut-flower production and also got to sell out dahlias every weekend at the Mill City Farmers Market. It is clear that Sarah is a positive force in the fields of sustainability and ecology. She hopes to use these experiences to one day start an urban flower farm, and in the meantime, teach youth about the consequences of climate change. Sarah is a proud LMGC scholarship recipient, and grateful for all that the club has done for her!

Adam graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences with a B.S. in Plant and Microbial Biology. A former student of St. Paul Garden Club member, Dr. Lisa Philander, Adam is a recipient of The Lake Minnetonka Garden Club 2019 scholarship award.

During his time at the U Adam participated in many projects. He was Co-Coordinator of the West Bank Community Garden student group – overseeing many aspects of the garden. He worked at the College of Biological Sciences Conservatory with the biodiverse collection of over 1,200 plant species from around the world. After his work in the CBS Conservatory, Adam continued to develop his knowledge of plant evolutionary history and extended botanical care. His work in two plant biology research labs required his attention to detail and helped foster a drive for discovery that is essential to the field of botanical science. These experiences allowed Adam to utilize his botanical knowledge while leading others towards sustainability-oriented goals, catering to his interest in the industry of environmental research and its intersection with public policy. Adam’s interest in botanical research grew from a passion for plant biology and a home-grown hobby of succulent cultivation. His love for learning about the processes of plant growth has driven his pursuits in research.

Adam lives his life fulfilling a passion for connecting people and plants. This passion earned him a role at the impressive specialty nursery, Orchids Limited, where he serves as the Greenhouse Manager. It’s a perfect fit for Adam where he engages with every facet of the business while pursing knowledge in orchid care and culture. See his blog here:

https://www.orchidweb.com/blog/a-recap-of-summer-2021-overcoming-obstacles-and-celebrating-success/

Kate Sammons, a recipient of the LMGC Scholarship award for 2019, recently earned her PhD in plant and microbial biology at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, where her research aimed to describe the chemical complexity of plants for medicinal use. Her focus was on the whole plant and how it works together to have an effect on the body. For her thesis she utilized yarrow – which has a long history of human use – to study and learn of its many medically beneficial uses. With this knowledge she hopes to shift the perspective and understanding of plants and their uses in mainstream medicine – bridging the ideological gap with Western medicine.

Kate was a presenter at LMGC’s July 2019 program meeting and shared detailed information and handouts covering 10 Great Medicinal Herbs to Grow in Minnesota. This highlighted herbs that included German Chamomile, Calendula,

California Poppy, Lemon Balm, Peppermint, Elder, and Yarrow.  We learned tips for harvesting and storage, tea infusion, herbal blending, safety and medicinal use. Our members loved her presentation so much she came back to give us a hands-on workshop making medicinal teas & tinctures, providing an opportunity for participants to make wonderful DIY homemade remedies.

Kate hopes that raising standards in herbal medicine and increasing public awareness will help boost its mainstream use. “If we familiarize more people with herbal medicine, it would help to build a connection with plants and the earth, and it could lead to a more sustainable future.”

Kate is also the recipient of the Garden Club of America Anne S. Chatham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany and is currently University Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Carlton College.

To view all of the GCA Scholarship winners CLICK HERE