Gardeners
Gardeners are responsible for the planting, harvesting, and general upkeep of the Luther gardens and greenhouse, which provide produce to Luther Dining Services. In the off-season students assist with other food-related projects and initiatives.
Gardeners 2012-2013
Melanie Grangaard- Major: Political Science, Environmental Studies Policy minor
- Hometown: Waconia, Minnesota
- Veggie of choice: Fresh peas
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Harvesting basil; makes my hands smell good!
- Best seasonal recipe: Fresh veggie stir fry with peanut sauce or homemade pasta with homemade sauce.
- Why do you enjoy gardening? Listening to the birds and having a great time outside with co-workers makes me even more grateful for the already rewarding, satisfying feeling of manual labor. We get to gently train the pea plants up the trellis one day and pitchfork truckloads of earthy leaf mulch the next. I love the variety and the daily change and growth, both in the garden and in ourselves, as we spend time playing in the dirt.
Jordan Burkhart - Senior
Jordan Burkhart
- Major: Environmental Studies
- Hometown,State: New Ulm (NU), MN
- Veggie of choice: Any pepper straight off the plant
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Any handy work (mow, weedwack, building fences, till)
- Best seasonal recipe: Making/canning salsa with ingredients from my garden back home.
- What is your favorite part about gardening at Luther?: Having fun with everybody on the crew even while working in 100 degree days! I also like having a connection of where my food comes from and being able to say "I picked that!" when I eat here on campus. That by far is one of the greatest feelings of a job well done!
Maddie Ford - Senior
Maddie Ford
- Major: French and Environmental Studies
- Hometown,State: Iowa City, IA
- Veggie of choice: Eggplant
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Weeding
- Best seasonal recipe: Tabouleh (with fresh parsley and mint and local onions, cucumber and tomato along with some fresh baked homemade pita, homemade hummus and baba ganoush)
- Why do you enjoy gardening?: I like gardening, because I like being a part of the local foods movement. I also like how organized all the beds and rows look when everything is weeded!
Shantel Schwarting - Senior
Shantel Schwarting
- Major: Environmental Studies
- Hometown, State: Williamsburg, IA
- Veggie of choice: Eggplant
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Harvesting, especially root vegetables. It’s always a wonderful surprise once they come out of the dirt.
- Best seasonal recipe: Eggplant Parmesan
- What is your favorite part about gardening at Luther?: I love being able to see the whole process of plant growth, from a tiny seed to a full grown vegetable that nourishes our Luther community. I also love breathing fresh air, burying my hands in the dirt, and soaking up sunshine on my face!
Phil Marty - Senior
Phil Marty
- Major: Environmental Studies
- Hometown: Monticello, IL
- Veggie of choice: Kale
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Harvesting
- Best seasonal recipe: homemade pasta with a hearty serving of veggies
- Why do you enjoy gardening?: I love the artistic expression in gardening. Designing the layout, shaping the beds, grooming the garden to make it look pretty.
Grace Gast- Major: Chemistry and Mathematics
- Hometown, State: Cresco, IA
- Veggie of choice: Peppers
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Harvesting so I get to sneak the seconds!
- Best seasonal recipe: Stuffed peppers with whatever fresh vegetables from the garden we have!
- Why do you enjoy gardening?: I get to be outside and work in nature.
Sam Zook a.k.a. “Frenzy” - Junior
Sam Zook
- Major: Environmental Studies (science/geology concentration), Biology minor
- Hometown,State: Decorah, IA
- Veggie of choice: Snap peas
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: EATING GREAT FOOD.
- Best seasonal recipe: Blackcap peach pie
- What is your favorite part about gardening at Luther?: Harvesting all the wonderful food!
Sarah Forsythe - Sophomore
Sarah Forsythe
- Major: Anthropology/Sociology/Undecided
- Hometown,State: Coon Valley, WI
- Veggie of choice: Carrots
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Planting!
- Best seasonal recipe: Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- What is your favorite part about gardening at Luther?: Being outside and enjoying the weather/co-workers!
Kasi Misseldine - Sophomore
Kasi Misseldine
- Major: Undecided
- Hometown,State: Decorah, IA
- Veggie of choice: Tomatoes
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Singing Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of my lungs with Melanie and Travis while harvesting basil!
- Best seasonal recipe: Avocado, tomatoes, arugula, lemon juice and cheddar cheese on sourdough bread. Yummy yum!
- Why do you enjoy gardening?: I love being outside and getting to see everything grow!
Jayne Pearson - Sophomore
Jayne Pearson
- Major: Biology/International studies
- Hometown: St. Paul, MN
- Veggie of choice: Sweet potatoes
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Harvesting!
- Best seasonal recipe: Anything with fresh raspberries!
- Why do you enjoy gardening?: Gardening is a great way to get outside, and I love munching on fresh produce!
Travis Houle - Sophomore
Travis Houle
- Major: Biology/ Environmental Studies
- Hometown: Edina, MN
- Veggie of choice: Peppers, mostly of the HOT variety.
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Planting and watering, I like to help things grow!
- Best seasonal recipe: Trav's September styled spicy Salsa (Don’t be afraid to ask for a sample)
- Why do you enjoy gardening?: I enjoy gardening because I am able to learn a great deal about food, gardening, sustainable agriculture, and the delicious side effects of eating green!
Devon Hovey - Sophomore
Devon Hovey
- Major: Environmental Studies, possibly some Biology or Psychology
- Hometown: Decorah, IA
- Veggie of choice: It's hard to pick one favorite veggie but I'd say my favorite at the moment is cherry tomato, other days it is sugar snap peas or green beans.
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: I really enjoy harvesting and preparing the produce for delivery. It is so rewarding seeing the plants grow from seeds or transplants into something we can eat.
- Best seasonal recipe: My favorite treat to make in the summer is a coconut mint cooler.
- What is your favorite part about gardening at Luther?: My favorite part about gardening at Luther is working hard with the other gardeners but having fun at the same time. I also love listening to the choir of birds as they sing their songs in the early morning.
Tessa Kraus - Freshman
Tessa Kraus
- Major: Art
- Hometown: Decorah, IA
- Veggie of choice: Peas, I have a problem eating them as I pick.
- Most enjoyed gardening activity: Either picking stuff or weeding stuff, I like weeding because it’s a good way to get rid of frustration.
- Best seasonal recipe: Stir fry peas, carrots, garlic, onions, and a pinch of curry with rice.
- Why do you enjoy gardening?: I enjoy gardening because I feel like I've really accomplished something at the end of the day, must be all the dirt, sweat and healthy food!