The University of Minnesota Crookston’s Allen & Freda Pedersen Community Garden has been announced as Seed Coalition’s 2025 Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award winner alongside the organization’s declaration of the Crookston Area Community Fund (CACF) as this year’s Presidents’ Community Partner Award recipient. U of M Crookston was among 84 awardees selected from dozens of colleges and universities across Iowa and Minnesota.
The Office of Outreach & Engagement at U of M Crookston nominated the CACF for Seed Coalition’s Presidents’ Community Partner Award for its partnership with the Allen & Freda Pedersen Community Garden. Seed Coalition’s awards celebration will be held Friday, April 11 in the Klas Center’s Kay Fredericks Room at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn.
The Allen & Freda Pedersen Community Garden celebrates the legacy of the Pedersens in growing flowers, fruits, and vegetables to share with others. Produce from the garden is used in the campus dining hall and students are hired to assist with the garden's maintenance. The garden was dedicated in May 2014 and is located on the north side of campus near the University Teaching and Outreach Center and Valley Technology Park.
“This long-standing partnership was inspired by the benefactors Allen & Freda Pedersen,” said U of M Crookston Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause, Ph.D. “It is a testament to their vision of groups working together in the community to make it a stronger and a more resilient place for families to live and thrive. Thanks to all who have been our partners through the years and believe in the vision the Pedersen’s left for us all.”
“The breadth of involvement in this project speaks to its value for campus and community,” added Senior Vice Chancellor Rosemary Johnsen, Ph.D. “It also demonstrates the strong bonds between the campus and the area’s government, philanthropic, and business entities.”
The Pedersen Garden’s reignite, following a pause during the COVID pandemic, was a collaboration between the U of M Crookston’s Office of Outreach and Engagement and Horticulture Department, Northwest Research & Outreach Center, Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, Crookston Area Community Fund, Walmart Crookston Supercenter, Crookston Visitors Bureau, and the City of Crookston. Its revival has included the leasing of raised garden beds with proceeds benefiting U of M Crookston’s Horticulture department.
“The University of Minnesota Crookston embraces a modern land-grant mission, and the fruits of this collaboration - like the garden’s produce - bring that commitment to life,” Johnsen continued. “Each of the contributors made the garden, and this recognition, possible. Special thanks to the University’s office of outreach and engagement for spearheading efforts and unifying participants.”
“In a time when community connections are more important than ever, these awardees are evidence of higher education's commitment to nurturing collaborative, responsive, and compassionate leadership,” Seed Coalition Executive Director Rob Barron stated. "They prove that true learning isn't only about understanding problems - it's about taking decisive steps to address them."
For more information about the Allen & Freda Pedersen Community Garden, visit crk.umn.edu/buildings-grounds/pedersen-garden
For more information about the Crookston Area Community Fund, find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/share/1BQChes86H/?mibextid=wwXIfr.
ABOUT SEED COALITION’S PRESIDENTS’ AWARDS
The Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award recognizes a member of the faculty, administration, or staff or for a group (e.g., advisory committee, task force, project team) that has significantly advanced their campus’ distinctive civic mission by forming strong partnerships, supporting others’ civic and community engagement, and working to institutionalize a culture and practice of engagement. The Presidents’ Community Partner Award recognizes a community-based partner or organization that has enhanced the quality of life in the community in meaningful and measurable ways and has engaged in the development of sustained, reciprocal partnerships with the college or university, thus enriching educational as well as community outcomes.
ABOUT SEED COALITION
Seed Coalition strengthens the capacity of colleges and universities to fulfill the public purposes of higher education through its coalition of diverse college campuses in the Midwest. This includes educating students through community and civic learning experiences and making an impact in communities through reciprocal partnerships that address community-identified goals. Seed Coalition creates partnership opportunities, supports quality programming through professional development, and promotes the importance of the civic mission.
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