Local News

The Meeker County Gardener’s Gala is coming up this Thursday, starting at 5 p.m., at the Church of St. Philip in Litchfield. The annual event is coordinated by the Master Gardeners and Horticulture Society and admission at the door is $20.

The guest speakers this year will be Laura Irish-Hanson from the University of Minnesota Extension talking about climate-ready gardening and LeAnne Lund, a Meeker County cut flower grower. Lund sells cut flowers from her farm, south of Grove City, all over the nation; and Irish-Hanson is a horticulturist who has an office at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and will have tips for growing flexibility to adapt to our changing climate

The Gardener’s Gala will also include a quilt silent auction. There will be several vendors, and door prizes. It will be an evening of education and fellowship. For more information, call the Extension office at 693-5275.

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The Litchfield Area Community Foundation has given out approximately $110,000 in grants to 78 non-profit organizations over the years. Non-profit groups are encouraged to apply for grants for upcoming projects.

LACF board member Missy Brock says non-profit groups need to be 501c3 organizations, local units of government or have a fiscal sponsor, but not a religious or political organization. She says the grant amounts are usually between $500 and $2,000 and they are now accepting grant applications throughout the year.

Brock says applications can be found on LACF website, or by emailing lacfinfo@litch.com or by writing to Post Office Box 42 in Litchfield. Board member Tom Smith says they have a fundraising campaign each fall to gather money that they can award to organizations who apply for grants. He says they also use earnings from their endowment fund, and they are going to raise additional funds with a popcorn stand that will be in Central Park in Litchfield this summer.

Smith says the popcorn stand was a gift from the Granite Falls Kiwanis Club as they outgrew it and built a new one for their community. He says local non-profit groups will be able to work at the popcorn stand and raise additional funds for their organizations.

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