Extension in Pine County

There are several ways to join or re-enroll in 4-H. 

• Join 4-H for the first time or re-enroll
• Find a Pine County 4-H Club
• Enroll as an independent member
• Get in touch with us

4-H Youth Development is a hands-on learning program for Minnesota youth. We offer online, small group and independent learning experiences for youth of all ages. In 4-H, youth choose the topic they find interesting and caring adults support their learning and leadership. From agronomy to space exploration and creative arts to outdoor adventures, 4-H has just the right learning experience for young people.

There are many ways to participate in 4-H!

Sarah Odendahl, Extension educator, 4-H Youth Development
sodendah@umn.edu 
Office: 320-591-1654 | Cell: 320-591-0692

Follow us on Facebook @pinecomn4h

Follow us on Instagram @pine4h

Gifts support 4-H youth development in Pine County, and local programming coordinated by the Pine County 4-H Council.

Give today

Keep track of meetings and events with the Pine County 4-H Google calendar.

• Private Pesticide Applicators
• Dairy events
• Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
• Women in Ag Network

Katie Hagen, Extension educator, Agriculture
hagen@umn.edu or 320-591-1662 (Pine County) and 763-689-1810 (Isanti County)

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Become a Master Gardener volunteer

Terry Salmela, Master Gardener program coordinator, Pine County
salme002@umn.edu or 320-591-1653

Pine City Discovery Garden: A collaborative project between Pine County Master Gardeners and the City of Pine City.

What is the Pine City Discovery Garden?

The Pine City Discovery Garden will be a beautiful gateway into Pine City located on the west side of old Hwy 61, just south of the Snake River Bridge. It is being created to invite visitors and residents alike to explore a restful and educational garden space while at the same time strengthening and beautifying the community. Funding for the project is being sought through grant applications, community businesses and citizens’ donations.

History of the garden

The city property on Hwy 61 just south of the Snake River Bridge has been a city park for about 20 years and was previously referred to as the Rotary Park. In the summer of 2021, the Pine County Master Gardeners were searching for a location for a memorial honoring a local business woman and Pine County Master Gardener, Cindy Novy, who died of COVID in 2020. After discussions with the Pine City Park and Recreation director, the idea of revitalizing the old Rotary Park began and has continued to evolve. A monetary donation by Cindy Novy’s family will help create part of this new city garden.

Early 2022, University of Minnesota Extension Educator of landscape design, Julie Weisenhorn, provided a day-long workshop on landscaping principles and design to master gardeners, the Park and Rec Director and key city residents. Julie continues to consult on the design of the garden.    

On a cool day in May 2022, Pine City crews brought in heavy equipment and removed previous garden plants which had become overgrown and unsightly. 

Several other local entities are contributing to the garden’s development. Greater Pine Area Endowment awarded the garden a $10,000 grant designated to a structure on the garden site. Pine Technical College 2022 staff includes Jacob Mans, a Hinckley native and associate professor of architecture at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Mans has agreed to design and build a pavilion structure for the park with the help of graduate students and students from Pine Technical & Community College. Jeff’s Outdoor Services is consulting (and generously donating) part of the infrastructure of the garden (landscaping, path creation and roughing in irrigation, lighting).  Others have made monetary donations (See donor section). 

Check out the “What’s new” to find out the latest news about the Garden. 

The Mission of the Pine City Discovery Garden

• To beautify Pine City by providing a green space oasis for residents and a visual welcoming first impression for visitors
• To provide a place to educate the public about Zone 3 plants by conducting garden classes and by labeling plants
• To honor Cindy Novy’s memory

Who are the major partners creating the Pine City Discovery Garden?

• Pine County Master Gardeners are involved in the design, demolition, preparation and planting phases and will participate in annual spring and fall clean-up events, in addition to offering classes.  
• Pine City is providing the ongoing maintenance once the garden is established. 
• Pine Technical College is providing the expertise and in-kind work of Dr. Jacob Mans and his students for the building the pavilion in the park. 
• UMN Extension Educator Julie Weisenhorn is consulting on the garden design and taught a landscaping design class to those working on the garden. 
• Jeff’s Outdoor Services is providing help with the infrastructure of the garden including landscaping, path creation, roughing in for irrigation and lighting.

Donors

• Family of Cindy Novy
• Greater Pine Area Endowment
• Minnesota Energy Resources
• New Horizon Thrift Store
• Colors by Craig
• Jeff's Outdoor Services
• Pokegama Lake Association
• Pine Area Lions Club
• Pine City Lions Club
• Buds n' Blooms Garden Club
• Pine Gardeners Garden Club
• Pine County Master Gardeners
• East Central Energy
• Mike Gainor
• Cheryl McHugh
• Cara Novy Miller
• Council of Catholic Women
• Three Twenty Brewing Company
• Anonymous donors

Phases of project

Garden Design

• 2022: Multiple educational and planning meetings with master gardeners and city stakeholders
• 2023: Continued meetings to refine plan 

Demolition

• May 18, 2022 

Infrastructure

The infrastructure work is pending for  early fall 2022. Jeff’s Outdoor Services will be providing removal of soil imbedded with weeds, grading, add of topsoil, creation of a path, roughing in irrigation sleeves and mulch. Irrigation will be done after planting of materials spring 2023. Lighting will be finalized when funds are available.

Shelter design and building

UMN architecture associate professor, Jacob Mans, currently on loan to Pine Technical and Community College, is designing, harvesting wood and building the structure. It will be built with the help of his graduate students and students in the construction technology program at Pine Tech.

Jacob Mans and his father Wayne, operating the skid steer, drilled holes, and poured concrete into the footings for the Pine City Discovery Garden pavilion on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. They were assisted by Pine Technical College Construction Technology Student Kody Rollings, right. Mans, a University of Minnesota Architecture Professor and Pine Tech Construction Technology Instructor designed the pavilion. He is working with Pine Tech and U of M students to construct the pavilion from Oak logs harvested on Mans property east of Hinckley. Funding for the pavilion came from a grant received by the UMN Extension Pine County Master Gardeners from the Greater Pine Area Endowment. 

Plant selection

Groups of master gardeners researched several categories of plants to use in the garden. Using specific criteria, including right plant/right place, educational value, and other criteria, a plant list was created. A team created a specific design based on previous plans and recommendation. Selection of plants is continuing into early 2023.

Signage

Check back later for updated information.

Fundraising

Fundraising is ongoing and will allow enhancements like lighting and improvements of the garden area. Contact Terry Salmela, Pine County Master Gardener Coordinator, at salme002@umn.edu or 612-390-3149, if interested in financially contributing to the Pine City Discovery Garden.

What's new

It has been an active late autumn at the site of the Pine City Discovery Garden. The following activities have taken place:

• Oct. 20, 2022 Julie Weisenhorn, UMN Extension educator assisted the planning group to develop a plant list, which will be used in the design of the garden.
• Oct. 22, 2022 master gardeners planted 1,700 bulbs in the central section of the garden.
• The pathway stone and part of the labor were donated by Jeff's Outdoor Services and were completed mid November 2022.

  

• In early Jan. 2023, the pavilion was completed and placed in the garden. The pavilion was built by Jacob Mans and funded by a grant from the Greater Pine Area Endowment.

  

Extension offers a variety of educational programs about nutrition and health that are open to families and individuals of all ages who are eligible for benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or who meet Extension’s program income guidelines.

Programs are offered in community settings such as food shelves, schools, community centers and public housing sites. The programs are free to all individuals and families who meet income guidelines, and may be offered in multiple languages, depending on the audience needs and availability of educators.

Use the Real Life, Good Food website to find recipes, cooking tips and physical activity ideas for a healthier life.

Kristin Riley, SNAP-Ed Educator
riley205@umn.edu 
Cell: 763-218-7743 | Office: 320-591-1650

• Community Based Solutions to the Opioid Crisis in Rural Minnesota, Team Information
• Historical trauma and cultural healing

Extension's Center for Community Vitality engages Minnesotans to strengthen the social, civic, economic and technological capacity of their communities. We help create vibrant communities and enhance skills and knowledge in economics, leadership and civic engagement, and tourism.

Check our community research page for reports on county and community-focused topics relating to local economics, retaining businesses, growing retail markets, developing tourism, and more.

Local programs can be offered in collaboration with local community organizations and government agencies. Current programs include:

• Growing Leadership in Local Government
• Minnesota Agricultural and Rural Leadership (MARL)

Contact an educator in your area for consultation, guidance and conversation about your community.

Minnesota is a great place to explore, understand and conserve the natural landscape. Extension education, volunteer and community science programs encourage people to become stewards of Minnesota’s public and private lands.

Volunteer. Natural resources volunteers track invasive species, detect forest pests and count native bees, among many other activities. You also can study to become a Minnesota Master Naturalist.

Extension's Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) connect Greater Minnesota communities and University of Minnesota knowledge and resources to support local sustainability projects.

Working in partnership, RSDP supports community-driven projects in four focus areas: agriculture and food systems, clean energy, natural resources, and resilient communities. Projects are supported by boards made up of local community members and University faculty and staff.

Learn more about RSDP’s recent work in your county and neighboring communities, and how to submit a project idea.

View all Pine County contacts.

Katie Hagen, Ag Educator, Pine & Isanti County Extension
hagen@umn.edu or 320-591-1662 (Pine County) and 763-689-1810 (Isanti County)

Sarah Odendahl, Extension educator, 4-H Youth Development
sodendah@umn.edu 
Office: 320-591-1654 | Cell: 320-591-0692

Roxanne Orvis, Administrative Assistant
rlorvis@umn.edu or 320-591-1651

Kristin Riley, SNAP-Ed Educator
riley205@umn.edu 
Office: 320-591-1650 | Cell: 763-218-7743

Terry Salmela, Master Gardener Program Coordinator, Pine County
salme002@umn.edu or 320-591-1653

Extension brings Minnesotans together to build a better future through University science-based knowledge, expertise and training. Learn more about Extension by visiting our about page and by browsing this website.