Rooted in learning

Master Gardener Rachel Newman bridges classroom and community at The Learning Garden.

Rachel Newman typically provides gardening help to others as a Master Gardener volunteer and high school horticulture teacher.

Yet, she and other Itasca County Master Gardeners have created a space where knowledge can pollinate for beginners and experts alike at The Learning Garden.

“The Learning Garden is one of my favorite places,” she says. “I get so much help here.”

The power of one plant

“I love sharing research, and I really love the University of Minnesota. To volunteer with them, I feel a lot of pride,” says Newman, a graduate in psychology with a master’s degree in education.

This pride shows in her work, from incorporating permaculture principles into her agriculture classes to bringing research-backed gardening methods to The Learning Garden, which serves 50-70 children and 30 adults weekly. 

She especially finds delight in seeing kids try unfamiliar vegetables for the first time because she knows a single plant can spark passion for gardening. At age 19, she bought her first basil plant. 

“I’d water it every day after work and say ‘Hey, baby basil’ to it,” Newman says. “I ate so much basil that summer!” 

Her skills continued to grow. Her eyes were opened to permaculture principles in a sustainability class at the University of Minnesota. When she became a teacher in Chicago, she learned hands-on gardening principles with a paraprofessional as they built a school garden together.

Now, she and her husband, an engineer, operate a hobby farm with high tunnels, sheep and chickens, using their property as a living laboratory for the sustainable practices she teaches.

An invitation for all 

The Learning Garden, where Newman focuses her volunteer efforts today, was established in 2008 to teach basic gardening to children attending YMCA day care.

Its location near multifamily housing, at the convergence of paved recreational paths, meant people of all ages often passed by asking questions. This prompted Newman and other Master Gardeners to ask: What if The Learning Garden was for everyone? 

In 2020, the Itasca County Master Gardeners rallied around a new vision to expand and revitalize the space for youth and adult learners. They spent close to 500 hours on improving the space in 2024 alone.

Building something beautiful

Today, The Learning Garden is a sprawling library of horticultural knowledge, featuring eight raised beds, concrete pathways, a raspberry trellis, native pollinator gardens and other improvements.

Local businesses donated oak wood chips and soil, a nursery provides $50 worth of flowers annually and dedicated Master Gardeners brought everything from photography skills to adzes for digging. Her husband ensured ADA accessibility in its design, pro bono. 

"Once everyone found their little spot, it grew," Newman says. "The garden exemplifies the idea that teamwork makes the dream work."

Teaching beyond the physical space 

The garden has also become a multimedia classroom. Newman and other Itasca County Master Gardener volunteers work with Itasca County TV to create educational programming that’s amplified through social media.

Working with her local Extension office, Newman's developing interactive QR code signs that will connect garden visitors directly to University of Minnesota Extension resources and videos. "It'll be so awesome for them to be able to learn from us when we're not physically present," she says.

Planting seeds for the future

Perhaps most rewarding for Newman is watching the children who learn in the garden grow. Former garden visitors now appear in her high school classes, creating a beautiful full-circle moment. "I'm reaping the rewards of investing in the community when these kids are little."

Newman's message to her community is simple: "The garden is open for EVERYONE to enjoy. The gate is just closed to keep the bunnies out!"