Twin Cities Metro Growers Network

What's a Growers Network?

A Networking Group of the Sustainable Farming Association, the Twin Cities Metro Growers Network aims to connect anyone who grows produce seriously and seeks education, networking and fellowship. Whether you grow for market, personal or community use, or to rediscover indigenous and ethnic roots, if you want to network with like-minded people in the metro, this group is for you.

The Twin Cities Metro Growers Network is a collaboration between SFA and the University of Minnesota Extension.

Info: Lia Spaniolo, University of Minnesota Extension, spaniolo@umn.edu

Learn about Lia here.

Upcoming Events

Native Seed Workshops with MN SEED Project

This fall and winter, join Twin Cities Metro Growers Network and MN SEED Project for a workshop series that will teach you how to collect, clean and sow native seeds to grow your own beautiful and beneficial native landscapes. Growing native plants on your farm and garden attracts beneficial insects that help crops thrive. By creating more spaces for Minnesota native plants, anyone can support healthy ecosystems across our landscapes. Attend any or all three events!

Funded by Twin Cities Urban Agriculture microgrant from Renewing the Countryside and FSA/USDA.

2025.February.11 Winter Sowing with TC Metro Growers and MN SEED flyer

Click to download a flyer.

Workshop #3: Winter Sowing for Native Seeds

Tuesday, February 11 | 5:00 - 6:30 PM

Northeast Minneapolis Tool Library

Join us for our final installment of our Native Seed workshop series with MN SEED Project!

Participants will have the opportunity to winter sow native plants for their growing spaces. We will be creating mini-greenhouses for the seeds to overwinter in outside and germinate in the spring when the temperatures warm up enough.

Please bring three to five gallon-size plastic jugs or other recycle-able containers at least 4″ deep and we will transform them into mini-greenhouses. Everything else (tools, soil, seeds) will be provided. Plus, learn about the Minnesota Tool Library and all it has to offer.

The event will be set up with stations to move through as you build your mini-greenhouse. We will have staggered start times of 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 PM to spread out attendees across the stations. Please sign up for your start time of choice during registration.

Registration: Advance registration appreciated. Walkups welcome.

Location:1620 Central Ave NE #126 Minneapolis, MN 55413

For accessibility questions or requests, please contact Lia Spaniolo, spaniolo@umn.edu.

Getting there & Parking: The Tool Library is located in the main level of the Thorp Building, on the 1620 Central Ave side (slightly north of Diamonds Coffee Shoppe). Parking is available in the lot to the side or rear of the building as well as on-street. Visitors can enter from the front doors, the north side entrance (Dock#1) or at the rear of the building (Dock #13 will drop you right outside our suite). The prime parking area for NEMTL is behind the Tires & More shop on the corner of Central and 18th Ave. Pull into the side alley off Central between the Thorp building and the tire shop. Please note that traffic is one-way exiting onto 18th.

Due to construction, dock 1 parking is limited. Dock 13 or Dock 12 (next to Tattersall) are your best options for parking and entrance. *Please DO NOT park and block the dock 1 alley for unloading/loading.