Growing food – and growing community

It has always been our goal to give back. 

At Doubting Thomas Farms, we recognize how fortunate we are to be responsible stewards of the land, providing wholesome foods for the greater good. We try to share that knowledge and enthusiasm with many groups who might not otherwise get the opportunity. Noreen frequently invites children and youth whose families are staying in local homeless shelters to spend time at the farm. In their time here, we've seen them blossom from the experience of learning to garden, studying nature and simply being out amid the green fields and fresh air. 

As an added incentive, we encourage them to sell the veggies they grow to local chefs, providing them with a sense of accomplishment and self-sufficiency while helping take care of their more immediate needs, such as school supplies. 

We've also been proud to host different school groups, children with learning differences, hospice patients and families, assisted-living residents, New American groups as well as Native American organizations. We are one of only a handful of growers of rare and indigenous seeds for Native Harvest.

Read more about our connection to our community HERE.

  

"I worked with Noreen and the Gifted Learning Project Nonprofit during the Summer of 2015. My project then was working on one of the earlier versions of Garden-Able, an adaptive garden designed to be accessible to people with a range of abilities and mobilities. I loved my time working here! It was a place to foster my curiosity in food, nutrition, nature, gardening, health, wellness, learning, and equity, all interests I would take with me to my undergraduate studies and into my professional studies and career.

Noreen is a brilliant person to work with. Her warmth and hospitality are unrivaled and she was masterful at finding just the right project to push me to develop skills while still being attainable. I deeply enjoyed my time working and growing with the Gifted Learning Project and Doubting Thomas farms and found it to be one of the most unique and welcoming farms in Minnesota, as I continue to carry the lessons from Noreen with me into my career."

 – Grant Zastoupil – Gifted Learning Project Intern, 2015