Ruta is one of our Garden to Table clients here at The Open Door. She started going to the Eagan Pantry several years ago after hearing about it through St. John Neumann Church, and eventually became interested in Garden to Table because of her childhood spent watching her parents garden at home.
Ruta has a small garden near her house, and also uses the Upper Garden near The Open Door’s office in Eagan. This year, she has planted seeds for pumpkin, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes. She also composts her fruits and vegetables.
Utilizing The Open Door’s resources has helped Ruta over the years, especially when her family was much bigger. The pantry has also helped them save money on food to take care of other expenses. One of Ruta’s favorite parts about growing her own food and gardening now is teaching her three sons the value of hard work.
“The boys see that if you want to have something, you have to put in some effort, time and work to grow something in order to enjoy the harvest,” Ruta said.
Ruta enjoys the process of gardening and problem-solving when something goes wrong, like rabbits or mice eating her plants. She also appreciates the community at The Open Door and how people are always nice and willing to help without asking personal questions.
“I remember at the pantry, there were always some ladies by the front desk, and they were always very nice. Whenever I remember entering the pantry, they always greeted me with a smile,” Ruta said.
One of Ruta’s goals for the garden is to have it more organized and look as neat as possible. She also wants to grow as many cucumbers and tomatoes as possible because she says those are some of her sons’ favorite foods.
Ruta’s favorite hobbies besides gardening include catching up on articles in the news about health, psychology, and gardening, and reading a good book whenever she has some time to herself.
We are so happy to have Ruta and her family as part of The Open Door community, and are grateful to have such wonderful clients!
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