We'll follow the Edible Estates landscape transformation throughout the growing season to bring you updates on its trials and triumphs. While many hands will be involved in the massive garden, here's a brief introduction to the principal players.
Fritz Haeg: He grew up in the Twin Cities and is based in Los Angeles. An architect by training, he's now "a practicing artist who happens to make a lot of gardens." His Edible Estates project reflects his belief that art shouldn't be limited to "enclosed institutional spaces," he said. "I love being in a museum, but art needs to step outside that world, into the core of how we're living today."
Catherine Schoenherr: She grows hydroponic lettuce in the basement during indoor months, started a "Little Free Library" in her front yard and set aside a section of its new landscape as a children's garden for the home-based child-care business across the street. "We're all committed to making this a really beautiful thing," she said.
John Schoenherr: He envisioned a community bread oven in his and Catherine's front yard, inspired by a class he took at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minn. Now that the brick oven has been installed, along with a circle of log seats, "I want to have pizza parties," he said.
Aaron Schoenherr: He's the couple's grown son, whose college project sparked the family's interest in large-scale food gardening. He has a strong DIY streak, whether he's fixing computers or making fresh salsa. "You can buy ingredients at the farmers market, but I like to be able to do things on my own, when I can," he said.
Andrea Schoenherr: She's the couple's grown daughter, who shares her brother's fondness for freshly made salsa. When planning the garden, "Fritz asked us, 'What do you want to eat?' We said, 'Salsa, please.' " She's looking forward to family and neighborhood gatherings around the bread oven — "the heart of the garden."
KIM PALMER
