Each year the St. Anthony Park Garden Club awards a $1,500 scholarship to a University of Minnesota student studying in the plant sciences. In 2016, Brandon Cory Ramirez earned the scholarship, and this year Eric Branch was awarded the scholarship during the Kermit Olson Memorial Lecture in March.
St. Anthony Park Garden Club 2016 and 2017 scholarship winners Brandon Cory Ramirez and Eric Branch.
Ramirez will graduate this spring with a degree in food systems and has been a research assistant in the flower-breeding program under the direction of Professor Neil Anderson.
Branch’s focus is in tomato diseases. His work in the Department of Plant Pathology includes working with a variety of tomato diseases.
Proceeds from the garden club’s annual plant sale at the St. Anthony Park Arts Festival funds the scholarships. This year, the sale will be held on Saturday, June 3, starting at 9 a.m. at St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church, 2323 Como Ave.
The sale also helps support the St. Anthony Park Library gardens. Volunteers meet Tuesday mornings to work on those gardens. Gardeners of all ages and energy levels are welcome. To join the “Weekly Weeders,” contact Alice Duggan at comeforteamn@gmail.com.
