The Build Plan

From a small resident garden plot to a sustainable fellowship garden for recovery, fresh food, and community impact.

The Fortress Gardens is growing in phases. Each step helps us create a more productive, sustainable, and purposeful space where men can work with their hands, grow fresh food, and serve the Willmar community.

Phase One — Prepare the Ground

Foundation Work

Summer Collection

Goal: Clean up the garden area, prepare the soil, organize the layout, and protect young plants.

Needs: Soil, compost, mulch, garden tools, gloves, buckets, plant markers, seeds, starter plants.

Phase Two — Build the Garden

Structural Growth

Goal: Create stronger growing areas with raised beds, tomato trellises, pepper bucket stations, herb containers, strawberry beds, and companion planting borders.

Needs: Lumber, screws, stakes, cages, trellis materials, 5-gallon buckets, potting soil, marigolds, garlic, herbs.

Phase Three — Grow the Harvest

Abundant Provision

Goal: Expand into tomatoes, peppers, greens, cucumbers, zucchini, herbs, flowers, melons, potatoes, onions, and other produce for the home and food pantry.

Needs: Seeds, transplants, watering supplies, fertilizer, compost, pruning tools, garden fabric, harvest crates.

Goal: Add rain barrels, drip irrigation, propagation supplies, vertical growing systems, and a future farmers market booth.

Needs: Rain barrels, hoses, drip lines, greenhouse materials, grow trays, shelving, market table, canopy, jars, labels, produce crates.

Phase Four — Sustain the Mission

Future Stewardship

Help Us Build the Next Phase

Every gift helps move The Fortress Gardens from vision to harvest. Whether you give financially, donate supplies, volunteer your time, or share the mission, you are helping plant hope, restore purpose, and feed the community.