Growing YOUth in De Smet

Oct 9, 2019

By Christian Begeman

If you’ve followed this column for any length of time, you’ll find that I don’t shoot photos of people very often. I’m more interested in pristine landscapes or intricate details in nature. When I learned about Growing YOUth Gardens, however, I knew I wanted to try to document the program with photos.

When my friend Beth Poppen, one of the founders of the program, explained to me how the program teaches kids how to garden alongside adult volunteers and elderly residents of Good Samaritan in De Smet, I knew that not only was this a great photo opportunity but a worthy thing to document over the course of the summer. The weather didn’t always cooperate, but as we hardy South Dakotans are known for, the project and plan went ahead despite a late spring and very wet summer.

Poppen, along with another friend, originally kickstarted the idea in their hometown because of what gardening and farming with their families meant to them growing up. They wanted kids today to experience some of that goodness. “When I was growing up, gardening was not just a pastime but something we knew would feed us quality food throughout the winter,” Poppen says. “I have fond memories of my grandparents driving out from town to spend numerous summer afternoons with us on the porch, all of us in a circle, snapping beans, shelling peas, shucking corn, whatever was the case that particular day of the season. Even though it was work, it didn’t seem like work. We would visit, really visit, sharing stories and enjoying one another’s company.”

With help from other like-minded folks in the community, the idea of a summer program for kids has truly bloomed in De Smet. Growing YOUth Gardens completed its third year of existence this year and despite the unusual weather, the year turned out to be bigger and better than ever. Over the course of the season, the kids took field trips to learn about a myriad of things like bee keeping, touring area greenhouses and caring for Alpacas. They also learned how to pickle cucumbers and make fresh salsa. The residents from Good Sam helped tend the garden and much of the produce was used right there in the kitchen to give the residents a taste of fresh garden treats all summer.

I was there for planting day in early June, harvest day in late August and the finale event, a Fall Festival held on a rainy Sunday in late September. At the festival, the community was treated to live music, garden related games, arts and crafts as well as opportunities to interact with various farm animals. I hope these images tell the story of fun, laughter, and community that I witnessed with this cool little program, which could easily be duplicated in other towns across the region. Way to go De Smet! And congratulations to Beth Poppen, Katlin Johnson of Good Samaritan and all the volunteers for creating lasting memories for the future gardeners and farmers of our state.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he's not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.