Several children enjoyed archery activities sponsored by Kevin Hoch Decora. An area west of the garden was cleared for lacrosse games and an archery session. Photo by Vi Waln
Garden Welcome Party held at Keya Wakpala
By Vi Waln
Lakota Country Times Correspondent
lakotacountrytimes.com TURTLE CREEK CROSSING – The Rosebud Economic Development Corporation’s (REDCO) Food Sovereignty Initiative hosted a community meal, along with other activities, to showcase the progress of their huge garden. Michael Prate, Food Sovereignty Initiative Coordinator, organized the event and invited the public to visit the Keya Wakpala community garden. Potato, tomato and pepper plants, all planted by Sicangu Nation Employment & Training Summer Youth workers, are now thriving in the garden. Recent hot weather and a decent amount of rain have also contributed to healthy vegetable plants. The garden has a different lay out this year. Potato seeds were planted in recycled tires. Potatoes really thrive in this type of environment because the softness of the soil in the tire allows the seeds to grow bigger than they would if planted in the ground. Since the ground in the Rosebud area is very hard, it makes it difficult for the potato to grow very big. When the potatoes are ready to be harvested, one can simply push the tire over and the vegetables will fall out. Peppers and tomatoes were planted in raised beds this year. Staff recycled wooden posts to create the raised beds. Straw was spread over the entire area to help the plants grow better. Tomato plants are being irrigated through hoses placed next to the rows they are in. The size of the garden makes it easier to water with the irrigation system used.
The Keya Wakpala Community Garden is located near the Turtle Creek Crossing Supermarket. Raised beds to plant peppers and tomatoes were created using recycled posts. Potato seeds were planted in recycled tires. Photo by Vi Waln
Buffalo burgers, brats, wild rice salad and fresh fruit were on the menu. Staff members cooked and served the meal just west of the garden. Kevin Hoch Decora provided lacrosse and archery activities for the younger guests. The Keya Wakpala Community Garden is one critical facet of the larger REDCO Food Sovereignty Initiative on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Its purpose is to improve the overall health and well-being of tribal members by creating opportunities for community members of all ages to get actively involved in growing, harvesting, preserving, and preparing healthy food. Keya Wakpala is the Lakota name for Turtle Creek, the creek that runs through the larger 600-acre, tribally owned property where this community garden is located. It is located a few miles west of Mission, SD, next to the tribally owned and operated Turtle Creek Crossing Super Foods Market. The 600-acre site has been designated for a new, resilient community development, the Keya Wakpala Green Development, a project of REDCO, a non-profit, tribally chartered entity of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) working to improve the lives of the tribe’s 32,000 members by promoting economic development and self-sufficiency. The desire for a community garden at the Keya Wakpala Green Development site has been well established. In September of 2013, REDCO conducted a series of community meetings on the reservation to determine the future direction of the Keya Wakpala Green Development. Community members, spiritual leaders, program managers and other tribal leaders were asked to prioritize features and services to be included in the larger development project.
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In written surveys collected at these meetings, the top four priorities in a long list of options in the “Business” category were food or agriculture related: community garden, grocery store/food co-op, farmers market, and greenhouse, in that order. Community gardens also ranked at the top of the “Site Features” list, second only to solar energy. Eventually, this 600-acre site will incorporate energy-efficient housing, athletic facilities, sports fields, a network of walking, biking and hiking trails, small business incubators, retail, restaurants, as well as many other businesses and amenities. A local farmer’s market will be held later this summer to offer local produce growers an opportunity to offer their goods for sale. For more information on the Food Sovereignty Initiative, please call Michael Prate at (605) 856-8400. You can also visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/lakotafoodsovereignty Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
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