Garden Update!

Pictured above: Tomatoes, melons, squash, corn and more are peeking through the soil at homes across Pine Ridge!

In early June, a crew of volunteers and Lakota community members worked together to install and plant garden boxes at over a dozen homes across the Pine Ridge reservation. A month and half later, these small but mighty seedlings are continuing to grow strong!

Gardeners on Pine Ridge are up against a unique set of challenges; horses and dogs are prone to disturbing the seedlings, water access is limited or altogether unavailable in some homes, and families have had to mitigate the effects of hail and an unusually wet summer on their plants. The Pine Ridge families and youth with whom we work are engaging with these challenges in a spirit of curiosity and learning. The hard work of these gardeners, many of them first-timers, is beautiful to witness!

Gratitude to volunteers Jane and Deanna (pictured below) for making the journey to Pine Ridge earlier this month and checking in with families and their gardens.

This project is being conducted in partnership with our friends at Common Name Farm - we're so grateful to them for these seedlings and for exchanging plant knowledge with Pine Ridge gardeners! Stay tuned throughout the growing season for more garden updates.