Spring Creek Elementary

The Todd County School District in Mission, SD is largely encompassed by the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. The reservation is mostly very rural and typically has the dubious distinction of having its major county, Todd, being included in most listings of the "top" 10 poorest counties in the US. Unemployment is epidemic throughout the reservation and the ensuing poverty brings a whole host of social problems along with it. Not the least of these is the affliction of being a food desert. Grocery stores are located in Mission and Rosebud, SD but, for the residents of Spring Creek, these stores are quite a distance away even in the best of weather (which SD is not known for). For the children of the very remote, very rural Spring Creek community, fresh healthy foods can be a rarity outside of their typical school day. Given that all of the above information is our backdrop, our goals for this garden are simple but very important:
*Introduce children and family members to the goodness( nutritional and taste) of fresh home grown produce by incorporating them into school meals and community events
*Teach children and families the techniques of basic gardening so that they can replicate the results- we will also offer instruction of basic food preservation methods
* Children will have a fulfilling and satisfying experience to enhance cross curricular learning and feelings of self worth. They will also have opportunities to receive external recognition for their efforts at the annual Rosebud Fair Garden Contest.
*Expand community solutions to health and nutritional problems plaguing this and other reservation communities (diabetes, heart disease, obesity).
A longer term goal for this project is to secure additional personal and community garden sites in this community and neighboring ones. SDSU Rosebud Extension seeks to encourage local food entrepreneurship ventures on our Reservation through encouraging and coaching Farmers' Market initiatives, Community Supported Ag ventures and cooperative opportunities.
This grant will enable the Spring Creek school, already the center of the small community, to provide a hands on learning experience for children, family members and school staffers. Although there is ample land available for the garden, one of the barriers to cultivating a successful garden project here is the need for sturdy and secure fencing and the installation of a well thought out watering system. With the addition of the grant funds, we will be able to install both of these systems and experience enhanced success in reaching the project goals