Garden Education Project

YFS' Garden Education Project offers year-round classes to children enrolled in YFS' programs. Classes are facilitated indoors and outdoors at our various growing locations.

YFS’ Garden Education Project addresses food insecurity and provides hands-on, multicultural learning opportunities for youth to develop an understanding of how nutrition helps keep their minds and bodies strong. We not only focus on basic nutrition concepts and new tasting and growing experiences, but we’ve also dedicated a significant portion of our curriculum and garden space to discussions around the farmer-to-consumer food system, environmental issues, plant biology, composting, sustainability, and more.

Contact Us

Call Us

605-342-4195

Send Mail

Youth & Family Services
PO Box 2813
Rapid City, SD 57709-2813

Send an Email

Garden Project Email

Volunteer

YFS' Garden Education Project can routinely utilize support from community volunteers. Volunteers are needed to assist with spring and fall clean up at YFS' Fullerton Farm, help with large planting projects, honey processing, pre-Harvest Festival cleanup, and more. If you're interested in volunteering, please email us or call Sharon Oney at (605) 342-4195.

Farm-To-School

Joining the nationwide movement to increase access to locally-grown food, it is our goal to bring the produce grown at our farm and gardens onto the plates of YFS youth and families. Each spring, with the help of youth gardeners and community volunteers, we plant a variety of vegetables at each of our growing locations. These vegetables are harvested throughout the growing season and served to youth by YFS’ Nutrition Services. Some vegetables are also distributed directly to families of enrolled children. During the winter months, produce is grown via hydro- and aquaponics (without soil) in our large greenhouse classroom. Increasing access to fresh foods is also accomplished through garden education opportunities for youth and their families.

Our Mission

The mission of YFS' Garden Education Project is to provide children and their families with year-round access to fresh produce and educational, empowering experiences of gardening, farming, and nutrition that incorporate our community-centered values.

Our Vision

Our vision is that children and their families become active participants in their local food system, gaining the passion, knowledge and skills necessary to thrive as individuals and as a community.

Our Growing Locations

  • YFS' Fullerton Farm
  • 120 E Adams St Garden
  • 1920 N Plaza Blvd Garden
  • 410 E Monroe Street Garden

More Resources

What is Farm-to-School?
Gardening for Kids: 7 Reasons Planting Seeds Enriches Their Lives
Food Justice
Vegetable Gardening in Containers
 

Project History

YFS’ Garden Education Project started in 2014 with several raised beds on a parking lot behind one of our facilities. Volunteers built the beds and a Garden Educator implemented gardening activities with children in various YFS programs.

The same year, Dale and Jackie Fullerton of Rapid City donated more than three acres of land in Box Elder, SD to YFS. This land eventually became YFS' Fullerton Farm. Fullerton Farm now has a 50' x 200’ fenced-in vegetable garden plot, other garden plots, five honeybee hives, an orchard with 28 fruit trees, a small pollinator garden, and numerous fruit-bearing vines, bushes, and trees. YFS will begin using a high-tunnel at the farm this spring to extend our short growing season.

In 2019, YFS completed its 120 East Adams Street Facility Expansion Project. As part of this addition, YFS was able to build and equip a large greenhouse classroom named The Mudge Family Garden Education Center. This room is equipped with hydroponics, aquaponics, and vermicomposting units. The aquaponics units will contain 30-gallon fish tanks with Koi fish.

In addition to Fullerton Farm and our greenhouse classroom, YFS has raised-bed gardens at three of our other sites.

 

Quotes from Kids

“I get excited to garden and to learn how to plant...and really for whatever we are doing.”

Izzy, first grade

“I got to try different types of carrots! I liked it because it’s different vegetables and I never tried them before.”

Emma, third grade