The first harvest of the Black Hills Works/Rotary Community Gardens in Rapid City provided a reason to celebrate. The fresh vegetables are the start of a new initiative for Black Hills Works residents to connect with nature, eat homegrown foods, and live a healthier life. And the fresh flowers have brightened the days of many.
Members of the Rapid City Rotary Club took the lead in providing volunteers to build twenty raised garden beds, of which eight are wheelchair accessible. The Rotary Club then filled the beds with soil, planted flowers and vegetables, and installed a walkway around the beds. Two benches will be installed soon to provide a place for the gardeners to rest. An eight-foot fence was also installed around the beds to keep hungry deer from enjoying a free meal! Donations were provided from several local businesses including topsoil, plants, and a grant from Montana Dakota Utilities.
The new Black Hills Works/Rotary Community Gardens was the inspiration for a garden tour in August. Over 250 people visited the thirteen gardens, both private and public, which were included on the tour. Several of the visitors expressed a desire to have this held as an annual event. The garden tour was a collaborative effort of volunteers from the Black Hills Works Foundation, Rapid City Rotary, and the Rapid City Garden Club. Approximately eighty volunteers have been involved with the project to date.