EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. – Staff and volunteers at the Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte, S.D., are eagerly anticipating the new growing season in the 2.5-acre Toka Win naturally grown garden. Each year, volunteers, children and community participants work to provide nutritious foods to the community while learning to respect the land, the water and the plants.

Organic certification, rain-water harvesting, drip-irrigation and enhanced food preservation efforts are all goals on CRYP’s list for this special piece of earth.

“The garden has led us to a general understanding of how sustainability really works,” said Alexandra Meador, CRYP’s youth programs director. “We’re striving to apply those principles to all of our programs and services.”

Harvested produce is incorporated into meals at the Cheyenne River Elderly Nutrition Center and The Main. Thanks to CRYP’s canning and food preservation efforts, the recently refurbished Cokata Wiconi Gift Shop now offers CRYP pickles, apple butter, jelly, salsa, jalapeños and banana peppers, with homemade chokecherry syrup in the not-too-distant future. The shop also sells crafts from local artists, History Wall posters and CRYP gear.

During the harvest season, produce is sold three times a week through The Main Farmer’s Market. Last season the garden yielded hand-planted sweet corn, yellow and butternut squash, cucumber, zucchini, red and white onions, sweet/candy onions, celebrity and roma tomatoes, carrots, cilantro, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, garden salsa peppers, a variety of hot peppers, rhubarb, strawberries and raspberries. The dedicated herb garden featured basil, dill, oregano, parsley and chives.