Growing A Healthier Today at Re-Member’s Feather II Gardens: "Bringing Produce to the People"
You might not expect to see food trucks consistently traveling Pine Ridge Reservation’s rural roads, but the reality is, there are often at least a couple — and sometimes more than half a dozen. You can find them slinging everything from burgers, to Indian Tacos, to Texas BBQ, and Mexican food. It’s a relatively new trend, with community members buying and building their own rigs, and trucks coming from as far as Rapid City to serve lunch and dinner in dusty parking lots and at weekend wacipi’s (powwows).
It is not a solution to the reservation-wide food desert that we discussed in our last post, but it’s still a positive development for a physically isolated, and economically disadvantaged community.
The food truck scene was just getting started in 2019 when I began my tenure as Executive Director, and began to solicit donations for Re-Member’s version of a food truck. Except ours was going to be a little…different.
“We would custom-build a food trailer without a grill, or a deep fryer. We didn’t plan to do much cooking. What we did need was a commercial-grade refrigerator, and plenty of storage. For vegetables.
We would bring produce to the people, rather than expecting people travel 50 or 100 or 200-plus miles to get fresh produce.”
Other must haves: A “hot hold” box to maintain prepared foods at temperature, a three-bay sink with hot water on demand, and onboard fresh and gray water storage. And enough generating power to run a commercial kitchen on wheels worth of appliances.
We had a vision. And we had a clear need.
Re-Member’s Artisan Night and Community Dinner provides an opportunity for cultural exchange, and a good meal to be shared. We hope to take the program “on the road” with the arrival of the Veggie Wagon!
It was a compelling opportunity, and resonated with our donors. Then the COVID-19 pandemic shut down our volunteer program for two years. Our work continued, but uncertainty hung over the Veggie Wagon.
Garden Manager Devorah Mlotkowski was distributing produce out of the back of her Jeep at the Porcupine Post Office. Without the helping hands of hundreds of volunteers, it was a good start. But again, our goal was to have a broader impact. The people of Porcupine deserve fresh produce just as much as a family in Red Shirt, an elder in Potato Creek, or a child in Manderson.
Produce grows inside one of Re-Member’s hoop houses.
As things began to return to a new-normal in 2022, so too did the idea of pursuing the Veggie Wagon. But with costs for just about everything soaring into the stratosphere, we had to rethink how to fund the dream. Unfortunately, it would be a few years before we could revisit the possibility, as daily operational funding took priority over new (and expensive) ideas.
Re-Member has collaborated with the Black Hills Area Community Foundation in Rapid City for several years. Our current Executive Director, Will Paese, had an opportunity to submit information about our aspirations for the Veggie Wagon to the foundation in the spring of 2024.
The timing was fortuitous.
Chris (left) and Roger Heacock. Courtesy Black Hills Area Community Foundation
Roger and Chris Heacock decided to go above and beyond their annual giving in 2024. Roger had inherited resources from his late father, an incredibly kind man who meant a lot to his family. The couple decided to honor Roger’s father’s memory with a major, project-based gift that would empower people for years to come.
They started with a general vision and met with the foundation’s Giving Team to learn about the community’s needs. Eric Zimmer, Director of Philanthropy, helped them narrow down their goals by asking questions and sharing information about local nonprofits.
“It’s good to talk with someone whose job is to know the needs of the community,” Chris said.
Soon after, they received a draft Giving Plan with several options. One gift stood out to Roger and Chris: Re-Member’s Veggie Wagon.
“We wanted to give in a way that would improve lives — really make a difference for people.”
With word that the Heacocks wanted to make a major gift, the Re-Member team sprang into action. We secured a vendor to build our dream into reality, and months later, stood in the driveway as the Veggie Wagon was delivered at the tail end of our 2024 volunteer season.
The Re-Member Veggie Wagon.
We’re going to act with intention as we roll the Veggie Wagon out this year. As always, the community will inform our actions, and the best path forward.
Bringing produce to the people. The Re-Member Veggie Wagon’s promise.
Of course, it will be a mobile distribution platform for produce grown in our Feather II gardens. We look forward to passing thousands of pounds of fresh, nutritious vegetables through the service window as our crops mature.
There is immense potential for the Veggie Wagon to serve as a central component of new programming over the coming years.
We are grateful to everyone who has contributed generously to fund its development.
—————
Join us Tuesday, May 7 for our annual Growing Tuesday one-day fundraiser. We’ll have several updates throughout the day. Including a look at our two new high tunnels being constructed this week!
Offer your support of Re-Member’s Feather II Gardens with your Growing Tuesday gift today.