When I stop to think about what I really want for Christmas, or my next birthday, or for graduation, mostly I come up with things like “a bread maker” or “tupperware.” (Did you know that there are online catalogues dedicated exclusively to tupperware? There are. It’s crazy.) I owe this new obsession to Rick and Michelle at Bear Butte Gardens--thanks to them, I have a new appreciation for fresh, local foods and home cooking that’s changing the way I view the food industry, and ultimately the way I choose to live.
I was fortunate enough this summer to get to spend time at the gardens and watch them (literally) grow their business into something really and truly amazing. Bear Butte Gardens is the kind of local business that every town needs to have, because they have everyone’s best interests at heart--using the land and resources in a way that works with the natural environment to bring high quality produce to the community.
When it comes to investments, there are few better ones you can make than investing in your health. Not only is local, organic produce better for you, the difference in the taste and quality is staggering--if you’ve never tried “real food,” this is the place to start.
I’m awed and inspired by Michelle and Rick’s resolve and teamwork in tackling such a huge undertaking. To me, being able to put something in the ground and have it sprout into something edible would be a miracle in itself. Nevermind the amount of paperwork that goes into a USDA organic certification, or the man hours needed to build a 72ft greenhouse, or the time and effort it takes to harvest and deliver enough produce to fill 25 CSA shares on a weekly basis. The rows and rows of plants are so big and beautiful you’d swear it’d be impossible to grow them with just sunshine and rain. (Magic. There has to be magic behind it all somewhere.)
I truly admire their dedication, and their dream, and I’m so proud to have been if only a small part of the process. In a society that has become so far removed from knowing how their food is grown and produced, I’m thankful to have gained some insight into what real agriculture should look like. I look forward to Bear Butte Gardens’ future--I can’t wait to see what it will be like in another one, two, five or more years--and I hope it brings all the best to the two people who had the courage and commitment to make it happen. Thank you, Rick and Michelle, for a wonderful summer.
And for the zucchini. Especially the zucchini.Kayla Casteel
