The S.D. Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA) is hosting a West River Bus Tour happening on Friday Aug., 16, 2024 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MDT. SDSPA and guests will hit the road to visit four SDSPA member’s operations. A full day of learning and experiencing agriculture first hand is planned.
After loading in Rapid City, the first stop is Serendipity Farm, located south of Hot Springs. Serendipity Farms is a fun example of a diverse operation which includes a high tunnel vegetable operation, a subscription based dairy operation, Narangansett turkeys, rare Black Copper Maran chickens that lay rich chocolate colored eggs, Large Black Hogs, llamas, goats, sheep, horses and even Tibetan yaks.
After spending an hour and a half at Serendipity, we will jump back on the bus and head to RockValley Gardens for a tour and lunch. RockValley Gardens is a combination agritourism operation and local food producer. We will experience a beautiful event venue, tour a market garden operation, and visit their country store. We will have a picnic lunch at RockValley catered by Bashful Bison, a local fresh food deli. The hour we are there will fly by!
After lunch, it is back on the bus to DesJarlais Farms & Winery. DesJarlais is an excellent example of agritourism allowing visitors to experience total farm experience. They have a vineyard, orchard, hops farm and apiary. They host overnight stays in their campground and in a variety of accommodations including a caboose, tipi, shepard wagon and hen house. There is a lot to see in the hour we will be visiting.
Our last stop on our tour will certainly not disappoint. We will be visiting Bear Butte Gardens. Found in the shadow of Bear Butte, Bear Butte Gardens offers a farm store stocked with products from 60 local producers, operates an organic market garden, a rental cottage, and a commercial kitchen that is available to rent. They often host educational programs and events such as festivals, cooking classes and farm to table events. There is so much to take in during the hour we visit.
Everyone should be exhausted by the time we head back to Rapid City! By chance we make it back in time, Jolly Lane is open until 5 p.m. and offers a large selection of plants, some local vegetables and being a Friday will have their beautiful antique bar area open with a nice selection of local brews. The tour promises to be a day full of all varieties of plants, animals and especially lots of fun.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to explore the wonders of the West River area. Book your seat now, limited spots available.
Timeline and Tour Stops:
- 8:00 AM – Meeting We will be loading in the south parking lot at Jolly Lane Greenhouse at 2962 Jolly Ln, Rapid City, SD 57703.
- 9:00 AM – Serendipity Farms, Hot Springs, SD (90 Mins)
- 11:30 AM – RockValley Gardens, Rapid City, SD with picnic lunch catered by Bashful Bison Deli (60 mins)
- 1:30 PM – Bear Butte Gardens, Sturgis SD (60 mins)
- 3:00 PM – DesJarlais Farms, Sturgis SD (60 mins)
- 4:30 PM – End of day, return to home/cars
Please email sdspa.urbanag@gmail.com with any questions or dietary restrictions.
This event has been funded under a Conservation Collaboration Cooperative Agreement NR226740XXXXC008 between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA), to promote sustainable agriculture practices and environmental stewardship. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA or NRCS.