Producer Feature: Pleasant Ridge Produce
One of SDSPA Urban Ag Liaison Malisa Niles’s favorite roles in the South Dakota Specialty Producers Association is developing relationships between specialty producers and the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Niles recently had the opportunity to visit a high tunnel in lower Fall River county that was a NRCS cost share build. In 2011, Pleasant Ridge Produce worked with the local NRCS service center in Hot Springs to construct a high tunnel to assist in their vegetable production. Owner and grower Suzanne Davidson walked Niles around their market garden and chicken coop and she was able to meet her 3 Jersey dairy cows.
Pleasant Ridge participates in the Hot Springs Farms Market. During the visit, Niles was able to give her growing tips, orchard advice and assist her in taste testing a couple cherry tomatoes. She taught Niles about herbs, how to make tomato cages out of hog panels and chicken earlobes. Niles explained a couple more NRCS cost share programs she might be able to utilize in her operation for micro-irrigation and who to contact at NRCS to find out more information.
It was a beautiful morning for a farm tour. Niles loves wandering around South Dakota and visiting with producers. SDSPA welcome specialty producers and NRCS staff to reach out to Niles with questions, comments or just to bounce ideas off of.
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- Pleasant Ridge Produce, Fall River Co., visit with Malisa Niles, SDSPA Urban Ag Liaison.
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- Pleasant Ridge Produce, Fall River Co., visit with Malisa Niles, SDSPA Urban Ag Liaison.
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- Pleasant Ridge Produce, Fall River Co., visit with Malisa Niles, SDSPA Urban Ag Liaison.