Cooking Up Connections with Kjersten Oudman, Blue Sky Vegetable Co. & Dr. Joseph Robertson, Mato Ohitika Analytics LLC

Cooking Up Connections with Kjersten Oudman, Blue Sky Vegetable Co. & Dr. Joseph Robertson, Mato Ohitika Analytics LLC

Connections Across the Generations

Saturday, November 9th, 2024 – 9:00am MT

Growing fresh food is challenging enough, but how do we encourage eating it? After connecting through family and because of good food, Dr. Joseph Robertson and Kjersten Oudman sensed a need for teaching people how to cook fresh vegetables. They paired together and have been offering cooking classes to the members of Blue Sky Vegetable Co.’s Farm Share. Over three years, the cooking classes have connected people to the farm and to one another.

Kjersten Oudman cultivates plants and community at Blue Sky Vegetable Co. in Worthing, SD. Blue Sky Vegetable Co. is a Community Supported Agriculture farm focused on providing their farm share members with delicious vegetables and a connection to each other and the farm. When not farming, Kjersten and her husband, Dirk, spend their time chasing their two energetic kids and a lovable black lab who never tires of playing fetch.

Dr. Joseph Robertson is a citizen and enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of the LakeTraverse Reservation. He is the founder and chief data scientist of Mato Ohitika Analytics LLC. Joseph works with grass root organizations and community groups with cutting edge data science solutions. Asa chef, Joseph works with Blue Sky Vegetable Company to bring cooking classes to the CSA shareholders and works to strengthen farm to table initiatives through community organizing.

Introduction to Beekeeping with Bobbie Chambers Wilson, Agroecology Specialist/Apiarist

Introduction to Beekeeping with Bobbie Chambers Wilson, Agroecology Specialist/Apiarist

Environmental Members of our Community

Saturday, November 9th, 2024 – 9:00am MT – The Stanford Adelstein Gallery

Bobbie Chambers Wilson is a native of Clear Lake, South Dakota, who happily moved back to South Dakota two years ago from the East Coast.

Beekeeping knowledge honors South Dakota and the long history and tradition of beekeeping in our state. This course will teach basic information about honeybees, beekeeping, and honey harvesting.

Bobbie is an Agroecology Specialist and Apiarist (Beekeeper) working for Ecdysis Foundation at Blue Dasher Farm in Estelline, South Dakota, also keeps bees at her home apiary in Brookings, South Dakota. Bobbie started reading and learning about honey bees in 2003, got her first personal hive in 2005 and completed the Masters Beekeeping curriculum at Cornell University, as well as the New York Honey Producers Program.

The Bear Butte Gardens Local Food Aggregation Model with Michelle and Rick Grosek, Bear Butte Gardens

The Bear Butte Gardens Local Food Aggregation Model

Cultivating: Building Markets with Community in Mind

Friday, November 8th, 2024 – 1:00pm MT – The Wells Fargo Theater

Learn how Bear Butte Gardens is implementing a local foods aggregation model in the northern Black Hills region presented with Michelle & Rick Grosek.

Michelle & Rick Grosek operate Bear Butte Gardens, 5 miles outside of Sturgis, SD. They have a combination of organic vegetable gardens, small ruminants and poultry, a year-round farm stand, commercial kitchen, and vacation rental. The farm stand carries their farm products and the products of over 60 other regional producers. They also help aggregate local food products for area chefs and small restaurants.

Breadroot Sponsorship

Rooted in Community: Your Local Grocer

Breadroot Natural Foods Cooperative is a community-owned grocery store that has been nourishing the Black Hills since 2000. While we are a cooperative, meaning we’re proudly owned by over 2,700 community members, everyone is welcome to shop with us — no membership is required. 

We’re passionate about supporting local farmers, ranchers, and producers, and we strive to strengthen the Black Hills community through the food we offer. You can become a Member-Owner for just $20 a year and enjoy additional benefits, but anyone can enjoy our selection of fresh, local, and natural products without joining. At Breadroot, it’s about community, quality, and accessibility for all. 

We are so appreciative to have Breadroot as a sponsor for the 2024 South Dakota Local Foods Conference!

Cultivating Community Through Agritourism: Is it the right step for you?

Cultivating Community through Agritourism: Is it the right step for you? By Nancy Kirstein, The Good Earth Farm & Peggy Schlechter, SDSU Community Vitality

Cultivating: Building Markets with Community in Mind

Friday, November 8th, 2024 – 2:30pm MT – Wells Fargo Theater

Join Peggy and Nancy for an engaging panel discussion exploring the vibrant world of agritourism, where agriculture meets adventure! Peggy will delve into the myriad ways agritourism is transforming rural economies and enhancing community connections. Nancy will discuss her experience in transforming her farm in eastern South Dakota into an agritourism operation.

Nancy Kirstein is the owner of The Good Earth Farm in Lennox, SD. Nancy is a former English teacher turned vegetable farmer, event planner, and animal sanctuary executive director.

For the past 13 years with SDSU Extension, Peggy has focused on entrepreneurship and agritourism as well as other community programs such as grant writing workshops, strategic planning sessions and the Marketing Hometown America program. She grew up on a ranch in central South Dakota and now makes a ranch north of Rapid City her home. Peggy possesses both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education from SDSU. Peggy loves small towns and rural life in South Dakota and promotes South Dakota every chance she gets.