SD Mines iGrow
Our Mission
Our mission is to help develop agriculture and gardening practices on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Much of the Pine Ridge Reservation is considered a food desert, or an area without a grocery store. The residents of the reservation deserve to have access to fresh produce. Our project will help the resident supply themselves with vegetables and fruits.
Our Projects
Our primary project is a seed starter system which could be easily constructed and used in the home of a Pine Ridge resident. The design for this system is not yet complete, we are analyzing a number of solutions and hope to have a protoype by the spring of 2017.
Secondary projects include a greenhouse rail system and vertical gardening system. The rail system would also be for the SDSU extension and would allow for certain areas of their garden to be covered at specific times, depending on what is being grown where. The vertical gardening system will be for a greenhouse at Youth and family Services, it will be an example to teach gardening techniques to children and adults in the community.
Project Partners
SDSU Extension
Jason Schoch and Patricia Hammond are our main partners at this office. They are headquartered in Kyle on the Pine Ridge reservation.
Youth and Family Services
This is our secondary partner, as of right now our team is too small to handle any of its projects while we work with the SDSU Extension.
Our Team
Will Smith
Civil Engineering
Sophomore
Kate Weyeneth
Metallurgical Engineering
Sophomore
Samuel Irwin
Civil Engineering
Freshman
Karli MattsonMechanical Engineering
Senior
Katherine Giorgio
Applied Biological Sciences
Sophomore
Advisors and Collaborators
Dr. Andrea Surovek CEE (andrea.surovek@sdsmt.edu)
Contact Us
EPICS iGROW TEAM
William.Smith@mines.sdsmt.edu