Here at DLFN we celebrate Earth Day every day by researching issues related to the health of you, me, and the planet. While many Earth-friendly events are happening in mid-April, we’ll mention three of them.

April 18 in Room B of the Rapid City Public Library Master Gardener Cathie Draine will talk about the sex lives of insects and flowers and why you should know about them. Noon to 1:00. We’ve missed the deadline for ordering lunch, but there should be a chair or two for those who bring their own.

April 18 at the Elks Theater in Rapid City starting at 6:00 pm the Clean Water Alliance will have a film on uranium mining in the Black Hills, a silent auction, a raptor demonstration, and Debra White Plume as the featured speaker. Details here.

April 22 at Main Street Square in Rapid City there will be recycling displays and information from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. Gardeners might want to check out the city compost made of recycled yard waste. Details here.

Dakota Rural Action, a statewide group that promotes small farmers and locally produced food, has chapters in various parts of the state, including the Black Hills Chapter that got off the ground just a year ago. To celebrate the successes of the new chapter, DRA members and friends will celebrate its first birthday April 17.

Come and learn more about the work of DRA members in promoting farm-to-institution initiatives. Hear Dawn Habeck of Black Hills Milk speak about the challenges of running a dairy farm in West River. Enjoy the camaraderie of other locavores. Everyone welcome.

It’s a potluck, so bring some local food to share. Drinks and dessert will be provided.

The party starts at 6:30 pm at the Heritage Nursery Farmers Market, 3500 West Chicago in Rapid City. See you there.

A meeting on youth gardening will be held in Rapid City March 6 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Anyone interested in promoting youth gardening in the Black Hills area is invited. Chris Zdorovtsov, South Dakota State University Community Development Field Specialist, will discuss resources available from SDSU Extension. Participants will have an opportunity to network with others interested in the topic.

The meeting will be held in the Quartz Room, Technology and Innovation in Education Center, 1925 Plaza Boulevard. For more information contact Chris at 605-782-3290.

Just recently I stopped in at Dakota Thyme Deli and Bakery east of Main Street Square in Rapid City to talk to owner Julie Smoragiewicz about when they will open their brand new eating and retail place. This led to a tour and a much longer conversation.

SF  What got you thinking about doing this?

JS  When we lived in Ohio there was Oh So Savory, a place where you could buy very good take-out and I got to thinking what fun it would be to do that here. When we moved to Rapid City, we lived in a house on 12^th Street that used to be a store where people could buy ice cream and penny candy. People who remembered it sometimes stopped by. But today we couldn’t do a store there because of zoning laws. Then there was discussion about business opportunities at Main Street Square. I started doing research. Last year I spent time on the road with Tony [her triathlete son] and we visited places to get ideas– in Des Moines, San Francisco, LA…even Beijing, where I saw Marda’s fingerprints all over…

SF  Marda?

JS  Marda Stoliar of Bend, Oregon, who has the International School of Baking. I visited her three times for a week each. She does one-on-one hands-on instruction. I learned a lot from her about baking and about running a bakery. She and her apprentice, Daniel Taylor, came to Rapid City for ten days to train our staff. Daniel is now our bakery manager.

SF  And your goals are?

JS  To offer something Rapid City doesn’t have. We’ve just seen bits and pieces. We use the best ingredients, and almost all our baked goods—rolls, croissants, breads, pastries, bars– are baked from scratch. We avoid trans fats and preservatives and do things the old fashioned way like Grandma might have done. We’ll have soups, salads, sandwiches, too. Nearly all of our meats are hormone free and, to some extent, local. Our excellent wine collection will be offered at reasonable prices. We’ll have small bottles of milk from Nebraska—glass bottles. Almost all our drinks—beer, sodas—are packaged in glass bottles.

SF  You’re thinking sustainability?

JS  Yes, here at Main Street Square there’s a sophisticated recycling system. And we use very little plastic. All our carryout containers are recyclable—sugarcane clam shells, paper straws, drinking cups made of corn. Our pink bakery boxes are from 100% recycled paper and are not coated with plastic. We serve drinks in glass, food on china,  and even use cloth napkins. We sell items in our wine retail area made from recycled wine barrels—small tables and wine racks.

SF  And you’re thinking local?

JS  We buy local and in the US as much as possible. Our Tiffany lamps were made in the US, and our wooden furniture and chairs were made in the US. Our tables, booths, retail wine racks, wainscoting and cabinetry are by local craftsmen. We buy local whenever we can, and we buy things that last, such as the marble counter in the bakery and the marble tile on the floor.

SF  Anything else?

JS There’s an upstairs room for overflow that can be reserved for private groups. We’ll be having exhibits and receptions featuring local artists. On Thursdays we’ll have “Meet the Producers,” where customers can meet the people who produce the food we sell. We’re a family enterprise—my parents, my husband, and my two sons all work here.

SF  Opening date?

JS  Sometime soon. We have a few things yet to get done. Check our Facebook page.

Dakota Thyme is located on Fifth Street in Rapid City just south of the parking garage, where there is weekday public metered parking and free parking evenings and weekends. The bakery/deli will be open 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday and until 9:00 pm on Thursdays.

In preparation for spring, the Piedmont Valley Gardeners will be offering a series of classes especially geared towards families. Save money and learn the basics about starting from seed including the how, when and where of germinating. Find out how to begin composting and learn the specifics of planting. Get answers to your questions about insects and other problems you’ve experienced in the past. There will be fun activities for the kids, too! The series is FREE, but registration is required. For more information, click here.