Okay—imagine this: Your kids are actually excited about eating vegetables. Why? Because they've met Tommy Tomato and Pepper Pete, adorable characters from the Bucket Buddies storybook series—and they've grown their own tomatoes and peppers right in your kitchen.
Sounds like a dream, right? Well, that dream is real, and it's called Smart Farms.
Smart Farms is based out of South Dakota, and they've created a hands-on way to help families learn about food, farming, and sustainability—by actually growing it themselves using tower garden systems and fun educational tools.
Let's talk tower gardens for a second. If you've never heard of aeroponic farming, here's the gist: Plants grow vertically, without soil. Their roots hang in the air and get misted with nutrient-rich water.
It sounds like sci-fi, but trust me—it works really well. You use way less water (we're talking 90 percent less than regular gardening), it fits in small spaces, and you can grow food all year round.
So yes—your kid can literally pick a fresh tomato in January. No pests, no weather drama, no mess. Just super fresh produce, grown right at home.
Now, let's go back to those characters—Tommy Tomato, Pepper Pete, Marigold Molly… They're all part of Bucket Buddies, a series of educational storybooks designed by Smart Farms. The idea? Kids learn best when they're having fun.
Each book focuses on a different topic—pollination, companion planting, nutrition—and makes it easy for kids to understand how nature works and why it matters.
Yes, it's cute, but it's not just cute. It's working. These books are already in 13 public libraries across South Dakota, and families are using them alongside Smart Farms' grow kits to teach everything from science and sustainability to healthy habits.
And here's the best part: This whole system blends STEAM learning—so think science, tech, engineering, art, and math—with real-world, hands-on growing. It's education you can eat. Literally.
Plus, if you're thinking long-term, Smart Farms is working on something big: They're building a first-of-its-kind vertical farming campus in Colton, South Dakota. It's gonna be both a food production hub and a youth education center—and the team is raising $10 million in funding to bring it to life. So yeah—they're serious about changing how families think about food.
Whether you're homeschooling, looking for family activities, or just want your kids to actually eat spinach, Smart Farms has made it super easy (and honestly, really fun). So go check them out by clicking on the link in the description.
Smart Farms LLC
City: Colton
Address: 325 East 4th Street
Website: https://smartfarms.global/

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