This time of year, Shirley Koch, wife and mother of four, doesn't have to buy much at the grocery store.

With beans, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, egg plants, carrots, onions, squash, broccoli, lettuce and spinach, Koch describes the family garden as "average-sized."

The Kochs live in Owanka, 30 miles east of Rapid City, and have a dairy farm, so they use their own manure for fertilizer on their garden and don't use insecticides.

Two of her sons, 11-year-old Brandon and 13-year-old Cameron, entered vegetables in the 4-H Achievement Days on Thursday.

Brandon entered celery, onions and zucchini and got purple ribbons on all three. He likes to see people's reactions at the achievement days when he shows them the fresh, ripe vegetables.

"They are amazed," he said.

Shirley Koch said the whole family helps with the garden.

"I think it's a good lesson for the kids to know that they can grow their own food," she said. "It's rewarding to know that maybe they will go on to have their own garden."

In addition to the vegetables, the Kochs have raspberries, strawberries, grapes, apples and a flower garden with a water pond and a train set running around it.

Shirley Koch said a favorite family activity is sitting in the garden at night.

"It's just so beautiful," she said.