Jake and Helen Kester: Cultivating More Than Just Crops

Jake and Helen Kester (right-left) with a throng of carrots dug from their garden at their home at 355 East 100 North, Santaquin.

“Cultivators of the earth are the most virtuous and independent citizens,” Thomas Jefferson said. Among local residents of whom this praise speaks well are Jake and Helen Kester. The Kesters have cultivated their spacious Santaquin lot since the 1970s, with a plentiful vegetable garden, remarkable flower patches, and fruit bearing bushes and trees growing throughout.

Fruit trees planted two by two—red delicious and granny green apples, cherries, and Anjou and Bartlett pears, add sweetness to life. As do the sprawling red, black, and gold raspberries, and blackberries that grow and are picked by the Kesters for themselves and others to indulge upon immediately or in baked desserts.

Among the crops planted in their vegetable garden this year were tomatoes, sweet peppers, yellow and green bush beans that grew prolifically as far back as in June, carrots, beets, zucchini, butternut, patty pan, and acorn squash (though, the latter grew less large in size this year). Flowering kale marks the edges of rows to signify where it's best not to step, preserving the lifespan of the delightful eats and flowers interspersed delightfully.

Plant success varies according to circumstance and care. This past season, hot and dry, bore down heavily on gardens throughout the region. A drip watering system aided the Kesters with watering concerns, as it has done in seasons past. Switched on in the cooler evening hours, water runs directly to the roots, Helen noted, where it is required. They system does require some work in the beginning, she added. Jake re-installs drip system each spring, after the plowing and preparing the soil for a new crop. But the effort is worthwhile in the end.

Aside from eating, prime picks are reserved for entries in the Onion Days Flower Show. This is where the Kesters' gardening expertise joins Helen's imagination and creativity, with award-winning arrangements the result.

Drawing upon the best of her flowers--asters, dahlias, marigolds, roses, and zinnias, Helen painstakingly cuts, arranges, stores, and then transports her stunning entries for competition in the local event. Helen has won countless ribbons and prizes throughout the years. She has also contributed prizes to other winners who join her in the competition.

Contribution extends even further, as Helen arranges flower bouquets in vases for her fellow parishioners to enjoy during services at her church in Payson.

The Kesters' labors result in a plentiful range of edible and visual delights to enjoy and share with others each year. Not only are they cultivators of the earth, but cultivators of gracious kindness within the community.

Pictured: (top) Branches are weighted down by abundant red delicious apples blushing into their ripened hue; (center) newly picked black walnuts from a tree located in the backyard; (right) vibrant yellow and green beans have been in plentiful supply since June.