Jun. 14—SALEM, S.D. — As the warm summer months roll in, the buzz of lawnmowers fills the air, and residents of Salem, diligently tend to their yards.
Amid this flurry of horticultural activity, a unique tradition has taken root — a yard of the month contest.
This friendly competition, spearheaded by the Progressive Salem Association and Chamber of Commerce, brings residents together in a collective effort to enhance the town's curb appeal.
"The award was created to recognize and share the appreciation for the individuals who take pride in their home and yards," said Charlotte Roesler, city assistant finance officer who also serves on the Chamber of Commerce. "Maybe it will encourage and inspire others to enhance as well. This in turn will improve the overall curb appeal of the entire Salem community."
The contest began in November 2021 as a holiday-themed competition, but transitioned into a yard of the month once spring arrived. Bryan and Joann Schierholz, who had been enchanting Salem residents for over two decades with their dazzling light displays, were named the inaugural winners of the holiday lighting contest for the 2021 season.
"Many of the folks in Salem are familiar with their residence," Roesler said. "The efforts that's put in year after year have made the Schierholz's a must see stop when Christmas light gazing."
In May 2022, the contest broadened its scope to encompass the spring and summer seasons, with a particular emphasis on yards. They're judged on various criteria, including well-groomed and maintained yards, trees, and shrubs, clean and debris-free walkways and driveways, buildings, fences, porches and patios in good repair, and an overall pleasing appearance free of weeds, clutter, and junk.
Residents have the opportunity to vote online. The voting process is open to anyone, even people who live out of town or out of state. Those votes are counted equally alongside those cast by local residents, according to Roesler.
The first winners of yard of the month contest were Mitch and Jamie Rayman, who live on North Hill Street.
The Raymans moved to Salem in 2011. They purchased the home, renovated it and gave the yard a face lift with new landscaping, rocks, trees, and grass.
"North Hill is a great neighborhood and winning the yard of the month was a great feeling," said Mitch Rayman. "It boils down to taking pride in your property."
Every home owner on Hill Street has been a winner in the contest, according to Rayman.
"In my opinion, it's the nicest block in the city in terms of the yards and how well kept up it is," Rayman said.
There is no shortage of worthy contenders in the town of 1,300. In the two years since its inception, not a single winner has been repeated.
This May, over two dozen homes were nominated. The winning home belonged to the Mutziger family, whose property was the last in Rayman's perpetually winning neighborhood to claim the title.
Winners of the contest receive recognition in the town newspaper, on social media, and the city's website, as well as a yard sign to display their achievement.
"The true reward is just the owners' pride in being chosen," Rayman said.
Salem's commitment to beautification extends beyond individual yards. The town takes pride in its well-maintained city parks and baseball fields, with the latter being voted the top small-town baseball field in South Dakota. Last year, the community raised nearly $100,000 through a combination of city funds and public donations to enhance the baseball field with a new fence, a canopy over the bleachers, and turf bullpens.
As Salem continues to progress, with plans for a new events center and a residential development of 35-40 homes, the yard of the month is one way to foster a sense of pride and community spirit, Rayman said.
"It starts at the top with the city council and the chamber and our school and all these entities that have a big presence in our community," Rayman said. "If you drive around Salem, you're going to see a lot of nice yards, city parks, school facilities, city facilities that are very well taken care of."
The organizers of the contest have been discussing ways to expand the winter holiday spirit event to engage entire city blocks, similar to the popular Christmas Lane display in Sioux Falls. However, for now, Rayman is pleased with the positive impact the competition has had on the local community.
"It's definitely been a community booster by people starting to take care of their yards," Rayman said. "There's a lot more yards that are really taking shape."
Rayman recommends other communities interested in starting a similar program begin with a modest scope and gradually grow the program.
"It's best to start small and build momentum," Rayman said. "You can always expand the contest in future years as more people get involved."
