Plymouth Magazine-Summer26-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 47
LSI Global Greens Sale:
Meet Farmers Jit and Pema!
By Mark Bequeaith
Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI)
Global Greens Sale is coming to
Plymouth on Sundays this summer!
Beginning Sunday, June 21 through
October 4, LSI Farmers, Jit (pron: JEET)
and his wife Pema (pron: PEE-ma) will
be selling fresh, local, naturally grown
herbs and vegetables on the Upper Level
Parking Deck from 9:30 to 11:30 AM.
LSI Farmers rejoice in growing some of
the best produce Iowa has to offer, from
in-season favorites and some standards
from their homeland.
ABOUT JIT AND PEMA
Jit and Pema were born in Bhutan.
In the early 2000’s, when both were
young, their families were forced to
seek refuge in Nepal—where they later
met and married. In 2014, they resettled in Des Moines.
Jit has been farming his whole life, so
upon arrival, he joined LSI’s Community
Garden to start learning how to grow
produce in Iowa.
In 2024, Jit was accepted into the Global
Greens Incubator Farmer program,
and this year has a quarter-acre plot
(the largest available at the West Des
Moines Incubator Farm). Jit is pursing
horticulture full-time, while Pema works
full-time at Amazon. They live in Des
Moines with their two young daughters.
When asked why they want to farm,
Pema says—with her wry smile—“Jit just
like to play with the dirt.”
LSI Farmer Jit
Mark Bequeaith is the Markets
Specialist at LSI and has been working
with Plymouth’s Welcoming Migrants
Committee to make this farm stand
happen here at Plymouth! Mark is
excited for Plymouth to get to know
Jit and Pema this summer.
Plymouth Magazine 47
