The Farmer’s Daughter: A Shop in the Heart of the Black Hills

By Angie Landsverk

Lorena and Rick Freis spent 35 years running other people’s businesses. When the couple had the opportunity to own a gift shop, they were more than ready for it.

They became the owners of The Farmer’s Daughter in Hill City, South Dakota, on Oct. 1, 2011. “Our plan? Clean up the store, organize the merchandise, brighten up the lighting, get an online presence going, and treat every customer like a friend,” she said.

After Rick and Lorena moved to the Black Hills, Lorena ended up serving on the local Chamber of Commerce board with the shop’s owner. Over time, the owner’s family needed her to be more pres­ent in their lives, and that is when Lorena and Rick stepped in.

“The original owners were both farmer’s daughters, so that’s how the name came about. As for me? I’m actually the milkman’s kid,” Lorena said. “But, let’s be honest, there are way too many corny jokes about milkmen’s kids. So, I figured the farmer and the milkman were close enough and just kept the name.”

Hill City is in the heart of the Black Hills — about 13 miles from Mt. Rushmore. “It’s actually the oldest town in Pennington County, and it all started back during the gold rush of 1876,” she said. “When gold was found an hour north in Deadwood, Hill City was pretty much deserted until 1883, when tin was discovered.”

As mining picked up, the town grew to about 1,000 people and earned the nickname “the town with a church on each end and a mile of Hell in between.” At one point, there were 15 saloons on Main Street, including where The Farmer’s Daughter is located.

In 1939, the basketball team, along with some teachers and administrators, helped put out a fire about 10 miles outside Hill City. The U.S. Forest Service let the school district adopt Smokey Bear as its mascot. The team became the Hill City Rangers. “Fun fact: we’re the only school in the U.S. allowed to use Smokey Bear as a mascot, and we’re also the only district that holds its high school graduation at Mt. Rushmore,” Lorena said.

Inside The Farmer’s Daughter

Lorena said the store’s leased space has stayed the same for the past 20 years. “Of course, we give it a fresh coat of paint and tweak the displays every now and then to keep things looking updated,” she said.

Their biggest challenge is choosing merchandise customers will love. “We’re careful about margins and try to have a good range of prices to suit everyone,” Lorena said. “We also focus on finding items that not only we love, but that come from U.S. manufacturers. When we can share the story behind a product and really show our passion for it, it’s so much easier for our customers to fall in love with it, too.”

The product categories at The Farmer’s Daughter include yard art, gifts, home décor, fabric, and notions. “When we purchased the business, we offered antiques, yard art, gifts, and home décor … that was the offerings of the former owner,” she said.

Lorena explained how the COVID-19 pandemic changed what is inside the store. Many people cleaned out their closets during the pandemic, and furniture and home décor were unavailable from overseas for a while, she said.

Those who usually shopped online started “popping into our store and snatching up all our antique furniture. But since everyone was decluttering, finding new antiques to bring in was tough,” Lorena said.

By that time, Rick and Lorena had owned the store for 12 years. They were ready to take things up a notch.

What makes this store different from others in its area? Lorena said they make it a point to stand out. “We keep things fresh with unique items that’ll make you laugh, and we switch up our inven­tory every couple of years to keep it interesting,” she said.

Marketing and Connections

Lorena shows off the store’s products in weekly videos on Facebook. She said this effective marketing strategy is also a fun way to let their personality shine.

Connecting with the community is important, and they love being part of the local Chamber of Commerce mixers. She sees it as a terrific way to connect with businesses and welcome new ones to town. “Whenever a new shop pops up, we make a point to say hi and get to know the owners,” Lorena said.

They are involved in another organization as well. “Back when we were just starting out, another business owner and I decided to grab coffee once a month to bounce around ideas and figure out how to help our shops thrive. We realized pretty quickly that the Chamber can’t do it all on their own — maybe it’s up to us, as business owners, to help bring people into our stores.

“That’s how the Hill City Merchant’s Group was born. We still meet every month to brainstorm and plan fun events that draw folks into town and encourage them to check out as many local spots as possible,” Lorena said. “From Girlfriends’ Week­end in November to a chili cook-off in January, a chocolate tour in February, and a Christmas tree festival — we’re all about making Hill City a fun, welcoming place all year long.”