Faces of the Valley: Freeport Scout's project aims to help feed Leechburg community

Being a Boy Scout is in Keagan Bowser’s DNA.

Bowser, a rising senior at Kiski Area High School, has been a Scout since he was 11. His father, Shawn, and older brother, Caleb, were Eagle Scouts, so it was only natural that Keagan would follow in their footsteps and earn the Eagle rank himself.

Shawn Bowser is proud of Keagan’s achievement.

“A very small percentage of Scouts make it to Eagle. To show that dedication, it just tells you something about the person,” he said.

Becoming an Eagle Scout is the highest honor in the Boy Scouts of America. Of all active members, only about 6% have achieved the rank.

Earning the Eagle Scout rank requires the preparation and completion of a service project of the Scout’s choosing.

While many Scouts make a park bench or wooden park tables, Bowser, 17, of Freeport opted for something to help fill a need when he created a community garden in Leechburg.

“Instead of dealing with a bunch of materials, we decided to go with something simple, and my father is experienced in landscaping and things like that,” Bowser said.

Before he could even think about building, Bowser had to have his project approved by the Boy Scouts Council, based in Butler. Leechburg Council also had to approve the land that would be used for the garden.

With the help of Leechburg Mayor Doreen Smeal, the latter was painless. Smeal, who has a history with Boy Scouts through her grandchildren, was eager to lend a hand in the approval process.

“The biggest discussion was exactly which piece of property and where we were going to put it,” she said. “We wanted to make sure we were not interfering with anything else.”

The entire approval process took nearly two months, but eventually a site was chosen along Siberian Avenue, only a block from Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church, where Bowser’s troop holds meetings.

With the land selected, Bowser needed to supply the materials necessary to bring the garden to life.

Since the Bowser family owns a greenhouse in their backyard, they have both the knowledge on how to build a garden and a multitude of seeds to fill it.

Local companies chipped in by offering materials. Sevic Landscape & Supply in New Kensington donated top soil, and Roaring Run Equestrian Center in Armstrong County donated manure for the project.

Overall, it took Bowser more than 140 hours of preparation and less than one day to assemble the garden. He did have some help, as other Scouts from his troop pitched in to help.

In return, those Scouts received service hours needed to raise their own ranks.

Bowser’s troop leader, Chad Caldwell, raved about Bowser’s character.

“He has always been very active and is willing to help younger Scouts, and he’s really, really smart,” Caldwell said.

Bowser believes it will be a month or so before any food can be harvested from the garden, but he is looking forward to seeing its effect on the community.

The garden will be filled with tomatoes, corn, cabbage, peppers, broccoli, zucchini and more. The Boy Scouts plan to continue caring for the garden, and the Bowser family will donate the seeds needed to fill the garden again next year.

Bowser plans to pursue a degree in information technology and computer science after graduating from Kiski Area in 2025.