A mighty big cabbage
Nine-year old Emma Swoboda might be called the “cabbage whisperer.”
The Washington-Elementary student was given a cabbage plant in April of this year by third-grade teachers Andrea Eaton and Amy Gerstner.
The plant was given to the teachers as a part of a program sponsored by Bonnie Plants.
In 2002, the company started the Third Grade Cabbage Program with a mission to inspire a love of vegetable gardening in young people.
And, each year, the company says they distribute ‘more than one million free cabbage plants to Third Grade classrooms across the country.”
Bonnie Plants awards a $1,000 scholarship to one student in each state, with teachers submitting a class winner.
The state winner is then chosen by a random drawing by each state’s Director of Agriculture.
Emma is the daughter of Kevin and Lisa Swoboda. It seemed her cabbage was “doomed” at one point, when white moth worms almost destroyed the plant.
But, the young gardener persevered and continued caring for her plant.
When it came time to measure the “fruits” of her labor, the family visited the fruit and vegetable market located next to Casey’s General Store on Potosi Street.
The youngster has become “somewhat of a celebrity” at the market, according to her mother, after the scales showed the 14-inch cabbage coming in at 14 pounds.
The photos of her cabbage will be submitted to her teachers once school begins and the family says they should know sometime in September if she was the winner for her classroom.
In the meantime, Emma has a whopper of tale to share – and, perhaps some coleslaw as well.
Nine-year old Emma Swoboda peeks behind the 14-pound cabbage she grew this year. The Farmington youngster hopes to win a $1,000 scholarship for all her hard work.
The cabbage grown by Emma Swoboda takes up a large portion of her tape measure. The cabbage ended up growing to 14 inches across and tipped the scale a little over 14 pounds.
The Swoboda family kept track of the measurements as the cabbage grew.
Emma Swoboda knew it was important to water her cabbage plant to help it grow. The nine-year old was able to save it from white moth worms as well.
The cabbage grown by Emma Swoboda, daughter of Kevin and Lisa Swoboda, takes up a large portion of her tape measure. The cabbage ended up growing to 14 inches across and tipped the scale a little over 14 pounds. The Farmington youth received a cabbage plant this past spring from third-grade teachers Andrea Eaton and Amy Gerstner at Washington-Franklin Elementary in Farmington. The plant was given to the teachers as a part of a program sponsored by Bonnie Plants. The company started the Third Grade Cabbage Program in 2002 with a mission to inspire a love of vegetable gardening in young people. Each year, the company says they distribute more than one million free cabbage plants to Third Grade classrooms across the country. Bonnie Plants awards a $1,000 scholarship to one student in each state, with teachers submitting a class winner. The state winner is then chosen by a random drawing by each state’s Director of Agriculture.
Nine-year old Emma Swoboda peeks behind the 14-pound cabbage she grew this year. The Farmington youngster hopes to win a $1,000 scholarship for all her hard work through a contest sponsored by Bonnie Plants, call the Third Grade Cabbage Program. It began in 2002 with a mission to inspire a love of vegetable gardening in young people. Emma was able to keep her plant alive even after an “attack” of white moth worms seemed to threaten its growth.
