A Pillow Academy third grader is now an accomplished cabbage farmer.
Madie Gnemi recently harvested her 9-pound, 4-ounce cabbage and is the Leflore County winner of the Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program.
Madie Gnemi weighs her large cabbage.
The program is organized by Leflore County Soil & Water Conservation District and sponsored by the plant company. It’s offered free to all third graders.
Becky Wammack, Leflore County Soil & Water Conservation District clerk, contacted area schools at the beginning of the school year and offered the program to each third grade class. She distributed the cabbage plants to participating schools. The small plant plugs were in plastic containers. Each third grader received a plant and a packet with instructions on how to grow the cabbage.
“The point is they learn about gardening,” said Wammack. “Even if the cabbage doesn’t grow, you’re still successful.”
Even farmers deal with issues of drought or natural disasters, she said.
“This is just a good way to get the kids’ feet wet,” Wammack said. “They don’t have to wait to grow up to be a farmer; they can be a farmer now.”
Bonnie Plants selected cabbage plants for the program because cabbages were the first profitable crop sold by Bonnie in 1918. The type of cabbage plant provided to the students was the O.S. Cross variety, which is known for producing giant, oversized heads. This makes the growing process even more exciting for kids, Wammack said.
She distributed 150 plants to Leflore Christian School, Pillow Academy and Bankston Elementary School.
When Madie received her plant from school, she put it in the ground that day.
The 9-year-old said she didn’t think it would grow as big as it did. She said she thought it would grow “just a little bit.”
Madie believes she knows the secret to her success — “my bunny,” she said.
Her cabbage got off to a slow start. Her father, Adam Gnemi, however, read online about how organic farmers purchase rabbit manure as fertilizer for their crops.
Madie has a Holland Lop rabbit named Squiggles as an indoor pet. Squiggles provided natural fertilizer for the cabbage plant.
“I said, ‘Why don’t we just throw some of ours out there,’ and it wasn’t a week later, it shot up,” said Adam.
Madie’s grandmother, Pam Gnemi, said, “We really think the rabbit is what caused it to get so big.”
As the cabbage continued to grow in size, Madie said “I thought I might win.”
Madie and her father harvested the cabbage last week.
While the third grader said she doesn’t really eat much cabbage, her family used her harvested plant to make cabbage rolls.
“They were delicious,” said Pam. “It made some big cabbage rolls.”
Her rabbit got a cabbage leaf as a snack, too.
Madie said she enjoyed growing the plant and is continuing to garden. She just put out some tomato plants.
Wammack said Madie will receive a farmer’s success pack, which will include starter plants to try out, and a meet-and-greet at Nobile Family Farms in Holcomb, where cabbage is grown. “I thought it would be fun for her to talk to a cabbage farmer,” said Wammack.
Madie will also be in a statewide drawing with the other third grade winners from Mississippi. The winner of the drawing will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Bonnie Plants.
The Bonnie Plant Company has been providing cabbage plants to third graders since 1996 “in order to inspire a love of vegetable gardening in young people, teach kids where their food comes from and grow the next generation of gardeners.”
Wammack said the program teaches “the basics of how a plant works; you have to water it and put it in the ground. Also it’s a long-term project. Everything now is so instantaneous. She had to water this for months and watch it grow and change and see the development.”
She said it also teaches self-sufficiency. And, she added, “It’s a together thing, just like regular farming is a together thing. Nobody does it alone.”
Leflore County Soil & Water Conservation District will be offering other programs for children, such as Adopt A Cow, where children will receive updates on a dairy calf and other fun activities.
The Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program will be held again during the 2022-23 school year. All Leflore County third graders, whether they attend public or private schools or are homeschooled, can participate.
“We would love for everybody to participate,” said Wammack.
To participate in the program, schools, third grade teachers or parents of incoming third graders can call Wammack at 662-455-1199 extension 3 by June 1.
- Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7235 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
