At just six years old, Kendall Rae Johnson has already earned a spot in history books. The first-grader is the youngest certified farmer in the state of Georgia.
In order to reach the history-making feat, Kendall first received her business entity, aGROWKulture, at the state and federal levels. She joined several farming divisions including Georgia Grown, a Division of the state’s Department of Agriculture, and the Georgia Farm Bureau. Being a certified farmer means Kendall can submit applications for grants and scholarships and purchase land under her business.
For Kendall, farming is a hobby that grew from an even younger age.
“She started out in a patio garden and the patio garden grew from a little bitty something to, by the time her fourth birthday came, we had a full-fledged garden in our backyard,” Kendall’s mom, Ursula Johnson told Good Morning America. “And then we moved, and now she has a farm.”
The six-year-old was first introduced to gardening and plants through her great-grandmother, Laura “Kate” Williams. After continuing to show interest and sharpening her green thumb skills, Kendall kept on growing, planting everything from carrots, squash, okra, strawberries and zucchini.
In addition to her business, Kendall started a monthly gardening club for her peers where families come to help out around the farm and learn about farming.
She was first discovered by State Rep. Mandisha Thomas who has helped raise $85,000 for young farmers in South Fulton, Georgia. The next fundraising goal is $10,000 for an outdoor science lab for compost.
Check out more of Kendall’s story and aGROWKulture here.
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