Won a $1000 scholarship in the process
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
A nine-year old boy is the talk of the cabbage patches in New Mexico as he successfully grew an 11.7 pound cabbage.
Ben Roesler, a 4th grade student from San Antonio Elementary School was honored for his achievement and received a $1000 scholarship in the process from Bonnie Plants, a producer of vegetables, herbs and flower plants across the United States.
“Every one of us is already a part of agriculture because we all have to eat,” Anthony Parra, deputy director of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture told the students at Ben’s school, who gathered for an assembly to kick off their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Festival. “Ben is proof that you can play a bigger role in agriculture – all you need are some seeds, soil, water, and sunlight.”
Ben’s journey to grow the cabbage started last year when he started to grow a cabbage, but when his family had returned from a trip, Ben discovered the cabbage had been conquered by caterpillars.
He offers some sound advice to young growers.
“Just try to protect it,” he said.
In honor of Ben’s 11.7 pound cabbage, here’s a look at some of the biggest fruits and vegetables ever grown.
Sweet Potato – A Lebanese farmer named Khalil Semhat produced a sweet potato weighing in at 24.9 pounds.
Jackfruit – George and Margaret Schattauer from Captai Cook, Hawaii grew a jackfruit weighing 76 pounds.
Watermelon – Lloyd and the team at the Hope Farm Store in Hope, Arkansas, grew a watermelon weighing 268 pounds.
Pumpkin – Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island grew a pumpkin weighing 2,009 pounds.
Tell us your thoughts about Ben’s 11.7 pound cabbage. Are you encouraged that the younger generation will also be interested in farming?