Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A Southland Elementary School third grader has harvested a whopper pay out for growing an incredibly large cabbage.

Kallie Kenyon won a $1,000 scholarship for her 28-pound cabbage in the Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program.

Kenyon was selected by Bonnie Plants, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture based on the student’s enthusiasm to participate and learn in addition to the size and overall appearance of their cabbage.

“It’s truly amazing to see firsthand how the 3rd Grade Cabbage Program is able to inspire a love of vegetable gardening in young people and grow our next generation of gardeners,” said Corporate Communications Manager for Bonnie Angela Thomas in a press release. “We’re proud of all of this year’s participants and would like to congratulate Kallie whose hard work is paying off!”

Kids across the country are earning a lot of “green” after being selected as the “Best in State” in the Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program. This year, nearly 200,000 third graders in the 48 contiguous states have gotten hands-on gardening experience growing colossal cabbages with one student in each state awarded the $1,000 scholarship towards education from Bonnie Plants, the largest grower of vegetable and herb plants in the U.S.

“We relaunched the 3rd Grade Cabbage Program in the spring as a safe, remote-friendly learning activity to inspire children of all backgrounds to grow a love of gardening,” said Mike Sutterer, president and CEO of Bonnie Plants. “After pausing the program last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re thrilled to once again see so many students were able to participate and learn the basics of gardening as well as life lessons like responsibility, self-confidence and accomplishment.”

Bonnie sent each student a starter cabbage plant and the lessons needed to care for and nurture their plant. Students took a photo with their cabbage when it was fully grown and submitted it for a chance to win the scholarship.

Bonnie Plants launched the 3rd Grade Cabbage program in 1996, choosing cabbages because they were the first profitable crop the company sold. The cabbages utilized for the program are the O.S. Cross variety, which is known for producing giant, oversized heads of cabbage that can tip the scales at more than 40 pounds.

Getting involved in the 3rd Grade Cabbage Program is free. Fall registration for those who are located in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-11 is now open. Teachers and parents can click here to register their class or student. Registration opens in January for the spring growing season.

To see the 2020-21 winners as they come in and learn more about the 2022 contest, please visit: bonniecabbageprogram.com.