For the past two years, third grade students at Clermont Northeastern Elementary School have been able to get a start on gardening through the Bonnie Plants Third Grade Cabbage Program.
Again this year, in late May of 2011, cabbage plants were delivered to all of the students. They were encouraged to “go green” by taking them home and planting them.
Recently, Gage Pettit, now a Clermont Northeastern fourth grader, brought the cabbage he had taken care of over the summer to school. It was about the size of a basketball and weighed a whopping six pounds. He said, “It wasn’t hard to take care of. We just needed to make sure to keep the fence up around it to protect it from the deer and rabbits.” He gave the head of cabbage to Mrs. Cindi Berding, a third grade classroom teacher, because “I just knew she would like to make some coleslaw.”
We are very proud of Gage’s success at gardening and Mrs. Berding is planning on serving Gage’s coleslaw with barbecue for her husband’s upcoming birthday celebration. Mrs. Berding has also submitted Gage as a Bonnie Cabbage Program Winner for the 2010-2011 school year, making him eligible for a chance to win a $1,000 college scholarship. We wish him lots of luck.