Summer vegetable stand and garden at the Boys and Girls Club Franklin Simpson

SIMPSON COUNTY, KY. – The Boys and Girls Club of Franklin Simpson is back for another summer to produce future farmers and entrepreneurs for Kentucky with its garden club, which will set up a vegetable stand.

Emma Bell, the garden coordinator, shares her perspective on gardening. She says: “I have to say it’s hard work but I love it every single day. Summer is the best time of year for me. I’m in the gardening club and the kids come out especially. These kids get a full gardening education so they really get more involved. They’re more passionate about it.”

A lot of learning and hard work can help children plant seeds that will become a passion. Kaylynn Henninger, a gardener and vegetable garden vendor, says, “I like helping other people. Andean berries grow out here and it’s a great feeling.”

From Andean berries to cucumbers to blackberries, the Boys and Girls Club and Franklin Simpson have it all, but it doesn’t just have an impact on the environment.

Emma also says, “A lot of these kids live in apartments or just places where they can’t have a garden or even a pot on the porch. I think it’s important for them to have that connection to nature so they realize where their food comes from and what goes into growing their food. And I think that will help them just be more connected to nature in the future.”

By interacting with nature and being involved in the community, these children have the opportunity to discover the things they enjoy.

Merit Kendell, another gardener and vendor at the vegetable stand, says, “You have to help with the gardening, be outside and have fun. I just love being outside. I get to do a lot of work and planting, and that makes me happy.”

Emma also talks about how helping in the garden gives the children a sense of purpose that shapes them now and in the future.

Emma says: “It makes them more confident. I hope it helps them to communicate more openly with people in the community. I hope it makes them feel like they are part of the community.”

The produce stand will be open this July. To stay updated, visit https://www.facebook.com/bgcfs.