Oversized cabbage helps local student win scholarship

Saturday, December 4, 2010
Alaina Allen, now a fourth-grader at Eugene Ware Elementary School in Fort Scott, poses with her oversized cabbage. The cabbage, which weighed 25 pounds without its leaves, won her a $1,000 education scholarship through Bonnie Plants.

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Fort Scott student Alaina Allen brought in some green this summer -- in the form of a huge cabbage and college scholarship funds.

A fourth-grader at Eugene Ware Elementary School, Allen grew a cabbage that reached 25 pounds -- without leaves -- earning her a $1,000 scholarship from National Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program, launched in 1995.

This year, more than 1.5 million third-graders in 45 states grew cabbages, hoping to win "best in state" honors and receive a $1,000 scholarship toward education from Bonnie Plants, a news release said.

Each year, Union Springs, Ala.-based Bonnie Plants delivers free "O.S. Cross," or "oversized," cabbage plants to third-grade classrooms nationwide, whose teachers have signed up for the program. If nurtured and cared for, the release said, cabbages can weigh nearly 40 pounds.

At the end of the season, teachers from each class select the student who has grown the "best" cabbage, based on size and appearance. A picture of the cabbage and the student entry is submitted to Bonnie Plants by mail or online. That student's name is then entered in a statewide drawing. Winners of each state's drawing are randomly selected by the U.S. Commissioner of Agriculture, state by state.

Alaina began growing her cabbage in March and harvested it in July.

"I was pretty excited," Alaina said of her reaction on learning she was the Kansas winner.

Her mother, Tara, added that Alaina asked if this meant she could go to University of Kansas now. Alaina hopes to play basketball for KU and become a detective when she grows up.

"Last year, our teacher gave us a school project and it was to grow cabbage. We had to turn the pictures in to her in the fall. At first, it started as a little plant," Allen said. "We kept it on our windowsill."

When it got to a certain point, the Allens took the cabbage to Redbud Farms and Nurseries, just outside of Fort Scott.

Alaina's grandfather, Terry Koester, owns Redbud and she helps out by watering, tagging, pricing and pulling people's wagons for them.

For her cabbage, Alaina went to the nursery a couple of times a week after school to water and fertilize the vegetable. "We kept having to re-pot it," she said, adding the cabbage was put in a Growbag to promote the roots.

She said you can tell it's ready to harvest when the head stops growing.

It was picked July 3 and it barely fit in the Allen's sink at the time.

"Then we made (cole) slaw, which everybody likes except me," Alaina said.

Some of the cabbage was sent home with relatives and some was made into other dishes, Tara, said.

While she was growing the cabbage, people asked what it was and who grew it. Alaina said her grandfather would tell those who asked it was his granddaughter's school project. Some even wondered if it was for sale -- which it was not.

Along with Alaina, the Allens -- Jeff and Tara -- have two sons, 6-year-old Parker, a first-grader at Winfield Scott Elementary School, and 2-year-old Paxton.

"It taught me how to grow vegetables and to water it and fertilize it, re-pot it and make sure it gets enough sunshine," Alaina said of the experience. "... I like watching it grow and just taking care of it. The best part of it is eating it."

"If it's a vegetable you like," Tara added.

On the Net

www.bonnieplants.com