The Bonnie Cabbage Project

"In 1996 Bonnie Plants initiated the 3rd Grade Cabbage Program in and around headquarters in Union Springs, Alabama, with a mission to inspire a love of vegetable gardening in young people, teach kids where their food comes from, and grow our next generation of gardeners. 

By 2002 the program grew to become a national endeavor, including the 48 contiguous states. Each year, Bonnie sends more than one million free O.S. Cross, or “oversized” cabbage plants to 3rd Grade classrooms across the country*, whose teachers have signed up for the program. If properly nurtured, kids can cultivate and grow cabbages that may tip the scale at more than 40 pounds!" Learn more here. 

The Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is a nationwide program with the mission to inspire a love of vegetable gardening in young people, teach kids where their food comes from, and grow our next generation of gardeners.

Across the USA cabbage plants are grown by 3rd Grade classrooms whose teachers/garden programs have signed up. If properly nurtured, kids can cultivate and grow cabbages that may tip the scale at more than 40 pounds!

At Earhart, this program aims to provide a hands-on growing experience for 3rd graders. The Bonnie Cabbage Program provided cabbage seedlings to the school. Ms. Yuen’s 3rd grade class is piloting this program during the Spring 2023 season in collaboration with the Garden Club. They grew 4 large leafy cabbages together! We hope this can become an Earhart tradition for third graders!

Please join us in giving a huge shout out to our third grade gardeners, Mrs. Yuen, and our lead volunteer parent for this program
Mrs. Queenie Leung!! Grow cabbage, grow!!

Goal: Grow and manage 4 colossal cabbages for 8 weeks

Objectives: 

• Discuss the survival elements of plants

• Understand the importance of compost and soil health

• Demonstrate responsibilities for gardening duties

• Record measurements and analyze data

• Develop teamwork and communication skills

Methods:

• Students are divided into groups. Each group is responsible for growing one cabbage.

• On the planting day, the students have a lecture to learn how to prepare the soil, plant the cabbages, measure the height and diameter of the plants, and check for bugs. (See the Slide attachment)

• Each student will be responsible for one day a week to check on their cabbage at their recess for 8 weeks.

• During the growing period, the class will meet up for other 3 sessions to work on their growing journals to discuss their growing experience. (See the worksheet attachment)

• Session topics focus on gardening (compost, soil health, harvesting), recording data, formulating graphs, and making predictions.

Slide Presentation with program overview for Spring 2023

Cabbage Program Log sheet for classroom

Update - May 10th, 2023

The cabbages are growing!