The Bragg family (from left) Carlton, Benton, Ben, Frank and Frances at their stall at Davidson Farmers Market.

Kids sell their produce at market, donate proceeds to Ada Jenkins Center

By MICHELE MILLER HOUCK

What started out as a fun summer project three years ago for the Braggs of Ramah Creek Farm has turned into a lesson in entrepreneurship and philanthropy for the whole family.

Dad Benton Bragg grew up on the farm and learned to love gardening through the family garden, presided over by his father Frank Bragg. Benton wanted to leave the same legacy to his children Ben, Carlton and Frances. Mom, Alice, was game, so three years ago they planted a family garden.

One of a series of articles on DavidsonNews.net focusing on nonprofits, needs, and people who are helping.

This year, the lesson in entrepreneurship really kicked in. The children planted 30 tomato plants, peppers, lettuce, broccoli, flowers, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumber and watermelon. They also opened a stall at the Davidson Farmers Market for a few dates this summer.

They’ve shared the work. Ben is in charge of watering, and they all pick and weed. They enjoy the fruits of their labor at home (Mom makes a mean tomato pie), and Ben reports that all three of the children love the cherry tomatoes, often eating them as fast as they can pick them. At the market, the kids ran the business: selling and packing items, making change and taking care of customers.

Under Davidson Farmers Market’s Growing Kids program, they painted their own sign and opened for business selling their vegetables and flowers Frances arranged in mason jars. Grandfather Frank was the driving force behind the sales operation, picking up the children at 5 a.m. to pick vegetables on the farm and organizing the booth.

“He stopped people in the aisle at the farmers market with the sunflowers,” Alice says. “This was such a fun family project, and I think Frank had more fun than all of us.”

The economic downturn got the Braggs thinking about ways that they could help in the community. So they talked to the kids about Loaves & Fishes food pantry at Ada Jenkins Center.

“It was really easy for the kids to understand the link between growing and selling food and giving money to others for food,” Alice explains.

Adds Ben, “We all agreed that it was a good idea to give some of the money we earned to Ada Jenkins. Mom and Dad matched the money, and Alice and Ben delivered $100 to Ada Jenkins Center Executive Director Georgia Krueger in her office at Ada Jenkins last week.

“We so appreciate their efforts on behalf of the clients of Ada Jenkins,” Ms. Krueger says. “It was awesome for the family to be thinking of their neighbors in need when they were growing and selling their vegetables.”

Look for the Ramah Creek Farm sign on an upcoming Saturday at the Davidson Farmer’s Market. A portion of the proceeds have been invested right here at home.

GET INVOLVED

For more information about Growing Kids, go to the Davidson Farmers Market website at www.davidsonfarmersmarket.org and click on the “Local Producers” tab. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

For more about Ada Jenkins, including volunteer opportunities, go to the Ada Jenkins website at www.adajenkins.org and click on the “Volunteer” tab to see all of the volunteer opportunities that are available.

Meanwhile, Davidson Farmer’s Market needs volunteers. Help is needed closing up the market at noon on Saturdays. It takes 45 minutes, some lifting helpful but not mandatory.  Or you can help with educational events and tastings, or just man the farmers market table from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. most Saturdays.  It’s a fun and lively atmosphere with great people, says market manager Mary Jane Leach. To learn more, email her at leach4800@bellsouth.net

The Bragg family (from right to left) Carlton, Benton, Ben, Frank and Frances at their stall at the Davidson Farmers Market.