Our local elementary school works in conjunction with the local garden club to bring education and fun, through gardening, to the fifth and sixth grade classes.  I believe they have changed their schedule and only cater to the fifth graders now, but both of my younger children got to enjoy gardening for both grades.  Once the end of their time is reached, the kids earn a junior master gardener certificate.  Those instructional gardener days are priceless – leaving the kids with the knowledge and ability to grow their own food and bring it home to eat it!

Earlier this fall, my husband issued a challenge to our youngest son and daughter – who can grow the biggest cabbage?  Our son wasn’t interested in the competition (but he has helped maintain the garden around the produce), but that youngest daughter is full of the competitive gene and she rose to the challenge!

She and her dad planted 96 cabbage plants.  Yes, you heard that right – 96!  My husband makes his own sauerkraut and it’s in high demand in these parts, so he wanted enough cabbage to carry out his smelly delights.

As I went out to inspect the cabbage competition, I noticed something had been dining on the leaves.  Since these are completely organic, there’s not a lot to be done to keep the hungry bugs away – but he did inform me that the bugs only ate at the leaves and had not gotten to the cabbage heads.

This cabbage above?  That would be our 12-year-old daughter’s cabbage.  Her PhD (in an agricultural field) dad’s cabbages didn’t have big enough heads on them for me to photograph.  🙂

There is more than a month remaining in this contest….may the best cabbage grower reign!