Meet the youngest certified farmer in Georgia at age 6
Kendall Rae Johnson became the youngest certified farmer in Georgia at the age of 6. Now 8 years old, Kendall continues to build on her passion for agriculture and continues to set the example that you are not too young to farm.
Kendall Rae Johnson is the youngest certified farmer in the state of Georgia. She is the owner of aGROWKulture Urban Farm in Southwest Atlanta, where she sells food baskets, subscriptions, donated food boxes, grow boxes and even hosts classes. The City of South Fulton proclaimed that Sept. 28, 2021, would be known as Kendall Rae Johnson Appreciation Day.
Johnson was 3 years old when her great-grandmother taught her how to re-plant stems and clippings to grow new plants, thus contributing to her obsession with the garden. “My great-grandmother will say, ‘Don’t throw your stems away because they could actually help you,’” said Kendall Rae.
Speaking about why she enjoys farming, Kendall stated, “The most thing I enjoy about farming is playing in the soil … My winter crop is collard greens, beets, radishes, broccoli, cabbage.”
Kendall Rae’s favourite season is summer. Her list of summer crops includes bell peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. She even plants flowers.
Her accomplished and proud dad explained the philosophy behind the farm’s name. “It’s definitely a play on the word ‘agriculture,’ but it represents a culture of progression — just moving forward in whatever we do. So we try to promote positivity, especially in kids, but in everyone, and just try to be a shining light for everyone,” said Quinton. “If we share positivity with each other, we can all grow together, and there’s enough for everybody.”
The philosophy also informs the agriculture youth development program started by Kendall Rae and the Johnson family, known as Kendall Rae’s Green Heart 4H at aGROWKulture Urban Farm. “She has her own goals within the company,” said Quinton. “Her goal is to meet new friends, make new things and inspire other kids, and that’s what she wants to do. She wants to inspire other kids, talk to many people and create with a lot of other people. So that’s what the program is pushing.”
