Kendall Rae Johnson is a six-year-old girl who has just made history by becoming Georgia’s youngest certified farmer.
For this to happen, she got her business identity at both the federal and state level under the “aGROWKulture” name.
Kendall has also joined various farming organizations, from the Georgia Farm Bureau to Georgia Grown, which is under Georgia’s Department of Agriculture.
Now that Kendall is an official farmer, she can buy land and apply for both scholarships and grants under her business name.
The Seeds of Success
Kendall learned about farming from her great-grandmother, Laura “Kate” Williams. This sparked her interest, and she went on to grow a range of foods like strawberries, zucchini, okra, and squash.
When the young farmer started out, she was planting in a patio garden. However, this grew until it became a full garden by her fourth birthday.
The family chose to move, and in their new home, Kendall now has a farm.
Growing Together
Kendall doesn’t want to be the only farmer her age. She is spreading awareness about the benefits and importance of farming to her peers.
She also teaches other kids about where the food they eat really comes from.
To do this, she started with a monthly gardening club. In this club, other families help her to plant, harvest, and to produce subscription food boxes.
Georgia state Representative Mandisha Thomas discovered Kendall online.
With her help, the young farmer has made a number of speaking appearances at various press conferences to support young farmers from South Fulton.
Kendall has even managed to raise $85,000 for these farmers.
Right now, Kendall’s goal is to raise another $10,000 for an outdoor agricultural science lab to start composting.
The Drive We All Need
Ursula, Kendall’s mother, knows that her daughter embodies the future of Black farmers along with young entrepreneurship.
Kendall isn’t just the youngest farmer in Georgia; she is also the youngest Black farmer in the state.
This should inspire more Black people to become farmers.
Right now, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Black farmers comprise under 2% of all American farmers.
Kendall’s passion and drive are certain to inspire more Black people to consider farming.
Through her frequent attendances in Georgia Agriculture summits, she is already bringing more attention to the industry.
The young farmer’s ultimate goal is to inspire other kids, make new things, and make new friends.
The way she’s going, that is an inevitability.
