A teenager from Iowa on a mission to help feed those in need has donated a mountain of fresh produce to community groups.
Over a period of less than two years, Lauren Schroeder—who is still in junior high—delivered 7,000 pounds of top-quality organic vegetables to various nonprofits around her neighborhood in Eastern Iowa. That’s the equivalent weight of seven cows, seven grand pianos, or a full-size pick-up truck.
The juicy red tomatoes, plump pumpkins, flavorful potatoes, brightly-colored peppers, as well as all manner of organic green vegetables and herbs are all lovingly grown by Lauren herself. It was during the pandemic, living out in the country near Dixon, that she had the spark of an idea. While helping to pack food boxes at a community pantry, the enterprising teen noticed there was no fresh produce.
“I wanted to make sure everyone would get some fresh produce,” the 17-year-old told The Epoch Times, “so I decided to start my garden.”
At that time, Lauren was in the eighth grade. Growing up on a farm, she was used to a way of life that demands hard work. With the help of her family, she located a good piece of earth and set about learning all she could, starting with the basics of how to plant each vegetable.
To date, people served by eight organizations have had the pleasure of tucking into Lauren’s offerings, including food banks, a nursing home, a soup kitchen, a faith retreat center, and a number of nonprofit social service agencies.
“The family and kids love it because it’s just one of the things that people need in their basic lives. It’s just great because it’s healthy, and it supports the kids in their growth,” Lauren said.
In recognition of her efforts, Lauren has won three $1000 grants and a fourth for $750, which have helped with the continuation of the project. The half-acre garden has expanded to an acre, and the ambitious young horticulturalist plans to keep going for two more summers, with the goal of donating over 20,000 pounds of produce to 12 nonprofits in Eastern Iowa.
Jenna Kingsley, an agricultural teacher at Ms. Schroeder’s school, says it’s wonderful seeing her student reaching for the stars.
“When Lauren came to me with this idea, I thought it was absolutely amazing,” Ms. Kingsley told The Epoch Times. “Her freshman year, the first harvest she had was only half an acre—she went ahead and doubled it for the next year. She’s always pushing for more, always very passionate about her project.”
A couple of the nonprofits receiving the donations are located close by, and other students can see Lauren’s impact on a local level. “I think that’s really inspiring for them” Ms. Kingsley said.
Along with attending school and her garden, Lauren is an officer at the Future Farmers of America, a student-led organization aimed at nurturing future farmers and all the other occupations involved in the agricultural industry. All these commitments—as well as playing varsity softball and raising rabbits to show at county fairs—mean that Lauren’s family has, at times, stepped in to help tend the crops.
“The heaviest work with this project definitely happens from May to August,” said Lauren’s mom, Katie Schroeder. “Balancing all those softball practices and games, working with her animals, doing chores, and maintaining the garden can be challenging in the summer.”
Needless to say, Lauren’s parents are extremely proud of her achievements and pleased by her efforts to give to others less fortunate. “They feel overwhelmed about it,” Lauren said, talking about the widespread media attention she’s received, “because you don’t think that a small-town girl is going to get recognized by this many people in such a short amount of time.”
Over the course of the project, Lauren has put in over a thousand hours of work. Is there any one vegetable that was hardest to cultivate?
“Green beans, they require the most maintenance,“ Lauren said, ”you have to bend over all the time. That really hurts your back while you’re harvesting them!”
But it’s all worth it, Lauren says, and people are very thankful for what she’s doing.
“They’re happy that a teenager is giving back to them. One lady at Family Resources (a social services organization) started crying because she saw how much produce I had, and she couldn’t grow her own produce,” Lauren said. “She was just overwhelmed that someone my age would do that, because she just misses her garden so much.”
