Sometimes we take for granted the food we are able to put on our tables. We forget that not everyone has the ability to have fresh produce, or access to healthier foods. But one young girl has decided that needs to change. It all started with her garden.
Lauren Schroeder, a 17-year-old from Dixon, Iowa, isn’t your typical teenager. When she noticed the lack of fresh vegetables in food bank donations while she was volunteering, she didn’t just shrug it off. Lauren decided to get her hands dirty and make a change.
“I saw exactly what went into the packages. So that got me thinking, like, ‘What can I do? Because there was no produce in there at all,” Lauren explained, reflecting on the inspiration behind her initiative. Her pitch to use part of the family’s 150-acre farm for a community garden got a green light from her parents.
Lauren shows off a healthy crop of green beans. Photo by Katie Schroeder
Katie Schroeder, Lauren’s mom, supported her daughter’s idea but couldn’t help but wonder about the workload. “Oh my gosh, how much work is this going to be?” Katie questioned, offering a dose of reality. Lauren, no stranger to hard work through 4-H and FFA, had to adapt to the nuances of large-scale vegetable farming. “It was different than I expected because I have never done anything like this,” she admitted.
I’ve always helped my mom with our small garden that we have at home, so it was just a much larger scale.”
Armed with a grant from the National FFA Organization, Lauren started with half an acre and a modest selection of vegetables. The first harvest of 40 pounds marked a turning point, propelling her to expand the garden to a full acre the following year.
“I was like, OK, this is much easier than I thought it would be just because all the vegetables grew really well. So I wanted to keep adding more things,” Lauren said, highlighting the unexpected ease of the process. Lauren’s philanthropic venture gained momentum, with her siblings pitching in and the community rallying behind her. “The community has really helped me. They’ve given me support; they’ve seen what I’ve done,” Lauren expressed gratefully.
Freshly picked veggies from Lauren’s garden this past summer. Photo by Katie Schroeder
Jenna Kingsley, FFA adviser at Calamus-Wheatland High School, commended Lauren’s impact: “Her innate self-confidence and generous hand to help those in need has left an impact larger than she could have imagined.” Nancy Renkes, president and CEO of River Bend Food Bank, had nothing but praise for Lauren’s efforts.
“Not only is she helping our mission of ending hunger, she demonstrates the selflessness and philanthropy that is so wonderful to see in younger people,” Nancy said. Her mom agreed, and said there was an emotional encounter at a domestic violence shelter, where a grateful mother thanked Lauren for providing fresh produce, Katie said.
When you hear stories like that, you know this is making a big impact.”
Lauren, pragmatic yet passionate, estimates dedicating more than 1,000 hours to her veggie project. Her plans for the future are ambitious, aiming to expand the garden to two acres and donate to even more organizations. “I’m learning a lot as I go, and I love giving back. I’m happy to do it. Everyone deserves to have something healthy to eat,” Lauren said. Watch below as she discusses how she works to help her community.
Sources: Washington Post | FOX5 DC
