Gardening for Good

Te’Lario Watkins II started gardening when he was just 7 years old. For a Cub Scout project, he planted cat grass and basil seeds in soil-filled Styrofoam cups that he placed on  a windowsill. Before long, the cups were bursting with tiny sprouts. Te’Lario’s mom used some of the basil to make pizza. “I was so excited to eat something that I had grown myself,” says Te’Lario, now 18. “I immediately wanted to try growing other types of food.”

For his next crop, Te’Lario chose mushrooms. He grew them using a kit his parents had bought for him. The mushrooms did even better than the basil! Soon he had more mushrooms than his family could eat. So Te’Lario thought: Why not sell them? Today he’s transformed his hobby into a business, called Tiger Mushroom Farms. He now sells his produce at pop-up farmers’ markets in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

Te’Lario isn’t just a successful farmer and entrepreneur. He’s also donated thousands of pounds of fresh produce to his community. Now he’s working hard to educate others—especially kids—about healthy eating and the benefits of growing your own food.

Te’Lario Watkins II started gardening when he was just 7 years old. For a Cub Scout project, he planted cat grass and basil seeds in soil-filled Styrofoam cups. Then he placed them on a windowsill. Before long, tiny sprouts filled the cups. Te’Lario’s mom used some of the basil to make pizza. “I was so excited to eat something that I had grown myself,” says Te’Lario, now 18. “I immediately wanted to try growing other types of food.”

For his next crop, Te’Lario chose mushrooms. His parents bought him a kit for growing them. The mushrooms did even better than the basil! Soon he had more mushrooms than his family could eat. So Te’Lario thought, Why not sell them? Today he’s turned his hobby into a business. It’s called Tiger Mushroom Farms. He now sells his produce at pop-up farmers’ markets in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

Te’Lario isn’t just a successful farmer and business person. He’s also donated thousands of pounds of fresh produce to his community. Now he’s working hard to teach others, especially kids. He wants them to know about healthy eating and the benefits of growing your own food.

Te’Lario knows how to grow all sorts of crops. But he’s especially passionate about mushrooms. Mushrooms are a type of fungus—an organism that gets nutrients by feeding on decaying material. “Mushrooms really interested me as a little kid,” says Te’Lario. “It was cool to learn about something you could eat that wasn’t a plant or an animal but an entirely different category.”

Te’Lario cultivates several varieties of mushrooms, including shiitake, portobello, and oyster. They grow on blocks of sawdust or straw inside a climate-controlled tent in his darkened basement. The tent allows him to adjust factors like humidity—the amount of water vapor in the air—and levels of carbon dioxide. Too much of this gas can cause the mushrooms to become deformed or stunted.

Not only do mushrooms grow quickly, but they also contain important nutrients like vitamin D, which helps build strong bones, and vitamin B6, which supports brain health. Because mushrooms have a meaty texture when cooked, they can be a good substitute for chicken or beef for people trying to eat less meat. In fact, Te’Lario’s family likes to dehydrate—or remove the water from—shiitake mushrooms and season them with maple syrup, tamari, and paprika to make vegan “bacon.”

Te’Lario knows how to grow many crops. But he especially loves mushrooms. Mushrooms are a type of fungus. These organisms feed on decaying material to get nutrients. “Mushrooms really interested me as a little kid,” says Te’Lario. “It was cool to learn about something you could eat that wasn’t a plant or an animal but an entirely different category.”

Te’Lario grows several types of mushrooms. Some of them are shiitake, portobello, and oyster. He has a climate-controlled tent in his darkened basement. Inside it, the mushrooms grow on blocks of sawdust or straw. The tent allows him to adjust factors like humidity. That’s the amount of water vapor in the air. He can also adjust the level of carbon dioxide gas. Too much of it can deform or stunt the mushrooms.

Mushrooms grow quickly, and they contain important nutrients. Vitamin D helps build strong bones. Vitamin B6 supports brain health. Cooked mushrooms have a meaty texture. So they can replace chicken or beef for people trying to eat less meat. Te’Lario’s family likes to dehydrate shiitake mushrooms, or remove the water from them. Then they season the mushrooms with maple syrup, tamari, and paprika to make vegan “bacon.”

Te’Lario believes growing your own food can change people’s lives for the better. It’s healthier for people to eat food they grow themselves, he says. That’s because it won’t contain artificial ingredients or unknown pesticides—chemicals used to kill pests. “It also builds the groundwork for a sustainable community,” says Te’Lario. Growing food locally ensures neighborhoods have a consistent source of nutritious food. And since the produce doesn’t have to be shipped long distances by vehicles and airplanes that emit heat-trapping greenhouse gases, it’s better for the environment.

One of Te’Lario’s long-term goals is to improve food access throughout the country. “It’s not right that some people cannot easily access fresh produce,” he says. Right now, nearly 19 million Americans live in food deserts—areas where they have little or no access to affordable and nutritious food (see “Access to Food”).

Solving this problem won’t happen overnight. That’s why Te’Lario wants to learn more about the issue in college next year. He’ll be attending Ohio State University to study agriculture, focusing on the role technology plays in farming. He hopes his education will help him expand the reach of the Garden Club Project.

Te’Lario urges other teens to find an issue they want to dedicate their time to. Stay committed, says Te’Lario. “Nothing grows instantly. Be patient and don’t give up.”

Te’Lario believes growing your own food can improve people’s lives. It’s healthier for people to eat food they grow themselves, he says. That’s because it won’t contain artificial ingredients or unknown pesticides. These chemicals are used to kill pests. “It also builds the groundwork for a sustainable community,” says Te’Lario. When food is grown locally, neighborhoods have a consistent source of nutritious food. And the produce isn’t shipped long distances by vehicles and airplanes that emit heat-trapping greenhouse gases. So it’s better for the environment.

Te’Lario wants to improve food access across the country. That’s one of his long-term goals. “It’s not right that some people cannot easily access fresh produce,” he says. Right now, nearly 19 million Americans live in food deserts. In these areas, people have little or no access to affordable and nutritious food (see “Access to Food”).

This problem won’t be solved overnight. So Te’Lario wants to learn more about the issue in college. Next year, he’ll study agriculture at Ohio State University. He plans to focus on the role of technology in farming. Te’Lario hopes to use his education to expand the reach of the Garden Club Project.

Te’Lario has advice for other teens. Find an issue you want to spend their time on. Stay committed, he says. “Nothing grows instantly. Be patient and don’t give up.”