Katie Stagliano: Young girl grows a 40lb cabbage that inspires a community to get serious about gardening.

When Katie Stagliano brought her tiny cabbage seedling home from school two years ago, she could never have imagined the plant would grow to be 40 pounds and inspire an entire movement. Like another 11-year-old, Olivia Bouler, spurred to action by the gulf oil tragedy, Katie was inspired by seeing how her one donation was able to help so many people and became determined to do even more. Katie is now involved in tending six gardens and helping others get their gardens underway. She started a garden at her school, the length of a football field and has harvested more than 2,000 pounds of produce thus far from her six gardens—all of which has been donated to help feed the hungry at local soup kitchens.Katie and her crew recently picked more than 200 pounds of pears from the trees of a neighbor who happened upon her story. His fruit trees are full, but he is no longer able to get out and do the picking himself. For Katie, it was a perfect match.

Other neighbors and local businesses have stepped up to help as well. Bonnie Plants has been generous in their donation of seedlings and Katie’s family and friends have been right there beside her, tilling and watering. Lisa Turocy, master gardener is sharing her expertise and the Tricounty Family Ministries is helping Katie get the food to those who need it.Local residents, like Linda and Bob Baker, have donated land and the time and tools to till it. "It makes you feel so good to see someone that young with that amount of compassion, step in there and really make a difference,” said Bob Baker.And how easy it can be to make a difference. Sure, it takes hard work and time and patience to grow a garden. It can be hot and you can be tired, and still you must water and weed and tend the garden. But when you see how much good can come from such a simple and enriching endeavor, it makes you wonder, like Katie did, why anyone should be going hungry. And, like it says at Katies Krops … It only takes a seedling!

If you would like to help Katie make her dream of no hungry children come true, you can donate through randomkid at her website.