Third-grader wins scholarship in cabbage growing contest

Alyssa Byers, a student at Trent Elementary School, has won a $1,000 scholarship for winning a cabbage growing contest.

Her cabbage weighed in at 36 pounds. Byers was among 15,800 students to participate in the contest in Washington state.

The annual contest is sponsored by Bonnie Plants, a plant-growing company that sells its starts widely through local nurseries and stores.

The cabbage contest is intended for third-graders.

During the current school year, the contest drew 1.5 million entries across 48 states.

Bonnie Plants said it is the largest producer of vegetable and herb starts from some 80 growing facilities.

Bonnie Plants supplied the cabbage starts from its O.S. Cross variety. The O.S. stands for oversized.

The cabbage program dates back to 1996, and went national in 2002.

The company awards one $1,000 scholarship in each of 48 participating states. Winners are randomly selected.

“The Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is a wonderful way to engage children’s interest in agriculture, while teaching them not only the basics of gardening, but the importance of our food systems and growing our own,” said Stan Cope, president of Bonnie Plants.