Six-year-old girl makes history as the youngest certified farmer in Georgia

Six-year-old South Fulton girl Kendall Rae Johnson has become the youngest certified farmer in the state of Georgia. To become a certified farmer, she received her business entity at the state and federal level under the name “aGROWKulture”, according to GMA.

She was also a member of various farming organizations, including Georgia Grown, a division of Georgia’s Department of Agriculture, and the Georgia Farm Bureau.

Johnson started farming at a very young age. Her website says she started growing fruits and vegetables with her great-grandmother Laura “Kate” Williams, planting peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and collard greens in a small patio garden.

When she was four, her parents built her a larger garden bed at their home. “She started out in a patio garden and the patio garden grew from a little bitty something to, by the time her fourth birthday came, we had a full-fledged garden in our backyard,” Johnson’s mother, Ursula Johnson, said, according to GMA. “And then we moved, and now she has a farm.”

On Tuesday, the City of South Fulton honored Johnson at the Southwest Arts Center.

“Agriculture, by far, remains the state’s largest industry,” said South Fulton Mayor William “Bill” Edwards. “Still, it remains an industry with few women. With her enthusiasm, determination and love for gardening, Kendall is about to change that. We are proud of such an accomplished young lady at such a young age.”

Georgia state Rep. Mandisha Thomas, who discovered Johnson online, has partnered with her to raise $85,000 to support young farmers in South Fulton. Johnson is also raising an additional $10,000 to build an outdoor learning space for agricultural science, according to FOX5.

Agriculture is today one of Georgia’s largest industries. Johnson is not only the youngest farmer in the state but also the youngest Black farmer. Being an official farmer, she can apply for grants, scholarships and purchase land under her business, GMA reported.

Johnson’s beautiful garden is already popular on social media. She hosts a kids’ garden club and her goal is to spread awareness about farming to children and others in her community.