One Bemidji student decided to start a program that gives out free gardening kits to anyone under 18 to start them on their journey of gardening. The program is called “Growing our Future.”

16-year-old homeschooled student Bridget Westrum was new to gardening. COVID-19 gave her the extra time needed to start growing her own produce and plants, which led to her getting involved in plant forums online and allowed her to start giving back.

Westrum is also a member of the Minnesota Youth Council, so when she found out about a grant to create a program, she immediately thought of her new hobby. So far, she has 90 youth signed up for the kits and has the materials to make over 130 kits.

She’s not doing this all alone, as she has had the help of community donations as well as family, including 13-year-old sister Logan. The sisters hope to teach other people their age about the importance of sustainability.

The kits are designed not only to have everything you need to get started, including a seed starter tray, 8-12 different kinds of seeds, and spray bottles, but it will also include a guide to teach young people to learn more about how to help something grow.

Those interested in donating materials can contact Growing our Future at bellawestrum@gmail.com. Those interesting in donating money to the project can via GoFundMe or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 753, Bemidji, MN, 56619. More information on the project can be found on the Growing Our Future Facebook page.

By — Betsy Melin