Local Brothers Add to Food Security

Are you growing some of your own food? If so, you are contributing to climate action, not only by reducing your dependence on fossil fuels but also by increasing our community resilience!

That’s exactly what the three Bryenton brothers are doing and much more!

Ethan (13 yrs), Silas (9 yrs) and Calder (7 yrs) started growing some vegetable plants two years ago. After the pandemic, they decided as a family that it would be fun and a good idea to be more self-sufficient in various areas and starting their own plants from seed, and expanding their gardens was one of the ways. When they ended up with extra plants the first year the brothers said, “maybe we should sell them”, which they did at a community yard sale!

Then this year the Transition Cornwall+ Seedy Saturday event gave them the inspiration to go bigger, especially with all the amazing varieties of seed they were given.

This season, with some help from their mom and dad, they decided to brand themselves as Let’s Grow Bros, when demand for their plants from friends and neighbors started to expand as word got out.

When I spoke to the boys, they were excited about some of the fascinating new tomato varieties they were trying out this year with names like Siberian Tiger, Spectrum Surprize and Snow-White Cherry! They plan on saving seeds from this year’s crop for next year and were quite proud that they grow their plants without any pesticides or herbicides.

The range of vegetables they had was quite broad in the planters and raised beds handily wrapped around the sunny areas of their house. I saw heirloom tomatoes, peppers, squash, lettuce, garlic, potatoes, pumpkins and I’m sure there was more. Last year they grew 150 plants and this year it was 400! Of course, they keep lots of plants for themselves and when they have extra vegetables, they have no problem selling at a small stand in their driveway.

I asked what they have learned so far and they were very excited to tell me they have learned about seed starting, potting, hardening off, public demand (last year no one wanted Roma tomatoes), business finances, customer service and technical know-how (customers want to know how to take care of the plants – watering, fertilizing etc.).

They all seemed very keen to learn – with Ethan saying it’s more fun than just being inside or on a screen and Silas saying he wants to be a farmer one day with a love of tractors for as long as he can remember!

A group called Destination Think, reminds us that urban gardening could reduce a city resident’s carbon footprint by more than 12% per year. Growing food locally lowers transportation emissions, encourages consuming less meat, raises awareness about food sources and creates a sense of community, so these brothers are doing all of that. They hope to use what they have earned to buy a collapsible greenhouse as things are getting pretty tight in their basement.

I was pleased to hear them say they would be willing to grow some plants for next year’s Incredible Edible Plant Giveaway. I was also able to head home with one of their super healthy potted patio tomato plants called Tumbler Tomato, a variety new to me. I can’t wait to try it out.

I would say the Let’s Grow Bros are a wonderful role model of entrepreneurship and determination to spend their time productively, help to reduce our carbon footprint and have some fun along the way.

All the best to the Let’s Grow Bros!

For more information: transitioncornwall.com