By the age of seven, Te’Lario Watkins had already started a thriving mushroom business called Tiger Mushroom Farms.
Watkins, now a 16-year-old student in Columbus, recalls that starting his business at such a young age even got him featured on television. Tiger Mushroom Farms is still in operation today.
““First it was a project and then I was on TV,” he said. “I was with Steve Harvey when I was seven and that was very special to me as a seven-year-old, as a little kid.”
“I believe that gardening as a community creates a closer bond with the people in it. And that is good for the overall health of communities and the overall prosperity of a nation.”
Today, he runs a highly successful nonprofit called the Garden Club Project, whose goal is to empower children to grow their own food and build a more sustainable food system.
The Garden Club Project was founded by Watkins in March 2020 to inspire youth in his community.
“I believe that gardening as a community creates a closer bond with the people in it,” Watkins said. “And that is good for the overall health of communities and the overall prosperity of a nation.”
Since its inception, the nonprofit has distributed over 2,000 pounds of fresh produce. Watkins has also provided 300 seed packets to children and distributed 150 mushroom packets to elementary school students.
He is working with seven local and urban farmers to increase efficiency and share resources.
“They also try to inspire kids to eat healthier and they have their own gardens as well,” he said. “They donate their produce to local food banks and then we meet every month and share equipment. So it’s cost-effective and we live close to the community.”
Watkins said teaching the next generation about farming is important to supporting the food system.
“If you get young people involved, it will bring more life to the area and it’s another way for people to have fun,” he said. “And farming can help the community in many ways and the environment in many ways.”
Watkins has received several awards for his work on the project, including the Hormel Food Hero Award, the Barron Prize, the Points Of Light Award, and a Generation Green Award.
He also received an honorable mention at the International Young Eco-Hero Awards.
““I received the Eagle Hero Award and was able to speak about how I believe kids can have a positive impact on the environment,” Watkins said. “Just recently, Taco Bell flew me to California to participate in an event with 50 other kids and entrepreneurs like me.”
Watkins said he hopes to continue the Garden Club project when he goes to college. After he graduates from high school, he plans to study agricultural engineering at Ohio State University.
“After that, I want to grow the Garden Club project and my business, get more out there and talk to more communities to inspire more children and grow my business so that I have a stable source of income for the Garden Club project,” he said.
