We are thrilled to announce that in 2012 Katie’s Krops will be hosting monthly dinner for anyone in need of a hot & healthy meal on the 3rd Thursday of every month. The dinners will be held at Summerville Baptist Church in the Fellowship Hall. Dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. To go meals are available on request. All dinners will be based on what is available to harvest in the Katie’s Krops gardens. Families are encouraged to come. There are activities for children and all dinners are healthy & made with love by the Katie’s Krops crew. If you have questions about the dinners, would like to volunteer or would like to make a donation to continue to make these dinners possible please contact Katie@KatiesKrops.com.
Author: Advyon
Our Terrific Grantee Ted!
Our Amazing Grantees from Georgia!!!
When I set out to offer grants to other kids across the United States to start gardens to feed people in their communities I struggled with who to select. I now look back and know I picked the perfect students, the perfect school and the perfect teacher in Georgia. I am so proud of what they have created! Their community is so blessed to have their support!
We were so excited to receive the money for our Fall garden. My class had fun taking our Field Trip to Lowe’s. We were able to purchase supplies and materials to build our greenhouse and coldframes for the Fall and Winter. We are happy to now be able to have a way to feed the homeless throughout the Winter months. Habitat for Humanity Restore supplied all the old windows for our project. Thanks to Katie’s Krops, we have built a wonderful addition to our garden.
Ms. Babin’s Third Grade Class
Katies Krops on EverydayHealth.com
Check out the videos below with Laila Ali and Ethan and Jenna from Survivor!
Laila Ali Introduces Katies Krops
Katies Krops, from Garden to Plate
Cooking with Ellie Kreiger
For More visit http://www.everydayhealth.com/tv
From Farm to Table: How One Teen’s Garden Is Feeding Hundreds of Hungry Families
Katie Stagliano never imagined that the 40-pound cabbage she grew for a school contest would have planted the start of an inspiring non-profit that’s stamping out hunger one vegetable garden at a time.
By Sharon Tanenbaum
Katie Stagliano caught the gardening bug early, thanks to her family’s garden in their backyard of their Summerville, S.C., home.
“It wasn’t that much. It was like a few tomato plants, a pepper plant, and a lettuce,” Katie says of her “salad garden.”
Of course it may not seem like much now to this ambitious seventh grader, who turned her passion for planting and picking into a thriving non-profit organization that manages nearly 20 gardens to help to feed the homeless and hungry through local shelters and soup kitchens. The group, Katie’s Krops is featured on the next episode of Everyday Health airing October 1 or 2 on your local ABC station.
And it all got started with a not-so-small cabbage.
Planting the Seed of Change — Literally
When Katie, now 13, was in third grade, her school participated in the Bonnie Plants’ Third Grade Cabbage Program, which provides students with cabbage plants to grow to win a $1,000 scholarship (and bragging rights, natch).
“We planted it and treated it like every other plant in the garden,” Katie recalls. “But it ended up growing to be so much bigger than every other plant.”
In fact, the cabbage (an O.S. Cross variety, known for producing giant heads) ultimately weighed in at a staggering 40 pounds — and won Katie the contest.
But after the initial cheers and congratulations, there was the question of what exactly to do with a 40-pound cabbage plant. After all, serving it to Katie’s own family of four — or even her classroom — would result in a waste of perfectly good and wholesome food.
That’s when Katie had her light bulb moment.
From Farm to Table: How One Teen’s Garden Is Feeding Hundreds of Hungry Families
Katie Stagliano never imagined that the 40-pound cabbage she grew for a school contest would have planted the start of an inspiring non-profit that’s stamping out hunger one vegetable garden at a time.
By Sharon Tanenbaum
Katie Stagliano caught the gardening bug early, thanks to her family’s garden in their backyard of their Summerville, S.C., home.
"It wasn’t that much. It was like a few tomato plants, a pepper plant, and a lettuce," Katie says of her "salad garden."
Of course it may not seem like much now to this ambitious seventh grader, who turned her passion for planting and picking into a thriving non-profit organization that manages nearly 20 gardens to help to feed the homeless and hungry through local shelters and soup kitchens. The group, Katie’s Krops is featured on the next episode of Everyday Health airing October 1 or 2 on your local ABC station.
And it all got started with a not-so-small cabbage.
Planting the Seed of Change — Literally
When Katie, now 13, was in third grade, her school participated in the Bonnie Plants’ Third Grade Cabbage Program, which provides students with cabbage plants to grow to win a $1,000 scholarship (and bragging rights, natch).
"We planted it and treated it like every other plant in the garden," Katie recalls. "But it ended up growing to be so much bigger than every other plant."
In fact, the cabbage (an O.S. Cross variety, known for producing giant heads) ultimately weighed in at a staggering 40 pounds — and won Katie the contest.
But after the initial cheers and congratulations, there was the question of what exactly to do with a 40-pound cabbage plant. After all, serving it to Katie’s own family of four — or even her classroom — would result in a waste of perfectly good and wholesome food.
That’s when Katie had her light bulb moment.
"My dad had always told us not to waste because there are people out there that weren’t fortunate enough to have a hot meal on their table every night," Katie says. "So I thought, why not donate my cabbage to those people."
For her mom, Stacy Stagliano, the moment was a proud one. "She grew so attached to that cabbage," Stacy remembers. "As it grew bigger and bigger it was like her little baby almost."
To find the perfect home for her cabbage, Stacy searched online for "vegetable donation" and discovered Tri-County Family Ministries in North Charleston, S.C. Katie vividly remembers the day she and her mom went to deliver the massive vegetable. When they pulled up to the kitchen at the shelter, hundreds of people stood in line waiting to get in.
"Katie’s jaw just dropped and she was asking a million questions like, ‘Is this really the only meal they get?’" Stacy says. "When we took the cabbage out, all these people came over asking where it came from and if Katie really grew it."
After the pair brought the cabbage inside to the kitchen, Sue Hanshaw, the CEO of the shelter, insisted that Katie help cook up her bounty. "She told Katie that it wasn’t enough to just donate it. She had to help cook and serve it," Stacy says.
And so Katie did. She stood on a wooden stool for more than two hours as 275 people enjoyed the, uh, vegetable of her labor.
And that night, the idea for Katie’s Krops was born. "Katie said to me, "Mommy, if one cabbage could do this, imagine what an entire garden could do," Stacy says.
Nurturing Katie’s Krops
To help cultivate her vision, Katie convinced her school to donate a plot of land for the garden, which the entire student body helped tend. Now Katie helps manage six gardens in South Carolina. They have delivered more than a ton of produce to shelters, soup kitchens, and families in need. Katie’s Krops also has 11 grant-funded gardens in other states, including New Jersey, Virginia, and Georgia.
"Looking back on that now, never ever did I imagine that this is where I would be," Stacy says. "That’s the thing with kids. They see the possibilities, they don’t see the obstacles. If there’s good reason to do it, that’s enough."
Watch this video about Katie’s cabbage.
A Budding Chef
Katie not only grows vegetables, she loves to cook them too. "We base my menus for the shelters on what’s growing in the garden," Katie says. For St. Patrick’s Day, she and her family made corned beef and fresh-from-the-garden cabbage. One of her favorite new finds from the garden is the Japanese eggplant, which Katie describes as a "purple banana."
"We just bread it and fry it," Katie says. "It’s super simple to make." Find more of Katie’s favorite veggie-packed recipes on KatiesKrops.com.
Katie demonstrated her culinary skills in the Everyday Health episode, in which she teamed up with chef and nutritionist Ellie Krieger, RD, to cook a dinner of healthy food for local families in need. Using plenty of the garden’s colorful bounty, Katie, Krieger and team whipped up a pot of ratatouille. "This is one of those recipes that anyone can make and make on a busy weeknight for that matter," Krieger says.
Helping Other Kids Get Growing
Katie hopes to inspire as many of her peers to play outside in the dirt and grow their own gardens.
For beginners, it’s important to not get too ahead of themselves. "Start small especially if you haven’t gardened before," Katie advises. She recommends beginning with easy-to-grow plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
"Once you get the hang of it, it’ll be easier," she insists.
The bigger goal, however, is to inspire kids to feed families in need in their communities, and Katie created a grant program to help other kids achieve that mission. Winners receive a gift card to a local garden center along with support from Katie’s Krops and a digital camera to follow their progress. Find out more and fill out an application on KatiesKrops.com.
To see Katie in action in the garden and the kitchen, tune in to Everyday Health, hosted by Laila Ali, on October 1 or 2 on your local ABC station.
Chilled Cucumber Dill Soup
This soup was a huge hit at our last Katie’s Krops dinnner. It was perfect on a hot night. Everyone was asking for the recipe so here it is courtesy of Mr. Herman McNeill our fantastic head chef & dedicated Katie’s Krops supporter.
4 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon fresh dill
½ cup red wine vinegar
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups plain lowfat yogurt
Blend all ingredients (in batches if needed), until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled.
Guest Blog from our Wonderful New Jersey Gardeners!
I first met Katie in St. Louis when Build-A-Bear Workshop named us both 2009 Huggable Heroes. Katie had received the honor for her success with Katie’s Krops, and I had gotten the award for the nonprofit that I started, called Bowling for Bears, which provides teddy bears to children in need during the holidays. It was a great experience to meet Katie and to learn about her amazing organization!
After we met, I continued to grow Bowling for Bears, and started a Do Something Club at my high school to involved students in my school in my organization. Our Do Something Club has expanded to participate in projects for many different causes.
The club was so excited about the idea of starting a Katie’s Krops garden as another one of our projects, and we couldn’t wait to get started and help those in need with our garden! We are so grateful that Katie’s Krops was able to provide us with funding for our garden — Katie’s generous support has helped so much!
Once we decided to start the garden and got Katie’s support, we secured a plot at our local farmstead’s community garden. We got seedlings and other gardening materials donated from local gardening stores, and after tilling and preparing the soil, we finally got to plant our eggplant, tomato, and pepper seedlings! We set up a schedule for club members to water each day, and continued to watch the seedlings grow! We also set up a collection bin for other gardeners to place excess produce to donate.
Our club members have really enjoyed growing our vegetable garden so far, and we can’t wait to continue! We really want to thank Katie for her generous support, and for all of the great advice that she gives us throughout our gardening process. We appreciate the opportunity to get involved in her organization and help others! Katie is so inspiring, and I really love working together!
Below are some thoughts from a few of our club members:
We’re proud of [the garden]. To Katie and Katie’s Krops, thank you very much for your support! Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have, so once again, thank you very much :-D! Sincerely, Tiffany
After starting a garden in my own backyard this year, and then hearing about a chance to garden as a group for community service, I immediately joined the Do Something Club. I began to spend time researching garden tips and taking care of both locations, at my home and at the Barclay Farmstead. I think that it is great that by growing a garden and having fun while doing it, we can actually be helping people in need of food by donating our produce. It has been a successful experience so far and I am grateful for it. Thanks to Katie’s Krops for the inspiration and help we have received! Thanks, Kaylin
Thanks for sharing your expertise. I am honored to be a part of your wonderful organization! Despite the challenges of weeds and bugs, so far I’ve had a ton of fun and learned a lot from our gardening experience. It is incredibly exciting and rewarding to spot vegetables growing. Thank you, Katie, for supporting our garden and helping us to have this terrific experience. You are truly amazing! I look forward to keeping in touch as we keep you updated on the challenges and triumphs of our garden! Thanks, Gigi
American Profile | S.C. Girl Finds Goodness in Gardening
by Sandy Summers August 2, 2011
Katie Stagliano, 13, gives new meaning to the word sharecropper.
The founder of Katie’s Krops oversees six gardens that have produced tons of vegetables for soup kitchens and other charitable organizations in and around her hometown of Summerville, S.C. (pop. 43,392).
Congratulations Sarah on Winning a Katie’s Krops Grant!
Congratulations, Sarah the Katie’s Krops/AllyKatzz Grant Winner!!!
I am very excited to announce the winner of the Katie’s Krops/AllyKatzz Grant, Sarah, from Virginia! I loved Sarah’s application! I knew from the minute I read it we were so much alike. Sarah is very passionate and excited about gardening and giving back! In fact, Sarah was so excited that she didn’t wait to see if she was the winner of the grant to start her garden, she began shortly after she applied! Here is what Sarah wrote in her application, “I saw Katie on the news and Disney Channel. That inspired me to grow the vegetables I have in pots to something bigger. When Katie said “That a kid can do anything they put their minds to” that has made me what I am, a runner, a gardener and a helpful person to people.” I immediately knew I needed to make Sarah a member of the Katie’s Krops family.
It was even more special to find out that Sarah wanted to come and meet ME at the AllyKatzz Year of the Youth Culmination Celebration at the United Nations! Sarah is the first grantee I have ever met in person. It was a very special day for me for many reasons but meeting Sarah made it even more exciting! I was able to award her the grant in person at the French Institute and she had a great time at the celebration as did I! We both walked away so inspired by the people we meet, the speeches we heard and the realization that we can change the world.
Choosing a grantee is the most difficult part of the process. There are so many amazing girls out there who are passionate about this issue also. I always have trouble narrowing down the grantees as I did this time. I look forward to giving out more grants in the future.
Thank you to everyone who applied for the Katie’s Krops/AllyKatzz Grant and a huge thank you to Miss Denise, Miss Carol, Monique and to Disney Friend for Change for allowing me to be part of an amazing event that truly inspired so many!
