Thanks to the thoughtfulness of one Great Bend teacher, Caleb Fletcher, 9, and his sister Dorthy Fletcher, 7, have been learning to grow vegetables in their garden this summer with help from their grandmother, Glenda Fletcher. They stopped into the Great Bend Tribune Monday morning to show us the big cabbage they picked Sunday.

Both of the Fletcher children attend school at Central Kansas Christian Academy, Mrs. Fletcher said. Caleb’s teacher, Mrs. Homer, gave each student a cabbage seedling at the beginning of Easter break. 

Since then, the Fletchers tended it in their garden south of Great Bend. We asked the Fletchers what they plan to do with it now that it’s grown so big. 

“Grandma needs to figure out a recipe to use with it,” Dorthy said. 

Meanwhile, Caleb’s main interest is finding out what’s in the middle of the cabbage. Rapping on it softly, he demonstrated it wasn’t hollow. In fact it was pretty heavy.

“Caleb held it for about five minutes and his arms are tired,” Dorthy said. 

Cabbage rolls, coleslaw and sauerkraut are just some of the ideas the Fletchers are considering. The cabbage is big enough, perhaps they’ll try all three.

Mrs. Fletcher said the plant is already showing the beginnings of buds at the stem where they harvested the cabbage. 

The Tribune is happy to share moments like these with our readers.