Cubs and Scouts To Raise Vegetables at Ace Hardware

Vegetable gardening is a family and scouting affair for some local boys.

They are members of Ramona Lutheran Cub Pack and Scout Troop 691 plus Cub Pack 679 from Barnett Elementary who will build and maintain a garden at this summer.

The ultimate goal—in addition to the educational and fundraising experience—is to auction off the vegetables at the end of the year.

"We'll auction the squash, pumpkins, whatever we have, just like the FFA (Future Farmers of America) auctions off its animals at the end of the season," Amber Webster told Patch. Her sons Dawson and Max will take part.

Ace is providing seedlings and a 25-square-foot plot at the entry to its store on San Vicente Road in the . The boys will build planter boxes from Ace kits. Scotts Miracle Grow Potting Soil will provide the soil.

The enthusiastic group is hoping community members will help fund the exercise by sponsoring each planter box for $50 or becoming a supporter for $25. Supporters' names will go on a notice board at the garden. Sponsors can advertise on their planter boxes.

"We chose planter boxes because it's the easiest way for the younger cub scouts to take care of a garden," Webster said. She said she was inspired to do the project by First Lady Michelle Obama's work to improve children's diets. Money raised will go toward financing various needs of the cubs' and scouts' groups.

A Ramona business, Carlos Guzman Construction and Irrigation will teach the boys how to construct the boxes and set up the irrigation.

Scout Master Bruce Caudill and Scout Leader Bill Baker met up with the boys at the site on Monday to scope out the garden.

How will they deal with garden pests?

"We might have to fence off the area," Ace co-owner Ralph Peebler said.

When the boys were asked by Patch whether they might be likely to increase their intake of vegetables as a result of this experiment, the question was answered with laughter and no commitments.

"I realize that I'll probably wind up doing a lot of the work," Webster said. "But they'll remember this and these boys will become the next generation of dads getting their kids out to do this themselves. That's how it tends to work."

She said other scouts are welcome to join them. For now, participants include: the Webster family, Caudill and his son Daulton, Jesse Richard, MacKenzie Cahill, Andrew Mittman and Anthony Kackman.

For more information, contact Webster at 760-612-3211.

Patch invites the boys and their families to upload photos of their progress over the summer to this story.