Georgia Magazine - July 2023 - 18

Kendall Rae Johnson, Atlanta
Georgia's youngest certified farmer, author, ag advocate
Kendall Rae Johnson, 8, enjoys being Georgia's youngest certified
farmer and a member of Georgia Grown, a division of the Georgia
Department of Agriculture that promotes agribusiness. Johnson, along
with her parents, Ursula and Quentin, run aGROWKulture Urban Farm in
southwest Atlanta, where they focus on youth ag education, conservation
and sustainability.
Johnson was certified at age 6, but her enthusiasm for gardening has
been evident since age 3 and has inspired children and adults alike. Her
friends' moms especially love how she can get kids to eat and enjoy
vegetables. Johnson has published a book, " I'm Growing Places, " that is sold
on the farm's website. In late May, she was featured on the " G is for Garden "
episode of " Sesame Street " on HBO Max.
Johnson is home-schooled and loves studying science " because it
helps my plants grow, " she says. She describes the insects that could
damage her crops as " culprits, " but she knows the good ones from the bad
ones and nurtures the good ones, such as ladybugs and bees. She recently
began beekeeping with the aid of a professional beekeeper.
Both parents help in various arenas. Dad built the beds that hold the
emerging vegetables, but the youngster designed them, Ursula Johnson
says. Together they offer virtual and in-person educational workshops and
partner with Fulton County 4-H for programs at the farm.
For more information about Kendall Rae Johnson's endeavors, visit
agrowkulture.com.
-Jane F. Garvey
Kendall Rae Johnson has a passion for gardening and is
Georgia's youngest certifi ed farmer. She loves sharing her
knowledge of agriculture and recently was featured on
the " G is for Garden " episode of " Sesame Street. "
Tripp Phillips, Dalton
Entrepreneur, hand-sanitizer outreach for first
responders
When Dalton resident Tripp Phillips was just
12 years old, he embarked on a journey that few have
the courage to attempt: He appeared on the Season
10 premiere of " Shark Tank " to pitch his product,
Le-Glue. Le-Glue holds Lego bricks, Mega Bloks and
other building blocks together; when it's time to
disassemble, the glue washes away with warm water.
" I was playing with a [Lego] airplane, and the
Tripp Phillips shows
investors on " Shark Tank "
how his product, Le-Glue,
holds together buildingblock
toys. The Dalton
teen and his dad used their
knowledge of chemistry to
create hand sanitizer for
fi rst responders during the
pandemic.
wing kept coming off, " says Phillips, who is now 17.
He turned to his dad, Lee, who is a scientist, to
help him come up with a solution. The result was
Le-Glue.
" I wish I'd had it when I was growing up, " Tripp
Phillips says.
He landed a licensing deal with " Shark Tank " investor Kevin O'Leary
and continues to manufacture and package Le-Glue in Dalton. However,
sales and marketing slowed because of the pandemic.
That's when Phillips turned his attention to another endeavor. In 2020,
he and his father started making hand sanitizer for first responders.
" Dad told me we had a lot of the specific chemicals needed to make it, "
Phillips says. " I thought it'd be a good way to help the community. "
They ordered one missing ingredient and started mixing hand sanitizer.
Today, Phillips is focused on finishing high school and looking forward
to attending college.
-Karon Warren
18 Georgia Magazine July 2023
LEE PHILLIPS
COURTESY TRIPP PHILLIPS / TWITTER.COM / LEGLUE4YOU
JANE F. GARVEY
http://www.agrowkulture.com http://www.TWITTER.COM
Georgia Magazine - July 2023

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