Lauren Schroeder was in eighth grade when COVID-19 forced her school, Calamus-Wheatland High School, to shift to remote learning and cancel all extracurricular activities.

With not much else to do, Schroeder decided to get a jumpstart on her school's community service hours. She helped a local non-profit in Davenport pack more than 500 boxes of food, which benefited hundreds of community members. Yet Schroeder noticed there was no fresh produce amongst the offerings.

Knowing the importance of fresh veggies, she decided to take matters into her own hands. 

Schroeder asked her parents if she could convert one-half acre of their farmland in rural Dixon into a large garden. They agreed. 

The garden is situated one-half mile away from the family’s home. Part of the reason Schroeder chose the location is because when she started the garden, she didn’t have her driver’s license, so it needed to be close to her house. 

Schroeder received a $1,000 grant from the National FFA Organization to pay for seeds and gardening supplies, which helped her get started. (The garden also doubles as an FFA project). 

During her first season in spring 2022, Schroeder planted 15 varieties of vegetables in her garden, including tomatoes, green beans and lettuce. The experience was a big learning curve, but ultimately successful. Schroeder was able to donate fresh produce to five community organizations from her first year’s harvest. 

In her second year, Schroeder grew her garden to a full acre and included new crops like herbs and sweet potatoes, all of which got donated to eight different nonprofits.

In her first two years alone, Schroeder donated 7,000 pounds of produce to places like the River Bend Food Bank, a nursing home and church food pantries.

“Since I started my project, I've learned there are so many food pantries in our area — like nearly every small town has one,” she says. “So I know the need is there, and I love being a part of helping people get healthier, exposing them to different veggies and making a difference in my community.”

This year, Schroeder has donated her harvest to 10 different organizations. She’s planted more than 30 varieties of vegetables and is double-cropping with multiple veggies.

“So when a veggie like broccoli is done and I harvest the head, I plant another plant in the same location,” she explains. “Basically, I am trying to reuse the land twice for certain one-time crops.” 

Planting, growing and maintaining a full acre of vegetables is no small feat. Weeding is one of Schroeder’s least favorite tasks, but one she knows is important. She uses fabric, Preen, Round-Up along the fences and a skid steer with a tiller attachment to try to control the weeds, but “they still seem to find a way into my garden and are a pain in the butt all summer!" she said.

On the flip side, Schroeder enjoys picking certain vegetables like tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. 

“They're simple to do, people love them, and it’s instant gratification for me,” she says. “When I pick a really large harvest at once, it's very satisfying to see all of that at one time.”

But what brings Schroeder the most joy is being able to donate an abundance of vegetables to those in need.  

“I’m glad I’m able to help provide families a healthy, fresh component to their diet,” she says. “I’ve received letters, emails and messages from people all over the United States who tell me I have inspired them — inspired them to plant their own garden, donate to those in need, and give back where and when they can. I never thought of myself as a role model for adults, but seeing that grow into being a part of this project has been amazing.”

When she graduates high school in May 2025, Schroeder has plans to attend a four-year college and major in a medical-related field. No matter where life takes her, though, she’ll forever carry the lessons learned from her garden experience. 

“It's a ton of work, but seeing people's reactions and knowing what I'm doing makes it worthwhile,” she says. “Set your goals big and put small goals in place to keep chipping away at that larger goal. That's what I've done, and I'm making a huge difference in people's lives and inspiring others, even despite being a high school student!”

Giardino is a freelance writer from Polk City.