Planting a Seed with Willie and the Salad Bonanza
Grow to Learn: STEM Gardening Contest Returns for 2025–2026 School Year
With the 2025-2026 school season commencing, many high school and elementary students may soon be undertaking an exciting and fun venture in their science classes, collaborating with Johnson County K-State Extension to learn about what it takes to grow ample amounts of containerized produce. As part of our youth outreach efforts in supporting local food systems, the Willie and the Salad Bonanza contest is designed to “plant a seed” of passion for growing one’s own food –teaching youth the concepts of efficient crop growing while allowing them to observe the trials and errors of their classmates.
Students Explore Plant Science Through STEM Gardening Challenge
The challenge: Grow the largest amount of three designated and provided varieties of leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, and kale) within a set time window. Student teams will grow their plants in either traditional potted media or hydroponically, and in doing so will learn about how variations in light, heat, water, and nutrients directly affect the growth of plants. At the end of the set growth days, Extension comes in to discuss the projects with students, assisting in measuring the success of their plant production, while guiding diagnosis for any issues that may have risen. Guiding youth through all of their key caretaking practices, students are given a first-hand opportunity to experiment with their plant growing practices, observing the differences that accompany changes. For high school students, the students with the most physical weight of leafy greens grown in the smallest amount of growing media are recognized for their achievement.
Originally a competition held primarily between Johnson County area high school students, Willie and the Salad Bonanza has in recent years expanded, offering the opportunity for learning to elementary-aged and mixed-aged participants. Though the concept remains the same, grow ample leafy greens in set time period, slight alterations for younger youth participants remove the competition aspect, placing more emphasis on experimentation and learning. In doing so, students are encouraged to collaborate with each other and learn alongside their peers. They can also then continue watching their projects grow well past the set measuring date.
Bring STEM to Life: Register Your Class for the 2025 Willie and the Salad Bonanza
Tying into both STEM and NGSS-aligned curricula, teachers often incorporate Willie and the Salad Bonanza seamlessly into their lesson plans. If you or an educator you know would like to have a youth group or class participate in Willie and the Salad Bonanza, please reach out to Horticulture – Small Farms Extension Agent Anthony Reardon at anthony.reardon@jocogov.org for further details, or register at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/4j4qdk8. The contest will have four divisions, grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12, and Mixed Age. This year’s program will run from Wednesday, September 12 through the final week of October. Seeds and a limited number of hydroponic setups are available for dispersal from the Extension office while soil and other containers are the responsibility of participants. Extension support will be available to participating groups throughout the growing days. Deadline for registration is September 5th.
by Anthony Reardon, Horticulture Small Farms Agent, 2025