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Sept. 28 named Kendall Rae Appreciation Day in South Fulton in honor of Georgia's Youngest Certified Farmer

Sept. 28 is now officially Kendall Rae Appreciation Day in the city. The 6-year-old was honored for her work in her backyard garden.

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — The smallest farmer in Georgia got a big honor in South Fulton on Tuesday.

Sept. 28 is now officially Kendall Rae Appreciation Day in the city. She was honored by the mayor and city council for work in her backyard garden. 

The 6-year-old suits up before she gets to work. She has her boots and her work gloves, and all of her gardening tools. When Kendall's working in her backyard, she always has a smile. 

"Over here is watermelon and peppers and beans," Kendall Rae Johnson said.

Kendall can't wait to show off her garden. 

"It's a cantaloupe that is really small and it will get this big," she said.

When she's in her backyard in South Fulton, she's always learning. The lessons started small when she planted her first seeds at just 4 years old. 

"The fruit and vegetables come through the flower when it's dying and it makes a beautiful okra," she said.

They've grown with her over the years.

"She started to see it go from a seed, to a plant, and then die and come back. She saw the plant life cycle of that and was like, wow," Kendall's Mom, Ursula, said.

Ursula says they let Kendall's love of being in the garden build their backyard farm. 

"The very first time we took her to go seed shopping, she spent $200! Whose kid does that?" she said. 

Ursula homeschools Kendall and they start every day in the backyard. 

"She gets back here and she just explores. She will have a question like, 'I saw this bug. What does it do?'" she said.

They talk about everything from bugs to food security when they're in the garden. 

"She's fascinated by it. So if she wants to do it, we are going to be her support," she said. 

Kendall invites other kids in the community to come over and learn about growing or shop in her garden. 

Sharing her love of what she does matters to her. 

"It has a big feeling in my heart. In my heart is the garden. The garden is special to me," Kendall said.

She wants to teach other people what she's learned about herself by working in the garden. 

"The most fun thing about being a farmer is just being yourself," she said.

Kendall started a fundraiser to transform her backyard garden into an educational space for the community where kids and adults can learn how to start their own garden. 

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