Cabbage kid hopes to win scholarship

Justin Wirig is competing with other students as part of a cabbage project begun last spring.

Third-grade students from all over Mountain Home took part recently in the Bonne Plants Cabbage growing program.

Justin Wirig, a fourth-grade student at North Elementary School, was the only student from his school to turn in a picture of his cabbage, which weighed 14 pounds.

Wirig, who received the cabbage in May while in Julie Bates' third-grade class, was joined in the month-long growing of the cabbage by both his mother and sister. Wirig returned the picture he took with the cabbage in September, following the cabbage's growth during this past summer.

Wirig also was attempting to earn a conservation badge from his Boy Scout troop, Pack 175, of Mountain Home.

Wirig has yet to learn if he won the state contest for growing cabbage. The top prize is a $1,000 college scholarship.

"I really hope I won. I enjoyed growing the cabbage and competing against the other students," said Wirig.

"I was really proud of him that he stuck with it and completed the project," said Bates.