His neighbors may call him “The Plant Kid,” but Bridgeport High School junior Grover Grafton loves that people associate him with his passion.  At just 16 years old, Grafton is a promising young entrepreneur, growing over 5,000 plants each year in his new greenhouse.  The “seed” to this idea, however, was planted quite a while before he ever stepped foot in West Virginia.

 

Seven years ago, Grafton was living in Wyoming.  He traveled to see his grandmother in Washington and fell in. love with her porch garden. With towering plants and enormous flowers arranged perfectly on her porch, he couldn’t wait to accompany her on a plant shopping spree.  

 

Grover and his grandmother returned home with their Chevy van overflowing with all types of plants and together, they planted each of them.  The process took nearly three weeks, culminating in a surprise that would change his life.

 

“My grandmother surprised me with a trip to the local nursery to choose my very own plant,” said Grafton.  “As a fourth grader, I took this task very seriously, asking lots of questions and spending two long hours to make my decision. Ultimately, I chose a Big Max pumpkin, planted it and waited.”

 

In the three months that followed, he returned to his life in Wyoming.  Unexpectedly, a package arrived for him in an oddly-shaped box.  Out rolled his pumpkin, and, along with it, the realization that he grew it himself.  Always a natural when it came to selling everything from lemonade to snow cones to jewelry, he now had a passion for plants and business.  

 

Over the next few years, the Grafton family moved several times and Grover expanded his knowledge of plants.  When he moved here in the winter of 2018, he immediately got involved with the Bridgeport Farmer’s Market.

 

“The vendors at the market are like an extended family and have allowed me to share my interests and showcase my abilities,” said Grafton.  “I love hearing their stories and learning about their passions that drove them to get involved with the market as well.”

 

Now growing over 5,000 plants per year, Grafton has a goal of producing one metric ton of food in his ¼ acre garden. His market business, called GMACS Urban Farm, offers garden starts and several flower varieties as well as 15 different varieties of vegetables. In addition to growing, he also plans to donate 400 pounds of food to the Clarksburg Mission.

 

 Because his entrepreneurial “seed” was planted early, part of his mission includes educating young people about the origins of food and the process of growing plants and flowers.  He recently started a junior gardeners program and has already given away over 300 plants to kids at the market.  

 

“I love being able to contribute to my community, learn about sustainability, and see the fruit of my labor through this business and I am so grateful to have the support of my family and my market family and I continue to grow in my work,” he said.