FEATURE
How his garden grows
Young entrepreneur sells Healthy Eats BY MICHAEL J. BILLONI
Grand Island native Grayson Shelp Photo courtesy of the Shelp family
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rand Island native Grayson Shelp is promoting daily consumption of organic fruits and vegetables. The twelve-years-young entrepreneur tells customers, “Eating healthy doesn’t mean it has to taste horrible.” August, ranking him first in the by growing in their basement. A sixth grader at Veronica E. “In January, I picked out seeds district and second in the nation. Connor Middle School with a Last summer, in addition to of pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, ninety-nine grade point average, selling popcorn, Shelp assisted cucumbers, zucchini, and gourds,” Shelp is a born salesman. As a father Edwin and mom Kimberly Shelp says. “They were planted and member of Boy Scout Troop 630, with managing the thirty-by-fifty- grew throughout winter.” he had a table outside a busy Ace As Shelp and his family began foot garden behind their East River Hardware and sold $15,005 worth Road home. The family began transferring the plants from the of popcorn items throughout
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www.foreveryoungwny.com | May 2022
basement to their outdoor garden, it became obvious they had too many. “In late April, I placed some plants outside so they could grow stronger stems and get used to the sun,” Shelp says. “After Dad picked out the plants for the vegetable and flower gardens, there were thirteen tomato plants and several flower plants remaining.” Shelp sensed an opportunity. He nurtured the remaining plants to a “monstrous size,” and took them on the road. “I decided to go through the neighborhood to see if anyone would like the plants and flowers and, as I did, I thought about how many of our fruits and vegetables went to waste from not eating them in time last year,” says Shelp. “I created Healthy Eats by turning my wagon into a mobile store.” Shelp’s wagon, recognizable by its forest green base and yellow lettering, features three stories of shelving with wood containers in the middle, and black welded wire baskets on the outside. “My veggies do not get dinged and damaged because of the cloth protecting them,” Shelp says proudly. Shelp invites customers to text their orders to his cell number, visible on the wagon. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. “Grayson’s mobile vegetable business is building entrepreneurial skills he will tap into throughout his career,” says Healthy Eats original customer, attorney Andrea A. Tarshus, Esq. “He is learning to be self-motivated, collect payments,
