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Cornelius News

Andrew’s bumper crop!

July 26. There’s a young man on Shevington Drive who has a very green thumb. Eight-year-old Andrew Tarkovich is growing tomato plants that are almost seven feet tall and it’s not even August. His plants are tall enough for a photo spread in National Tomato Journal.

Andrew has already been harvesting vegetables since March. His early crop of broccoli, lettuce, asparagus and radishes were top notch and the rainy weather has made everything taste even better.

With a record breaking growing season developing, in April, Andrew decided that he would like to grow sunflowers and radishes imported from Ukraine, where he was born. His family, which comes from Vinogradov, Ukraine helped make that happen. Since May, his harvesting has also included squash, zucchini, cucumbers and peppers.

Andrew is the son of Jodi and Kevin Tarkovich. “We have been growing our own vegetables for the past 10 years and what we don’t eat, we give to our family members and friends, and always take care of our neighbors,” Jodi says.

Andrew’s tomato plants are even taller than last year’s crop, nearing almost 8 feet. He has a separate area for his blueberry  and spends considerable time after school and in the evening checking on his vegetables.

Andrew is a rising third grader at JV Washam Elementary and likes growing his own food “because it tastes better!” Andrew says that when he grows up, he wants to study sharks and be a police officer. He has also raised rabbits, ducks, chickens and turkeys. Growing vegetables is far from his only talent, as he Is also lead vocalist at School of Rock in Charlotte and just performed with his band at the Fillmore in Charlotte.