by Cathy Free

There were plenty of canned and boxed goods, but she didn't see anything fresh or green to give to families in need.

"I thought it would be great to change that," said Lauren, now 17. "I wanted people to get the nutrition they needed from fresh vegetables."

She told her parents that she wanted to start a garden on some of their farm acreage in Dixon, Iowa, so she could supply families with homegrown produce. She wanted to plant lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and zucchini.