Sometimes, the most creative ideas come from the minds of children.

Several years ago, Auburn resident Tom Goodelle, who maintains a garden in his backyard, began selling extra vegetables from his garden at the curb of his 145 Perrine St. home.

Last year, Goodelle's granddaughter, 12-year-old Jenna, got the idea of placing a sign with the vegetables to attract more attention from passing motorists and community residents.

Now, young Jenna's entrepreneurship has turned into a full-fledged vegetable stand called “Grown by Grandpa.” The stand offers tomatoes, beans, zucchini and other vegetables and is manned by Jenna and her younger brother, Joshua, 8.

“We go out to the garden, and when it's time to harvest the vegetables, we get a whole bunch and put up the stand,” said Auburn resident Jason Page, Jenna and Josh's father and Tom's son-in-law.

Though the family has no set times or days the stand is in operation, they try to have the stand up on Saturdays to gain business from churchgoers, since SS. Peter and Paul Church is just around the corner.

“(Our family) is pretty strict Catholics, so we try not to work on Sundays,” he explained.

A recent article published by Health Focus International, a firm specializing in consumer health and nutrition trends, stated that produce freshness is becoming more important than lower amounts of fat.

Produce stands, the article continued, provide consumers with fresher, better tasting and more nutritious products than supermarkets, which usually harvest the produce before it is fully ripened, resulting in a loss of flavor.

“You know, with today's economy and the high prices of everything, I think people are looking for the best value for their dollar,” Goodelle said during a telephone interview.

Besides the aforementioned vegetables like beans and tomatoes, Jason Page said, this year his father-in-law has expanded his garden somewhat.

“He's got some corn out there this year,” he added. “He started out with just one little garden, and it kept getting bigger and bigger, until now he has three different sections out there.”

Last Wednesday, Jenna and Josh sold zucchini straight from the garden in between the seemingly constant rainfall. Their father said the two even have their own method of branding.

“We have a little rubber stamp we use,” Jason Page explained. “When they sell a bag of beans or something, it has a green stamp on it that says 'Grown by Grandpa.'”

And Grandpa said that he works in his garden every day, and that his children and grandchildren have been a great help.

“I'm really proud of them, especially the kids,” Goodelle said. “The way they've taken this thing and run with it is just great.”

If you go

What: Grown by Grandpa roadside vegetable stand

Where: 145 Perrine St., Auburn; hours vary

For more information: Call Jason Page at 406-9089