11 Year Old Starts Green Business
May 30
In local news, an 11 year old girl from New Ulm has taken up an unlikely hobby that looks to benefit the environment. 11 year old Kennedi Kokesch makes all these bird feeders with recycled glass. After seeing glass being thrown away, and into garbage bins, at a local business, she had a creative epiphany. Kennedi Kokesch says, ”I asked them is this going to a landfill or are you throwing this away? And they said they’re gonna throw it away, and that just got me interested.”Interested in re-using that glass, to create beautiful and unique bird feeders. Kennedi says, ”Make something out of it, instead of just, like, wasting it and not using it.”After giving some feeders as Christmas gifts last year, Kennedi started selling them in March at her mother’s store, the Country Loft, in New Ulm. Kennedi says, ”It’s been a really big thing because the first time we advertised it, we only sold two or three, and as soon as we started advertising it, it’s gone up to like 15 a day.”Nancy Kokesch says, ”She’s probably sold about four or five hundred since March.”Kennedi’s mom, Nancy, gave her the financial and emotional support to start the business. Nancy says, ”I just agreed to it right on the spot, I said, I’ll give you one hundred dollars to start the business…and I said: Let’s cultivate this, this is great.”A great idea, that’s turned into beautiful art for her customers…Pam Sandland says, ”I’ve been kind of looking for some unusual pieces and stuff, and so this’ll add to my collection of just having different things in my garden, and I like the idea of having it recyclable and just knowing that this young gal is starting out a good business.”A good business, with an even better message…Kennedi says, ”In Sweden, they have 98 percent of everybody recycling, and in the US, it’s only 25 percent of people that recycle, so I’m hoping that we can raise that up to more.”A hope to better the environment… now, and in the future…In Mankato, Kira Klapper, News 12. If you’d like to buy one of Kennedi’s unique bird feeders, they are on sale at Drummer’s in Mankato, and the Country Loft in New Ulm, as well as stores in St. Peter, the twin cities, and the Mall of America.
(KYEC)
