Batesville teen's ag passion grows into roadside stand

Listen to the 812 Podcast below

(BATESVILLE, Ind.) – A Batesville senior has an agriculture passion that continues to blossom, just in time for Mother’s Day. 

17-year-old Leanne Ludwig has helped her parents, Lucas and Christy, with farming and vegetable growing for as long as she can remember. 

She became more involved when her father started a business called Ludwig’s Sweet Acres about five years ago. 

“When I started growing seeds in the greenhouse with his vegetable plants, I realized just how passionate I am about this,” she said. 

After exploring a few other greenhouses, Leanne had no doubt that horticulture is certainly in her future.

But why wait for the future?

“I figured that I might as well try to do it on my own,” she said. 

Leanne started growing flowers in February while coming up with a business plan. 

It all came together when she opened her roadside stand called Leanne’s Greenhouse on April 26. 

The stand is located at the intersection of State Road 129 and Adams Church Road. 

She offers hanging baskets, 6-inch mixed pots and shadow baskets.

It’s the perfect place to support a young entrepreneur while also getting a Mother’s Day gift. 

Leanne’s Greenhouse will be open everyday through Sunday.

Hours of operation will be 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, with extended hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. 

Her Future Plans:

Leanne says the roadside stand is just the beginning of what she wants to do. 

Her long-term goal is to open a local garden center that also serves as an agritourism and educational hub. 

“I really want to do this in our local community and advocate for farmers, while also educating people about agriculture and how they can bring it into their own life,” she said. 

Ludwig plans to get a business degree from Ivy Tech to help bring her dreams to life. 

For now, Ludwig has a nonstop schedule between Leanne’s Greenhouse, the final weeks of high school and her involvement with FFA. 

However, she isn’t too busy to be grateful for those who have supported her so far. 

“I just want to say that I truly appreciate everyone that has supported me and my dreams, and this [roadside stand] is just a really big step and I plan to keep working really hard at it,” she said.

LISTEN TO THE 812 PODCAST WITH LEANNE HERE:

Leanne's Greenhouse

0:00