Meet Donovan Atkinson, the 5-year-old who turned cucumbers from his family’s garden into a pickle business and sold more than 500 jars from his roadside stand | World News

A roadside stand selling homemade pickles is not the usual sight associated with a five-year-old. Yet Donovan Atkinson, a young boy from Attleboro, Massachusetts, has found himself running just such a venture, with cucumbers from his family’s garden providing the starting point. What began with a surplus of home-grown vegetables eventually developed into a small business, complete with its own name, customers and jars carrying a distinctive label. Known locally as ‘The Pickle Kid’, Donovan has already sold more than 500 jars since setting up his stand in 2025. His experience has also introduced him to some of the everyday responsibilities involved in selling a product.

How Donovan and his mother turned cucumbers into pickles

The idea came about after Donovan’s family grew more cucumbers than they could readily use in their garden. Rather than letting the extra produce go to waste, he and his mother, Gabrielle Atkinson, started experimenting with making pickles at home.The kitchen became the first place where the project took shape. Donovan worked alongside his mother, turning the garden harvest into jars of pickled cucumbers. For Donovan, the process offered a way to do something with the vegetables he had helped grow. It also gave the family an idea that could extend beyond their own kitchen.

More than 500 jars sold under The Pickle Kid name

In 2025, Donovan took the next step and opened a roadside pickle stand. The small venture gave him an opportunity to sell the jars to people outside his immediate family and circle of friends.The response was enough to turn the project into a growing local activity. More than 500 jars have since been sold, with customers including neighbours, friends and people who happened to pass by the stand.His business became known as ‘The Pickle Kid’, a name that reflects both his age and the product he sells. The nickname has also become part of the presentation, appearing on the jars themselves.

What running a pickle stand is teaching the five-year-old

Selling the jars has given Donovan some early experience with the practical side of running a business. Each sale involves more than handing over a product. He has opportunities to count money, speak with customers and become familiar with the small interactions that come with selling something to the public.His mother has been involved throughout the process, helping him make the pickles and supporting the activity as it developed. At his age, the business remains a family-supported undertaking, but Donovan has already become familiar with several aspects of customer service and basic money management.The experience has also helped him build confidence when dealing with people who visit the stand. These are skills that extend beyond the immediate business, even as the pickle sales remain the main focus.

The five-year-old has bigger plans for his pickle venture

The roadside stand is only the beginning of what Donovan would like to achieve. According to the WCVB report, he hopes to develop The Pickle Kid into a full pickle business in the future. For now, the operation remains centred on the small-scale sales that grew out of his family’s garden. There is no indication that the business has moved into wider commercial production, but the more than 500 jars already sold give an idea of how far the original project has travelled. At five, he is still at the beginning of his entrepreneurial experience. But The Pickle Kid already has a name, a roadside stand and a growing customer base.