“People have been really generous,” said 12-year-old Sammy Brown, a seventh grader at Mellon Middle School who runs Veggie Bros, a backyard produce stand on Meridian Drive with his 10-year-old brother, Benny, a fifth grader at Howe Elementary. The Mt. Lebanon brothers spend their Saturdays selling homegrown vegetables from their family’s Sunset Hills garden. They donate part of the proceeds to charity.

The stand, which opened in July, quickly became a neighborhood favorite. Customers stop by between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays to pick up fresh vegetables and herbs. “Some people walk up and some people actually drive up,” said their father, Eddie Brown. “We basically have our little stand right next to the road.”

The brothers keep pricing simple: it’s all pay what you like. “We don’t really care what the price is,” Benny said. “It’s just nice to share with our neighbors.”

Eddie said that so far, customers have been more than fair. “Most of the time it’s a little more than grocery store prices,” he said. “People seem happy to support the boys — and they like the fresh produce.”

The Browns grow tomatoes, peppers, green beans, onions, basil and jalapeños, among other vegetables. Some customers even pick herbs and produce straight from the pots near the stand. “Last weekend someone picked about a third of one of my basil plants,” Eddie said with a laugh. “They were making pesto.”

The family’s gardening venture began about five years ago after Eddie watched a class on growing your own food. “I have a big garden and just wanted to share with our neighbors,” he said. “It’s like a little neighborhood market.”

Sue Brown, the boys’ mom, said the family sold vegetables occasionally last year before making it a regular summer project. “It’s been a great way to meet people,” she said. “Neighbors who might just walk by with their dogs now stop and talk to the boys.”

While much of their income goes into savings, the brothers are also setting some aside for future college expenses and charitable giving. “We save some, spend some and donate some to charity,” Benny said.

So far, they have donated to Team Jett, a local effort supporting a family whose young son, Jett, had been fighting inoperable brainstem cancer. The Browns learned about the campaign through their school community and wanted to help. “If we were able to help at all, we wanted to,” Sue said.

Eddie said the boys handle much of the harvesting and selling while he focuses on planting and experimenting with new crops — sometimes battling wildlife, including groundhogs and deer. “We kind of let the boys take the lead at the stand,” he said. “People like chatting with them. It’s nice to see kids making an effort.”

Benny and Sammy also enjoy talking with their customers. “Sometimes they even come back to tell us what they made with the vegetables,” he said.

The Veggie Bros plan to sell through the end of October, weather permitting. They accept cash and Venmo. For the Browns, the experience has been about more than fresh produce — it’s about growing community.

“It’s been nice seeing people connect again after being so isolated during COVID,” Sue said. “This little stand has turned into something really special.”