Part of the charm of a farmers market is that you never know what you’ll find. So much depends on what’s been grown and harvested before market day.

But at the Ala Moana Farmers’ Market on Saturdays, one charm is a mainstay, a sprout of the human variety who runs the booth called The Littlest Co-op. His name is Leo Campagna, and at age 7 he serves as CEO of a cooperative of child farmers that sells plants, fruits and vegetables that members grow in their home gardens.

"We grow food from the ground and don’t get it from barges," said the Mae­mae Elementary School student of the products under his tent. On a recent Saturday those included mountain apples, hearts of palm, ulu and various other produce and plants.

"Kids must take care of their plants, and when they grow big they can bring them to the Ala Moana Farmers’ Market," he explained.

Leo’s been running the booth with his mom and dad, Sherry and Carl Campagna, since April. The co-op now has more than 30 members, ages 5 to 9, who drop in whenever they have something to sell.

Kaiao Kauahikaua, 7, trekked from Wai­ma­nalo with his parents, Ryan and Christine, and brother Kahua, 5, to bring coconut, wheat grass, rosemary and kukui and uala plants to sell.

"I tell customers about how I grew the plants," Kaiao said. "My favorite thing about gardening is putting things into pots. We keep some at home and bring some to The Littlest Co-op."

The Kauahikauas are avid gardeners.

"My wife is into growing stuff, and she and the kids have goals to make money by selling things from our yard. We have several jars, one for a family adventure, one for saving and one for giving," said Ryan Kauahikaua.

Christine Kauahikaua said participating in the co-op provides new lessons.

"Growing food is such a big part of our lives. To be part of this is to be part of something bigger. My boys can be shy but they’re speaking to customers now. And that’s a huge aspect of farming," she said.

Customer Sue Lang Watson of Moiliili, who purchased hearts of palm, is smitten by the idea of a children’s co-op.

"My two stepsons arrive on Wednesday to live with us, and I’m excited to share this with them. They’re 7-year-old twins," she said. "This is just perfect."

Sherry Campagna said the co-op offers numerous opportunities for learning.

"Children can learn about entrepreneurship, farming, healthy eating," she said. "Parents take various approaches."

She said the mother of one boy keeps all her receipts from purchases of soil, pots and seeds, and when the children figure out their profits at the end of each market day, she takes her cut for reimbursement.

"She said it may seem harsh, but she wants her son to learn how business works," said Campagna. "Another girl is saving every penny for a Nook. Every week after market, she visits Barnes & Noble to look at ‘her Nook’ and keep herself motivated."

The booth also sells items donated from the community, including produce from Leo’s grandparents’ Hilo farm and "giving trees," surplus fruit from neighborhood yards that co-op members go out to pick themselves.

Leo’s foray into selling produce all began with a request to his parents.

"Last fall he came to us and said he wanted a Nintendo DS," said Carl Campagna. "We told him that required lots of money and that maybe Santa could bring it, but otherwise it was something he’d have to help earn money to buy."

After considering a few ideas, Leo suggested running his own business. Since he was already growing plants, the family thought a farmers market booth would be worth exploring.

With the help of his parents last fall, Leo crafted a business plan and approached Annie Suite, a manager of the Ala Moana market. Suite said she was happy to add Leo to the roster, but first he needed to get the required excise tax license, insurance and tent.

"We helped him, but Leo filled out the forms himself. It took a while, a few lines a day," said Sherry Campagna.

Finally, on April 27, The Littlest Co-op tent went up.

The co-op is committed to at least a year at the market. Market managers Suite and Pamela Boyar charge them a reduced $10 vendor’s fee.

"Over the years, we’ve always supported children because there are no programs in school to teach kids to be entrepreneurs," said Boyar. "If you teach them at a young age, they can keep creating."

As part of his duties as CEO, Leo monitors the co-op’s Facebook page. He responds to customers and folks who want to donate produce.

"I like to come to the market because I get to earn my own money. I’m saving for college and other purchases along the way," he said.

Co-op member Charlie Parsons, 5, shares the sentiment: "I like selling things and earning money."

In fact, says Charlie’s mother, Bernice Parsons, when her son had nothing to sell, he missed being at market and begged to go.

"This teaches them patience — he had to wait for the ginger to root," she said of the ginger plants they sell.

"We make it fun and don’t force them," she continued as the boys wrestled and laughed in the back of the booth. "They go get an Ono­Pop, and after market we visit The LEGO Store.

"You know, it’s sort of embarrassing, but Charlie said, ‘It’s like growing money!’ But he’s making the association — there’s a value to all this."

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Visit The Littlest Co-op on Facebook.