The fun-loving and always-in-the-moment Wallace “Wally” Henry didn’t mind getting dirty at his family’s farm in Penngrove and was especially good at picking carrots, said his mother, Tomi Henry. At 6 years old, he was a gifted artist, too.

But as summer break was winding down last year, just one week before he and his twin sister Helen were to enter first grade, Wally died in an accident at the family’s home, she said.

His memory will carry on with the new “Wally’s Snack Shack,” a space for kids to get dirty and to pick ready-to-eat produce – just like Wally did – at the back of Penngrove Elementary School, where he attended.

“He needed a little help taking care of himself a little more than his peers. But one thing that he could do independently was go out to the garden and grab something to eat,” said Tomi. “So he could feed himself from the garden, usually carrots. It was the only vegetable he would eat, actually. That's why we're doing carrots in here.”

Tomi runs Fern Homestead, a teaching farm in Penngrove focused on regenerative agriculture and sustainable farming. “I just love the idea of other kids having that satisfied, independent feeling of being able to fulfill your own basic need to go out and get food independently,” she said.

The shack’s ribbon cutting and sign reveal is scheduled for April 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Penngrove Elementary School. The family has extended their invitation to the whole community.

“We want anyone and everyone to show up,” Tomi said. “If you're on the fence because you think you're not wanted, or you don't belong, or you didn't know us well enough, come, please come.”

She said this just steps away from the snack shack on a sunny April day as she, her husband Ben, and Wally’s two siblings arrived to set up the sign and plan other aspects of the commemorative space.

“He was funny. He was a really good artist. And I just love him,” said his twin, Helen, who is now in first grade.

“I’m going to feel good that he’s going to be remembered at the school I go to,” said older brother Malcolm.

They were joined by Mary Beth Leland, who runs the Petaluma-based nonprofit Regenerative Education Alliance, of which Fern Homestead is a member. Leland, who played a critical role in bringing the snack shack to life, recalls calling on Alliance volunteers to pick produce at the Henry’s farm in the weeks after Wally’s passing.

“The whole idea behind Fern Homestead and Wally's Snack Shack and the ribbon-cutting event is all inclusivity,” Tomi said. “Because with my farm, I wanted to make it open to anyone of any age, of any ability, of any experience level to learn at whatever level they're at.”

The family had smiles on that day, but the sadness lingered throughout the afternoon. Tears occasionally slipped out.

“It’s something that we know we’ll never ever get past, but we’ve been able to weave in and out of our grief on a day-to-day basis a little bit better than we were six months ago,” said his father, Ben.

The name behind Wally’s Snack Shack is a “rebrand” of the refined foods that are often considered snacks and that the Henry family considers junk. “I'm going for nothing less than a cultural shift,” Tomi said. This goes hand-in-hand with the sustainable agricultural practices and food production lessons they teach.

Though they only met once, Wally taught incoming Penngrove Elementary Principal Michael Mori “to take some time to connect and to play, to slow down, and to really be present.” he said.

They met in early July. Helen and Malcolm brought Mori flowers at his office while Wally stayed in the parking lot with his mom, who had a baby goat in tow. Wally asked to play tag with Mori – a request that felt “special” to Mori. They played a quick game of hide-and-go-seek instead.

“I think, as adults, we can kind of just move on to the next thing in the spirit of productivity and getting work done,” Mori said. “But for me, in that moment, I'm so happy I followed that nudge.”

With the new space, kids will have a place to pick carrots and play. The team plans to add tomatoes and cucumbers over the summer. After that, they’re hoping to plant peas, berries, and dwarf citrus trees.

“Anything that [students] can just grab and eat,” Tomi said. Just like Wally did.