The Ternopil region has been the most active — this year, 19 schools and 360 participants registered, respectively. The Lviv region gathered 215 participants from six schools, and the Dnipropetrovsk region—195 from three educational institutions. Thus, over the past few years, the scope of the Smart Garden has grown from isolated groups of students interested in vegetable-growing technology to a powerful and numerous community. It has not only brought together participants from all over Ukraine around a shared interest in agriculture but also fosters responsibility, teaches teamwork, and transforms local communities.
As before, the project’s main goal is to familiarize students with the agricultural sector and the basics of entrepreneurship through the hands-on experience of growing crops independently. However, the Smart Garden 2026 also promises some innovations. In particular, some participants will be growing a vegetable new to them for the first time — the sweet potato, a delicious and nutritious root vegetable.
In addition to gardening, the new season will feature inter-school competitions, cooking workshops, even more field trips, and creative activities: photo stories, TikTok challenges, and other interactive events that will provide young farmers with ample opportunities for collaborative creativity. As is tradition, each participant will also have the opportunity to take online courses in agronomy and vegetable growing to reinforce their practical skills with the professional expertise of the instructors. And the volunteer component of the project teaches the younger generation that entrepreneurship must be socially responsible.
Alongside Continental Farmers Group, the Smart Garden project is supported by long-standing partners: Rijk Zwaan, Nunhems, Enza Zaden, BTU TM Zhyva Zemlya, and Kisson, who provide participants with high-quality professional materials.