Smart Garden: How Ukrainian students learn social responsibility and entrepreneurship through microgreens farming

What's the problem?

Because of Ukraine's vast fertile lands and rich farming culture, agriculture has become one of the leading sectors contributing to the country's economy. During Russia's full-scale war, which has been ongoing for over two years, agriculture has been one of the lifelines for Ukrainians and will remain so even after the war ends.

Despite being a significant target of Russia, which stole 19.3% of Ukraine's arable land, including some of the most fertile land and crops, agriculture brings profits and is expected to be key to the country's recovery, especially in the early stages when funding is scarce. 

Much of the responsibility for recovery will fall on the younger generation, who will need to learn more about business, particularly farming. Ukrainian activists are now working to interest young people in the agricultural sector so they know what to do after the victory and can jump right into work.

What's the solution?

The Ukrainian agribusiness company Continental Farmers Group wants to engage young people in agriculture and teach them the basics of plant cultivation, agronomy, and financial literacy. It started the project called "Smart Garden: Microgreens," where students learn to grow healthy produce, learn business fundamentals, earn their first income, and take part in volunteer activities.

This sustainable project is supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine and international and Ukrainian agricultural companies.

How does it work?

The Smart Garden's story began long before Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Two years prior, two dozen children from Ukraine's western Ternopil region had received seeds, fertilizers, and expert guidance from Continental Farmers Group to begin their journey into agriculture. 

As part of this educational and social initiative, kids tried to grow beets, carrots, onions, and baby corn. The first experience was a success because, by the end of the season, the children had gained basic farming skills and harvested their first crops. Over the next two years, the variety of crops expanded to include medicinal herbs, and more than a hundred participants joined the project. 

During the war, in addition to agricultural skills, the children also began gaining volunteer experience. The young farmers started producing dried borscht kits for the Ukrainian Armed Forces using the vegetables they had grown. With the medicinal herbs, mallow, and marigold, they made a special blue-and-yellow tea called "Glory to Ukraine!" They also prepared pumpkin candies and a nutritious snack made of peanuts and honey to accompany the tea. Since 2022, they've sent about 5,000 tasty and healthy packages to Ukrainian soldiers.

"This year, we have 300 participants from all over Ukraine, growing vegetables in villages," says Roman Kominiarskyi, the Smart Garden project coordinator. "But there's always been great interest in the project from students living in cities. Since there are no garden beds in the city and nowhere to plant, we decided to look for an alternative — that's how the idea of growing microgreens with special equipment came about."

Farming, business, volunteering

The project has expanded beyond rural areas and is now spreading to cities across Ukraine. The "Smart Garden: Microgreens" pilot version started with just one school, but within a year, 15 schools had joined the project.

"There were many challenges. We weren't sure how realistic it would be to set up a full, even if small, microgreens production in a school. Would the kids be able to handle it? Would they find it interesting?" says Roman Kominiarskyi. "We also had to prepare a lot of educational materials (and we're still working on them). There were some hiccups, but we made it work."

The organizers of the Smart Garden project took a different approach to the Microgreens installment. The main idea isn't just about growing something; it's about teaching students how to build a successful business. The students manage the entire microgreens production while learning the basics of economics and socially responsible entrepreneurship. They sell the produce they grow to local restaurants and donate part of the proceeds to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The project also promotes healthy eating habits.

"The current economic situation in the country is tough, to put it mildly. But we believe victory is ahead, and the economy will need rebuilding — and young people will play a part in that,"  says Roman Kominiarskyi, who stays in constant online contact with the students. "So when else, if not now, should they start learning? We're a transparent, responsible, and expert company, so we feel it's our duty to share our experience with kids and inspire them to achieve great things."

Success is measured in several ways, but the most critical metric is monthly earnings. The minimum target is ₴3,000 ($73). According to Roman Komirniarskyi, this is just a symbolic amount — some schools earn four times that in their first month. Based on sales results, the company creates a success ranking. "If a school doesn't meet the minimum threshold or if it meets it but stays at the bottom of the ranking for three months in a row, they're removed from the project. This is a strong motivator," says project coordinator Roman Kominiarskyi.

The school teams manage their earnings independently, but per the project rules, 10% of the profit must go to charity.

"A big 'danger' for schools is getting overly excited at the start and not being able to keep up with the routine processes — because there will be routine," says Roman Komirniarskyi. "We teach them to set up processes in a way that lets them be effective while spending as little time as possible. Building this system is the hardest part of the project, but if the team can handle it, everything will be great."

Does it really work?

Since the project began, over 150 students from cities across Ukraine have joined, including a dedicated group from the School of the Free and Caring in Lviv. It was their biology teacher, Kateryna Kuz, who first sparked their interest. Their journey wasn't easy — the project was delayed when a Russian missile hit their school in February. But rather than giving up, the setback brought them closer. While the school was being repaired, they threw themselves into learning how to grow microgreens, developed a business plan, and shared their dreams and ideas. Their efforts paid off when they finally saw their first greens sprout.

"The step-by-step video guides from the project leaders were a game-changer for the kids. They taught us everything from scratch. The students could also ask questions and get answers, not just from the project leaders but also from more experienced participants," says Kateryna Kuz.

Now, the entire growing process is up and running smoothly. Even more impressive, the students teach younger kids workshops, passing on what they've learned. They now calculate the cost of every step in growing microgreens to keep track of production costs — since their initial capital ran out quickly, they need to keep buying seeds and supplies. They've even created their own brand, SuperGreen, designed a logo, and handled everything from content creation to accounting and building relationships with local restaurants. In just four months, the Free and Caring team sold over 500 trays of microgreens and donated around ₴3,000 to charity.

"This project feels like a hands-on business-building kit where students learn the essentials of entrepreneurship, work together, listen and respect each other's opinions, offer constructive feedback, and brainstorm new ideas," says Kateryna Kuz, their teacher.

Of course, it hasn't been all smooth sailing. When power outages hit, caring for the plants became a manual task — like watering them by hand. Sales also took a blow over the summer, with fresh greens and vegetables in season. But according to Kateryna Kuz, these obstacles only pushed the team to adapt, find new wholesale buyers, and keep going.

"This project taught me how to manage a business, collaborate with a team, and support one another," says Tania, a 7th-grader and member of the SuperGreen team. Her classmate Marta adds, "We've grown closer through this project because we see each other much more. We've also become more responsible since we're constantly looking after the microgreens and putting in real effort."

"I'm especially moved when the kids donate part of their earnings. With the funds they donated this summer, the project leaders bought two FPV drones. The kids were over the moon, realizing that even while learning, they were able to support our soldiers. It's inspiring to watch them grow and make a difference," Kateryna Kuz says proudly.

At the Ukrainian Agrarian Lyceum in the city of Uman, students have also joined the microgreens initiative with their team, FloraCora. They planted their first seeds on March 7.

"In the beginning, it was really challenging. Everything was new — we had no experience growing microgreens or running a business. But as time went on, we started to get the hang of it," says Sofia Kolisnyk, one of the project participants.

The participants created a planting schedule, set up a rotation plan, and secured a partnership with a local restaurant. After just one month, the Uman students ranked first, not just first place, but with a record-breaking profit among all teams involved.

Although power outages cost them their top spot, team moderator Svitlana Shpenyk, the AgroSphere course teacher at the Ukrainian Agrarian Lyceum, says the students haven't been discouraged. They continue pushing forward toward their goal of becoming true entrepreneurs. Their team now boasts roles like agronomists, accountants, sales managers, packagers, technologists, and couriers.

"We have a wide assortment. We want to show that microgreens aren't just sprouts but an ideal source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants," says FloraCora team member Diana Dudnikova. "Our goal is to make agribusiness appealing to teenagers and prove that farming can be fascinating. We also want to prove that even schoolchildren with no prior experience can successfully run a business. We donate 10% of our profits to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, making our project not only exciting and rewarding but also charitable."

Even more inspiring solutions!

Continental Farmers Group has been actively involving different partners in its "Smart Garden: Microgreens" project, bringing in companies willing to sponsor schools by covering the costs of starter kits, materials, and equipment. Lyceum №6 from the city of Kalush is a shining example of such a partnership, joining forces with Goodvalley to launch the project.

At first, Principal Vira Prytuliak and her staff were concerned the responsibility would fall on them, but the students quickly took the lead. In no time, they established supply chains — now, almost every café and restaurant in the city sources microgreens from the lyceum. They even attracted larger clients, including the European SPAR network. Within just two months, the students secured first place in sales, generating an impressive ₴755,000 ($18,295). Now, they're setting their sights on expanding in their regional capital, Ivano-Frankivsk.

"8th, 9th, and 10th graders do this. They manage everything themselves and amaze us at every turn," Principal Prytuliak says proudly. "To ensure the greens stay fresh, they bought refrigerated bags with their earnings. They now choose their seeds, experiment with new crops, and even created their brand, Kalush Lyceum Green, complete with business cards. They take samples to businesses for trials, and they're thriving!"

Even better, the students don't just reinvest their profits and donate to the Ukrainian Armed Forces — they also earn rewards for their hard work.

"These projects are engaging because students get to 'try on' various roles — agronomist, marketer, manager, accountant," says Nazar Antonyuk, Director of Development and Communications at Goodvalley Ukraine. "They stayed dedicated to the project, even through summer vacation, which is amazing! It teaches responsibility and pulls them away from screens. Plus, they're gaining insight into professions and the workings of a real business."

Continental Farmers Group is also expanding the educational aspect of the project, offering both online and offline theoretical training. Online courses will cover business basics, marketing, startups, sales, financial accounting, investment, and agronomy, while offline workshops will focus on financial literacy. The company invites other Ukrainian businesses and industry experts to join and help guide the next generation of entrepreneurs.

"One of the greatest values of this project is that students can immediately apply what they learn in practice. We know that not all of them will go into agriculture, but we are confident that their interests will grow and they will reach their life goals. We're nurturing future success stories!" says project coordinator Roman Kominiarskyi.