Ukraine: Smart Garden project
Facinating results of the first year of cooperation
![Smart Garden candied pumpkin](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B7%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4-%D1%86%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8-smart-garden-candied-pumpkin.jpg)
In 2023, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine joined "Smart Garden" project launched by the Continental Farmers Group.
![Smart Garden open field](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/smart-garden-photo.jpg)
The goal of the initiative is to involve children and young people in agriculture, show them the prospects of modern agricultural technologies, give them practical skills in gardening, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. In 2023 about 150 young people from Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi and Lviv regions took part in the project.
![Smart Garden RijkZwaan](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/smart-garden-rijk-zwaan.png)
The company Enza Zaden Ukraine and RijkZwaan Ukraine provided vegetable seeds of Dutch selection, agronomic support and trainings on growing technologies. With support of professional farmers and thanks to hard work and diligent learning, the project participants had very good yield.
The vegetables have been processed into traditional Ukrainian dry borsch.
![Smart Garden - visit of RijkZwaan Agronomist](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/smart-garden-rijkzwaan1.jpg)
![Smart Garden 2023 - start of the season](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/smart-garden-2023---start-of-the-season.png)
![Smart Garden Borshch](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/borshch-smart-garden.jpg)
Candied pumpkin together with peanuts became great energy snack.
![Smart Garden](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/smart-garden-enza1.jpg)
![Enza Zaden Matilda](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/enza-pumpkin.jpg)
![Smart Garden candied pumpkin](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B7%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4-%D1%86%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8-smart-garden-candied-pumpkin.jpg)
"Every Ukrainian wants to contribute to our victory to the best of our ability, and children are no exception. So, in addition to the educational component, the project also has a volunteer component. From the dry vegetables, grown by the participants, our defenders can quickly cook delicious Ukrainian borshch. Participants grow pumpkins and even peanuts which are produced into energy snack. We will pass all these products on to our defenders. In addition, we grow peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes for our own use, and we master the technology of growing watermelons and melons.
![Smart Garden](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/smart-garden-microgreen.png)
Traditionally, "Smart Garden" is about villages, because participants grow in their own kitchen gardens. But in 2023, the project also went to cities: in one of Ternopil schools students grow microgreens on a special installation with automatic watering and lighting," says project coordinator Roman Kominyarskyi.
![Smart Garden Project by CFG](/binaries/medium/content/gallery/agroberichtenbuitenland/content-afbeeldingen/o/oekraine/top-sectors/horti/smart-garden/smart-garden-banner.png)
In 2024 the cooperation with the Netherlands Embassy in Ukraine will continue. We invite partners and participants to join.