BUSINESS national youth week

Fresh produce, fun and future careers were all on display at the Granville Civic Centre on April 15th, as the community gathered to celebrate National Youth Week 2026.

Words Maureen Dobra, Loose Leaf Lettuce Company

AMONG the many stalls and activities set up throughout the beautiful town park was an interactive horticulture careers display presented by The Loose Leaf Lettuce Company.

The purpose of the stall was to introduce young people to the wide range of careers available within the horticulture industry and to highlight the important role fresh produce growers play within regional communities. The event drew a strong crowd, especially younger attendees, with the horticulture stall getting consistent interest all day.

Designed to be fun, hands-on and educational, the stall featured a target throwing game and a popular hidden red onion cup game, which quickly became favourites among the younger visitors. The activities created plenty of excitement while also opening conversations about the many career pathways connected to horticulture, including farming, machinery operation, logistics, packaging, agronomy and food production.

A large range of prizes and giveaways helped make the stall a success. Generous support in the way of popular merchandise was provided by AFGRI Equipment, Toyota Material Handling Australia and Delta Agribusiness. Local growers, Bogdanich farms, Brookrise Fresh Produce, Trandos Farms, Sun City farms & Centre West Exports and T C Do and Sons donated fresh produce prizes. Young participants were excited to win carrots, broccoli, celery, sweetcorn and rhubarb, giving many of them a fun and memorable connection to fresh local produce.

The Loose Leaf Lettuce Company also handed out seeds and gift bags, encouraging young people to become more involved in growing and understanding where food comes from.

An educational display featuring video clips about horticulture careers played throughout the day on a television set up at the stall. Visitors were also able to take home career information booklets produced by AUSVEG, helping provide further insight into opportunities within the industry.

The event proved to be a valuable opportunity to engage with the next generation and promote horticulture as an exciting and rewarding career path. Many visitors left with a greater awareness of the possibilities within the sector, along with a taste of the fresh local produce grown in their own communities.