Students from across the state have gathered at Agfest for the 2026 Let it Grow and Soil Your Undies awards ceremony to find out which Tasmanian school grew the biggest carrot - and whose soil is the healthiest.
After 13 weeks of watering, fertilising, and even playing music to their plants, the winners of the 2026 Let it Grow and Soil Your Undies challenges were revealed.
Students at 50 schools had been putting their agricultural science skills to the test since February in a race to grow the heaviest carrot. On Thursday May 7, students brought their carrots to the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) site at Agfest to be weighed ahead of the official awards ceremony.
Alongside the carrot challenge, students also got their hands dirty in the Soil Your Undies Challenge by burying a pair of 100% cotton undies in their school gardens to test soil health. The more degraded the undies, the healthier the soil.
In the Let it Grow competition Wynyard High School won first place with their carrot weighing 181 grams. Second place was Burnie High School with their carrot weighing 141 grams, while Exeter Primary School was third their carrot weighing 121 grams.
In the Soil Your Undies competition Tasman District School won first place, with Clarendon Vale Primary were second and Dominic College were third.
More than $4,000 in prizes were awarded thanks to sponsors from the TAS Farm Innovation Hub, Harvest Moon, Horticultural and Landscape Supplies and TIA.
TIA Director, Professor Mike Rose, said the Let it Grow challenge is designed to build interest and excitement in agricultural careers.
"This is the fourth year we've run the Let it Grow challenge, and it continues to grow in popularity, from seven schools taking part in 2023 to 50 schools this year. It's wonderful to see so many schools taking an interest in agricultural science," Professor Rose said.
"Let it Grow is about much more than growing big vegetables or burying undies in the school garden. It gives students practical, hands-on learning, builds their understanding of soil health and sustainable food production, and opens their eyes to the many career opportunities across agriculture and the food industry.
"We hope to inspire students to pursue educational pathways and careers in these fields, addressing skill shortages and promoting sustainable agriculture practises for future generations."
Prizes included cash towards school garden programs, gardening supplies and educational workshops.
Sandra Knowles, the Director of the TAS Farm Innovation Hub , highlighted that the Soil Your Undies challenge offers a straightforward, hands-on way for young people to learn about soil health.
"It's a simple idea, but it really brings soil health to life for students as they can see for themselves what's going on in the soil," she said.
"At the end of the day, good soil is what farming is built on. If we look after it, it helps farms stay stronger and more resilient through tough seasons and a changing climate."
Harvest Moon chief executive, Mark Kable, said he was thrilled to support the competition.
"Programs like Let It Grow matter. They give students a real connection to where food comes from and what goes into producing it. At Harvest Moon, we see it as our responsibility to back the next generation of growers, innovators and problem-solvers. If we can spark that interest early, we're setting up the future of Australian agriculture," he said.
