A new event for young aspiring entrepreneurs is being brought to North Perth later next month.
The Board of Directors of the Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre is introducing the Children’s Business Market, which will give local kids between the ages of 7-15 a chance to apply to showcase their businesses at a one-of-a-kind market. Director Jill Lewis says giving local youth the opportunity to do something like this can help them gain new experiences and build confidence to one day become business owners.
"Having another venue where kids can come and do that kind of thing themselves, it's a fun idea, and we're really hoping the community will come out and support them. We're calling them 'agri-preneurs' and it should be a lot of fun," Lewis shared.
Lewis adds that the businesses created don't necessarily have to be ag-related, but agriculture plays a huge role in most businesses, anyway.
"Whether they recognize that or not, it's a neat connection there. We just want to be able to show the community that this is something that we're doing to give back, and this is the kind of thing we want to be able to host at our centre on a regular basis for the kids in our community," she added.
The Children's Business Market will be held Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Listowel Agricultural Hall. Space is limited, and interested participants are encouraged to submit their applications early. More information will be provided to those who apply. Applications can be found on the Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre social media pages or by emailing [email protected].
Lewis also points out that whenever the Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre is eventually built, they want to not only continue hosting the Children's Business Market, but make it happen more than once a year.
"We'll get it established now and get interest in it, and then it'll be something that we can carry on once we have our centre built in a few years. So my vision for it is to see this happening twice a year, so once in the fall and once in the spring," Lewis noted.
This event is generously supported by the Listowel Agricultural Society.
To stay up to date, you can follow the Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, or visit their website www.oafdc.ca.
