From little things, big business grows

Seb’s mission to be more environmentally-conscious steered his family’s efforts outside of the household and into the horticulture industry.

“I learnt about sustainability from Mum and Dad,” he said.

“The idea to start selling seeds came from thinking about how it’s more sustainable for more people to grow their own fruits and vegetables.

“We were also saving money for Chilli.”

No, he’s not getting into the chilli-growing business.

Chilli is the latest addition to the family, a 12-week-old cavoodle that looks more teddy bear than hound — a very fluffy result of Seb’s hard work.

Seb’s Seeds differs from competitors by providing a high-grade commercial seed, freshly harvested that year.

Seb’s father David Tartaglia said the seeds were currently stocked at Mes Amours in Tatura, but the most success had come from online orders via the Seb’s Seeds Facebook page.

“We’re just about to release the winter range now ... they should be sown in the next four to eight weeks,” David said.

“Customers can look forward to growing their own silverbeet, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, kale, parsley, celery and more.”

When a seasonal range drops, the business can expect a weekly average of 150 orders of bulk packs, containing 20 to 30 varieties of seeds.

It’s obvious a lot of Seb’s knowledge has come from his father, sharing a green thumb and an appreciation of a job well done.

When asking David why he encouraged his 10-year-old to start a business, his response exhibited the nurturing Seb has received to flourish.

“It’s good for Seb to learn about the value of money, to appreciate hard work and the reward from it,” he said.