Do you know a young grower who is making an exceptional contribution to Australian horticulture? Nominate them for the 2021 Corteva Young Grower of the Year Award and help celebrate the next crop of horticulture innovators and leaders.
Corteva Agriscience™ joins AUSVEG, calling for Corteva Young Grower of the Year Award nominations to find Australia's next crop of outstanding young fresh produce growers.
People across the horticulture industry are encouraged to nominate young growers who deserve recognition.
The annual award celebrates producers aged 35 or less who champion the horticulture industry's success and show a commitment to innovation in an effort to define the next generation of future leaders.
Nominations close on 16 April, and the winner will be announced from a shortlist of nominees at the AUSVEG National Awards for Excellence during the Hort Connections convention in Brisbane from 7-9 June.
Corteva Agriscience's Marketing Manager for Horticulture & Insecticides, Mr Nick Koch, said Corteva is proud to support the award again in 2021.
"We are delighted to continue our relationship with AUSVEG and the horticulture sector through sponsorship of the Corteva Young Grower of the Year Award," Mr Koch said.
"Every day, talented young women and men are hard at work across the country, identifying opportunities and finding the solutions to help shape the future of fresh produce production.
"We encourage everyone to take a few minutes out of their day to nominate the outstanding young growers they know deserve recognition. Growers can also nominate themselves," said Mr Koch.
Stephanie Tabone was 23 years of age and working as a production manager for one of Australia's largest carrot producers when she was nominated for the Young Grower of the Year 2019. She explained that her career has since gone from strength to strength.
"Being an award finalist has led to valuable career opportunities for me, and I'm still really grateful for the recognition by the industry," Stephanie said.
"As a young female who didn't grow up in agriculture, the nomination helped me make connections with respected and emerging horticulture leaders.
"Most significantly, it also led to the development of my relationship with Corteva and the next milestone stage in my career as Corteva's ANZ Regulatory and Stewardship Manager.
"The Young Grower of the Year Award is highly respected and can be transformational.
"It shows nominees that their dedication to horticulture is valued, not just in the business they're working within but also across the broader industry.
"It also provides networking and business exposure opportunities and builds confidence to step up to new challenges and roles with greater responsibility.
"With 2021 the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, it's the perfect year to nominate a great young grower and support their career progression in horticulture," said Ms Tabone.
For Mr Koch, the Corteva Young Grower of the Year Award's ever-increasing huge profile is a positive for young people and the industry more broadly.
"The importance of the award is growing each year, and that benefits everyone in horticulture.
"For the nominees, they receive the public honour at the National Awards as well as the networking, learning, and career opportunities that such wide recognition provides.
"The broader industry also benefits. By celebrating young growers' achievements, we're helping to keep the best and brightest in horticulture and supporting the sector's sustainability.
"Daniel Hoffman and Chris McLoghlin, previous award winners, have become respected horticulture leaders. And 2019 finalist Stephanie Tabone is now a valuable part of our Corteva team.
"That's something Corteva is committed to, helping young growers connect and develop, whether through the awards, creating networking opportunities or just making ourselves available," said Mr Koch.
To submit a nomination, visit https://www.hortconnections.com.au/award-nominations/. Nominations close on Friday, 16 April 2021.
