2022 nominees

ALLIANCE WITH SCIENCE

Damien Manno from Quality Harvest AUSVEG selected Mr Manno for the award as recognition for his hard work, innovation, and dedication to excellence.

Meet the brightest young talent in the Australian Horticulture landscape.

Business	Daly Farms and Hellfire Bluff Distillery
Crop Focus	Potatoes
Methods	Conventional
Young Grower Challenges	As young growers, we need to be resilient and adaptable to innovate and navigate constant changes, from cost increases and climate change to skilled worker shortages.
In 5 years I'll be:	Still learning and finding new solutions to successfully take the farm forward for another generation.

Business	Aus-Ex Fruit
Crop Focus	Exotic Tropicals (Rambutan and Jackfruit) and Tree Crops
Methods	High-density, semi supported on single espalier style trellis.
Young Grower Challenges	Access to Finance. Access to affordable land. Enhanced Regulation. Access to Staff. Uncertainty in Global Economics. Changing weather patterns.
When and why did you get involved in agriculture?	Approximately 2012. I was excited about the emerging Exotic Tropical Fruit Industry and the potential for diversification of Northern Australian Agriculture.

Business	The South Australian Potato Company
Crop Focus	Potatoes
Methods	Conventional & IPM
Young Grower Challenges	Being accepted into the industry and sourcing good workers and mentors willing to pass on their knowledge. Costs of fertiliser and diesel.
In 5 years I'll be:	Managing a large-scale horticulture property and keeping up to date with the latest technology, which has the potential to develop into growing practises.

Business	MJ Hall & Sons
Crop Focus	Apples, Pears and Plums
Methods	IPM Friendly
Young Grower Challenges	Finding seasonal staff, bringing more younger people into horticulture, changing orchards over from older styles to newer more productive growing styles.
In 5 years I'll be:	I see myself still highly involved in horticulture. Implementing more technology into business. Empowering the new generation of growers to succeed in growing high quality produce.

Business	Pirrone Brothers
Crop Focus	Zucchini, Eggplant, Capsicum (Field Crops) Lebanese Cucumber (Protected Cropping)
Methods	Conventional, IPM, and Protected Cropping
Young Grower Challenges	Finance, worker shortage.
In 5 years I'll be:	Farming, just bigger.

Business	Kalfresh
Crop Focus	Kalfresh grows a mix of crops, conventionally and organically. In particular I am responsible for Carrots, Onions, Green Beans and Sweet Corn in the Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley and Southern Downs regions.
Methods	Conventional farming practices, focused on soil health.
Young Grower Challenges	Rising agricultural land values and the difficulties associated with attracting people to horticulture as a career. Looking ahead, I believe ensuring access to a reliable casual labour force, managing the tightening margins throughout the supply chain, and maintaining a social licence to operate as being the major challenges we as young growers will have to deal with.
In 5 years I'll be:	Continuing the expansion of our farming business and the development of a farming system that increases farm productivity whilst reducing inputs required.

As well as:

Ruby Daly, 27-year-old Business Manager of Daly Farms and Hellfire Bluff Distillery in Tasmania, is one of the national award contenders.

As well as: