Corteva Young Grower of the Year Award closing soon

Don’t be bashful, you know you are good at what you do, and the horticulture industry wants to reward you through a special award
Anyone can nominate someone to be recognised as the Corteva Young Grower of the Year, or you can nominate yourself or somebody you know – shown here is 2019 winner Daniel Hoffman

An urgent call is out now for nominations to find Australia’s most outstanding Young Growers in horticulture.

If you know a young grower who is making an exceptional contribution to horticulture, nominate them now for the 2021 Corteva Young Grower of the Year Award and help highlight 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 under 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, so be quick.

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 to 9 June.

The selection panel for the Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year will consider nominations from a fresh produce grower, 35 years of age or less – shown here is 2019 finalist Stephanie Tabone now a valuable member of the Corveta team

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.

Stephanie 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,” Ms Tabone said.

“As a young female who didn’t grow up in agriculture, the nomination helped me make connections with respected and emerging horticulture leaders.

Nick Koch from Corteva Agriscience is shown here after handing the Young Grower of the Year award to Chris McLoghlin the 2018 winner

“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.

The quickest way to make a nomination is to complete the online form.

You simply need to provide contact details and an outline of the nominee’s contribution to the industry.

The nomination form can also be downloaded and emailed to info@hortconnections.com.au.

Nominations close on Friday 16 April 2021.

See a video featuring Daniel Hoffman for some insight into why he won the 2019 award, click this link