Leading New Zealand marketer First Fresh is investing in the future of the country’s horticulture industry through the First Fresh & Bill Thorpe scholarship.
Gisborne-based Dylan Hall is the inaugural recipient of the NZ$5,000 bursary, which is being made available through First Fresh’s grower loyalty programme.
Hall was head boy at Gisborne Boys High School in 2018 and will pursue a degree in horticulture at Massey University this year. He is spending his summer working at Wi Pere Citrus before he heads to Massey at the end of February.
“Ultimately I see myself heading into an agri-business role once I am qualified but it is great to get some practical hands-on experience and a few dollars in the bank here at Wi Pere before I go,” Hall explained.
The scholarship has been made available to First Fresh suppliers, their immediate families and key orchard staff for further education or training in horticulture.
Bill Thorpe, the founder of First Fresh and a well-known Gisborne horticulturalist, hoped the scholarship would provide a pathway to the horticultural industry for future generations of New Zealanders.
“Horticulture is often not at the top of everyone’s list when considering their career aspirations, but the reality is that the scope and breadth of opportunities in the industry is huge,' he said. 'With a country like New Zealand that focuses on primary production it's vital that we continue to encourage young people into the industry.”
