Fulford competed against five other finalists for the title
Grace Fulford, a quality and compliance manager at T&G Global, was awarded the 2024 New Zealand Young Grower of the Year title at a ceremony on 10 October.
Fulford secured the award after previously winning the regional Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower of the Year competition in June. She also took home the Best Practical Award.
Runner up was Pukekohe Young Grower of the Year Jamie Wells, an agronomist with Balle Brothers in Pukekohe. The other 2024 finalists were Bay of Plenty Young Grower of the Year Lilah Rosenfeldt, a trials specialist for Zespri International; Gisborne Young Grower of the Year Pip Terekia, a trainee orchard manager at Apata Group; Nelson Young Grower of the Year, Farrah Richards, packhouse packaging and inputs with Fairfield Orchards; Otago Young Grower of the Year Luke St John, packhouse manager, Fortune Fruit Company.
A fourth-generation horticulturalist, Fulford competed against tthe five other finalists on a series of challenges, including plant nutrition, irrigation, crop management and industry innovation.
The winners were announced at the awards gala dinner held at Hastings’ Toitoi Events Centre on 10 October, where finalists also participated in the Ballance Leadership panel event and FMG speech competition. The speech winner was Pip Terekia.
“I thoroughly enjoyed participating in both the regional and national competitions this year. The contestants were fantastic, and I feel fortunate to have made so many new connections and friends and learnt a tonne along the way. I’ve genuinely loved every minute of it,” Fulford said.
“The finalists that I competed against were all exceptional growers, and the competition was tough, so I was stoked to take it out. Having my entire family there to celebrate the win with me made it even more special. For anyone considering applying for next year’s Young Grower of the Year competition, I highly encourage you to just give it a go. Step outside your comfort zone because it’s truly a great experience and you’ll learn heaps.”
T&G’s director of operations, Craig Betty, highlighted the significance of the competition in nurturing and recognising the emerging leaders within the horticultural sector.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate Grace’s remarkable achievement alongside her, her team and her family. Grace has consistently shown a passion for horticulture and a commitment to excellence that’s really inspiring. This win is a testament to her hard work and the bright future she has ahead of her in our industry,” Betty said.
“At T&G, we know the performance and growth of our business comes from our people. We work hard to develop a high-performance culture, building the capabilities and leadership skills of our team members. We’re incredibly proud to have Grace as part of our team and will keep supporting her every step of the way.”
Regional organisers host and run the regional competitions independently, with Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) hosting the final in a different part of the country each year.
Entry is open to both commercial fruit and vegetable growers from across the regions, up to the age of 30.
HortNZ incoming board chair Bernadine Guilleux said the regional and national competitions played an important part in the sector’s strong focus on highlighting the scope of careers in the industry and the opportunities and support provided to nurture the next generation of horticultural sector leaders.
“We are very proud to host the awards in a different region each year. Once again, we saw a very high calibre of entrants showing great skill and knowledge throughout the challenges and their passion for the sector really shone through in their speeches.”
