Grace Fulford wowed the judges at the Hawke's Bay Young Grower of the Year competition. Photo / John Cowpland / alphapix
Grace Fulford wowed the judges at the Hawke's Bay Young Grower of the Year competition. Photo / John Cowpland / alphapix
Grace Fulford grew up around orchards and packhouses and has now been named the Hawke’s Bay Young Grower of the Year.
Fulford, 27, from Hastings, is the youngest of three siblings, all of whom have pursued careers in horticulture, following in the footsteps of their father and uncles.
Last Thursday and Friday, Fulford wowed the judges with her knowledge and skill at the Hawke’s Bay Young Grower of the Year competition and took home the overall title.
“I was stoked,” she said of claiming top prize.
“It was such an awesome competition. It was really well-organised and run, and the other contestants were awesome too.”
Fulford currently works for apple giant T&G Global as a quality and compliance manager, and said she loves learning something new everyday in Hawke’s Bay’s horticulture industry.
“I just really want to keep experiencing and taking all the opportunities that come my way, and as long as I’m learning, I’m happy,” she said.
“I grew up in horticulture on my family’s orchards, and started my career there a year after I left school.”
Her family’s business is Omahuri Orchard, which grows everything from apples to cherries, but she decided to branch out and join T&G three years ago.
“Mum and Dad are so proud,” she said regarding her win.
Grace Fulford at the competition last week. Photo / John Cowpland / alphapix
The runner-up was Leander Archer (from Sunfruit) and third place went to Jesse Wall (from Mr Apple).
The competition included eight practical tests on Thursday at Lindisfarne College followed by a panel on Friday at Toitoi Arts and Events Centre, where the eight contestants shared their knowledge in a panel session.
The contestants also made a speech at the awards dinner at Toitoi.
As the regional winner, Fulford will represent Hawke’s Bay in the National Young Grower of the Year final in October.
“I am confident that with people like this coming up, we will come out of the wake of last year’s cyclone with the stability to have an industry that will grow stronger, bigger and smarter and have a more prosperous future,” said Hawke’s Bay Fruit Growers president Brydon Nisbet, who helped organise the competition.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.
