Anna England of Amberley, North Canterbury, has been named the 2024 Young Horticulturist of the Year.
After winning the coveted Young Horticulturist title at the finals, England said her disbelief quickly turned to “great excitement.” Her partner, parents, and employers were all there to share the moment.
She represented the Young Plant Producer sector and worked as an Elliott’s Wholesale Nursery sales coordinator. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Information Systems and a Diploma in Horticulture and is only seven months away from completing her part-time studies toward a diploma in Primary Industry Business Management.
The judges were impressed with how England has applied her business, IT and horticulture knowledge to a diverse role. They noted how her continuous learning and working with different people to get great results would help her thrive.
England was up against four other finalists representing different sectors within the horticulture sector. These finalists were judged on several challenges, including practical skills, industry expertise, leadership ability, business knowledge, and communication.
The five competing Young Horticulturist Competition sectors represented this year are New Arborist (New Zealand Arboriculture Association Inc); Young Amenity (New Zealand Recreation Association); Young Viticulturist (New Zealand Winegrowers); Young Grower (Horticulture New Zealand Fruit & Vegetable Sectors); and Young Plant Producer (New Zealand Plant Producers Incorporated).
After competition placements within their industries, the five competitors were selected as finalists.
Kyla Mathewson of Dunedin was awarded second place. She curated the geographic collection at Dunedin Botanic Gardens and represented the Young Amenity sector.
Craig Scott of Motueka, representing the New Arborist sector, was awarded third place.
Young Horticulturist chairperson Shaun Trevan said the finalists competing over two days at Karaka this week represented the best in young horticultural talent in New Zealand.
“They are highly competent and forward-thinking young people seeding the country’s horticultural future,” said Trevan.
The 2024 prize pool equated to more than $56,500 in cash, professional development and leadership scholarships and products.
England's first prize includes $7,500 cash and a $7,500 Professional Development Package, including travel and accommodation. She said she'd spend the next week “dreaming up” where she may travel to pursue further “this amazing career of mine in horticulture.”
The second prize is $5,000 cash, plus the same amount for professional development, including travel and accommodation. The third prize is $2,500 in cash and the same amount for professional development.
Trevan added that the Young Horticulturalist of the Year competition was vital for horticulture in New Zealand and couldn’t occur without the support of official partners, supporters, and friends of the competition.
Woolworths, Fruitfed Supplies, and T & G Fresh were the official sponsors, and Bayer, Craigmore Sustainables, and Horticentre Charitable Trust were the silver sponsors.
The competition also included Woolworths Innovation Project Prizes. Mathewson won first place ($5,000), England took second place ($2,500), and Taylor Leabourn (representing the Young Grower sector) took third place ($1,500).
Nelson orchardist Meryn Whitehead won the competition last year. Regan Judd, also an orchardist, won in 2022, while viticulturists took the top prize in the three preceding years.
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