A diverse group of eight young growers have stepped up to compete for the title of 2022 Bay of Plenty Young Grower of the year.

The competition is now in its 15th year of celebrating the young and upcoming leaders of the horticulture industry.

The competition, consisting of a day event and gala dinner, will take place at the Mount Maunganui College grounds on Wednesday, July 20.

From 9am - 1.30pm, competitors will be undertaking a range of horticultural related theory tests and practical modules.

Spectators are encouraged to come and support the young growers on the day.

Following the day event there will be a Gala Dinner and Awards Evening at the Trustpower Baypark stadium, Tauranga, where the young growers will participate in a speech competition, with the final winner announced at the end of the evening's proceedings.

Contestants will have the opportunity to compete for the title of the 2022 Bay of Plenty Young Grower and additional prizes will be up for grabs for the runners up and the winners of each module.

The 2022 winner receives a media and presentation development course in Auckland and will travel to Wellington to represent the Bay of Plenty in the 2022 national final of the NZ Young Grower on 21 and 22 September.

The 2022 Bay of Plenty Young Grower competition aims to inspire and acknowledge the talents of young people in the fruit and vegetable sectors.

Last year, Bryce Morrison secured the title of the 2021 Bay of Plenty Young Grower after excelling in individual challenges and impressing judges with his speech.

'It's great to see such an interesting and diverse group of eight competitors in this years' competition. It's reassuring to see this young talent that we have coming through our horticulture industry," says New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc. CEO Colin Bond.

"The support that we receive from the industry around this event is outstanding and is an illustration of the importance that horticulture places on career pathways for new entrants.”

This year's young growers come from an array of backgrounds. All of them have made great contributions to the horticulture industry.

Daniel Kenna: Daniel grew up in Katikati, and after some time away studying and working in the South Island, now has a ten second commute across the road to the orchard he manages in Aongatete. Daniel has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Canterbury, and he is interested in how to support the wider ecosystem around the orchard, which is next to a wetland area and the Tauranga harbour. After university, Daniel worked as an abseiler on reconstruction efforts after the Kaikoura earthquake, but decided to swap dusty construction sites for the lusher green of orchards, where he has been working since 2018. He is now an orchard manager for KWKiwi, and has recently led the conversion of a 4.5 hectare orchard from green to gold. Outside of work, Daniel is a keen op-shopper and always happy to get out on the water and go fishing when he can.

Emily Woods: Emily is a Katikati local, growing up on a small lifestyle block there. Emily found herself working in the horticulture industry after school, working her way from administration to running harvests to now working in kiwifruit grower services for Apata. She is now firmly committed to a career in horticulture, currently completing her Diploma in Horticulture. Working within the organics division at Apata, she particularly enjoys this method of growing, with its emphasis on a holistic, long term, and regenerative approach. When she is not at work, Emily plays netball, crafts macramé and looks after her dog Merlot.

Geordie Waldron: Geordie spent his early years in Mount Maunganui, before he moved out to Aongatete to attend Katikati College. He found his passion for growing through the horticulture department at the college, and after working in a packhouse progressed to a cadetship position at Hume Pack-n-Cool. In 2021 he was promoted to being an orchard manager, with responsibility for looking after a portfolio of orchards. He particularly enjoys the grower liaison aspect of this work, and loves talking to orchardists and understanding the history of the places they are working on. Geordie gets away camping on the weekend in his Landcruiser rooftop tent, and also works restoring cars, most recently a Ford Escort Mk. II

Gurjinder Singh: As a teenager, Gurjinder moved to Te Puke from India, with his family. Whilst still a secondary school student, he began working on the family kiwifruit orchard at Paengaroa. Following school he completed a Bachelor of Business Analysis at the University of Waikato. After this and whilst working as an accountant, he realised that he preferred orchard work and began working as an orchard manager. He has been working for Treveylans in an orchard manager role since 2021. Outside of work, (which he doesn't really think of as work) Gurjinder is a keen weightlifter.

Josh Collier: Josh grew up and lives in Te Puke. His grandfather was one of the first Māori kiwifruit growers in the Bay of Plenty, so kiwifruit has been a part of his life forever. Josh got his start in his career through a cadetship at Seeka, where he undertook a range of different roles, and where he is now an orchard manager. Josh's aim is to purchase back his grandfather's former orchard. Being the father of a one-year old, family time is a big part of his out of work time, but he also enjoys playing golf and jiu jitsu.

Laura Schultz: Laura grew up on her family orchard in the Bay of Plenty. After a diverse career across different countries that has included studying fashion design, yoga instruction, and working as a snowboard instructor, she returned home three years ago and realised her interest lay in growing avocados. Since then, she has leased the family orchard and now takes full responsibility for it, alongside her work within the avocado improvement group at Trevelyans.

Sam Shergold: After completing a Bachelor of Business and Marketing, Sam found himself in the horticultural industry when he was offered a role working with Aongatete Avocados. Through this role, he has dealt with the entire production line, from picking through to managing export arrangements. He particularly enjoys putting his study into practice through finding ways to innovate practices and improve efficiency. He is also a keen multi-sporter, having completed the Coast to Coast several times, including the one day race.

Yanika Reiter: Yanika grew up on a small lifestyle block in Otumoetai, and she now lives on her own small avocado orchard in Aongatete. Yanika studied as a marine biologist, gaining a Masters of Science from the University of Waikato. She made the leap onto land after taking up a role as a biosecurity advisor for Kiwifruit Vine Health, which allows her to pursue her interest in biosecurity. Outside of work, she spends time with her spaniels, Murphy and Moose, and loves anything to do with the ocean, including free diving (when the sea is warm).

The 2022 Bay of Plenty Young Grower competition aims to inspire and acknowledge the talents of young people employed in the fruit and vegetable sectors in the Bay of Plenty.

We have some of the best fruit and vegetables in the country, so it goes without saying that there are also a number of very talented young fruit and vegetable growers in the region.

The winner of the 2021 Bay of Plenty Young Grower goes forward to the national final of the NZ Young Grower on 22-23 September 2021 in Wellington.

More information at www.bopyounggrower.co.nz