Hastings’ Sam Carter wins Hawke’s Bay 2025 Young Grower Regional Title

Carter, from Hastings, pitched his skills against seven fellow contestants to take the title on 6 June.

He will now go on to compete against six other regional winners in the national Young Grower of the Year competition, set to be held in Christchurch in September.

Carter gained a law and geography degree from the University of Waikato and was initially considering a career in law until he worked summer holiday jobs for the Johnny Appleseed company in Hawke's Bay which introduced him to horticulture.

"I went back to Johnny Appleseed after finishing at university, did a full season and just fell in love with the industry," he says.

"It's partly about being able to be outdoors so much and the fact that every day is different but also that there is so much to it, so many different aspects and challenges.

"The seasons are a big part of it and my day to day role is very people-based around planning, training and supporting the team."

He joined T&G two years ago as a block lead and became an assistant manager last year.

He's gained a Level 3 Certificate in Horticulture from Eastern Institute of Technology and is now working towards his Level 4 qualification.

This was the first time Carter had entered the Young Grower competition and he says he thoroughly enjoyed it.

“It was great to be competing against such an awesome group of very skilled people. There are a lot of different aspects of the sector you need to know about. The modules included health and safety, irrigation, machinery management, soil nutrition and working with chemicals.

“There were things we encounter day to day and things that really stretched us to the limit. It’s an important competition because it promotes the industry to others, but it also promotes leadership and growth within the industry. I’m really looking forward to the final.”

Carter says his goal is to continue with his professional growth and progressing through management and his advice to others considering a career in the sector is to "give it a go, like I did."

"A lot of people do that and fall in love with the work," he says. "Once you try it you can get hooked and the industry is changing so much and offering many different opportunities."

"There is a lot of on the job and external training available. I have had so much input offered to get me to where I am."

Runner up in the competition was George Andrew, an orchardist at Mr Apple’s Clive orchard.  Third place went to William Hirst who is continuous improvement lead at Rockit Apples.

The competition celebrates the success of young people in the industry as well as encouraging others to consider a career in horticulture.

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 chief executive Kate Scott said the competitions play an important role in highlighting the wide variety of different career opportunities in the industry.

“Sam, George and William’s journeys in the sector echo that of many young people who are developing valuable skills, gaining qualifications and forging rewarding careers in many different parts of the industry,” says Scott.

“The regional Young Grower competitions and the national Young Grower of the Year final could not happen without the commitment of so many industry professionals across the country who give up their time to help organise them.

“Thanks to their dedication we can celebrate these very skilled young people who are pursuing enjoyable careers in the sector and raise awareness of those career opportunities to others.”