AUSVEG wishes to congratulate young grower Nathan Free, who was last night awarded a prestigious Nuffield Scholarship for 2015 during a ceremony in Tasmania.

A Victorian vegetable grower from Lake Boga, and managing director of Alkira Organics, Nathan will study variety selection and soil amendments during conversion from conventional to certified organic farming as part of his scholarship.

“Receiving the Nuffield Scholarship is a significant achievement, and AUSVEG congratulates Nathan on this accolade. I am certain he will prove to be a worthy recipient as he continues his development as a young industry leader,” said AUSVEG CEO Mr Richard Mulcahy.

“Nathan has shown enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to the Australian vegetable industry beyond his years, and is also a recent recipient of the AUSVEG Dow AgroSciences Young Grower of the Year Award.”

AUSVEG is the leading horticultural body representing Australia’s 9,000 vegetable and potato growers.

Nuffield Australia awards scholarships each year with the aim to increase practical farming knowledge, techniques, and management skills. The scholarships afford Australian growers the opportunity to expand skills and learn new farming practices from their overseas counterparts in agriculture.  

Nathan plans to travel to the USA and England to learn about international farming practices as part of his scholarship.

“Nathan is worthy of the recognition and the opportunities that will be afforded to him through receiving this honour. I am sure that he will serve as a great ambassador for the Australian vegetable industry throughout his travels,” said Mr Mulcahy.

“Emerging technologies are increasingly forming a large part of the modern framework of agriculture. It is of vital importance that, through programs such as the Nuffield Scholarship, Australian growers are given exposure to new ideas, and global counterparts in their field, to expand their knowledge base,” said Mr Mulcahy. 

The Nuffield Scholarship is supported by Horticulture Australia Limited, using funds from the National Vegetable Levy and matched by funds from the Australian Government.

Information about the Nuffield Scholarships is available from www.nuffield.com.au.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrew MacDonald, Manager – Communications, AUSVEG, Phone: (03) 9882 0277 Mobile: 0406 836 330 E-mail: andrew.macdonald@ausveg.com.au