Organic mushroom grower Chris McLoghlin named Young Grower of the Year

Victorian organic mushroom grower Chris McLoghlin has been presented with the Young Grower of the Year Award, proudly sponsored by Corteva AgriScience, at the Hort Connections 2018 National Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner.

“Chris is a passionate organic grower who in a short time has developed into an innovative businessman and strong advocate for the Australian organic industry,” said AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside.

“Chris has a focus on discovering and adopting the latest innovations into his business – growing organic mushrooms is no easy task, so researching what is being done around the world and developing his operations with this knowledge has been essential to Chris’ success. He is also a champion for encouraging the latest innovation and research into the wider industry, which sets a great example for his peers.

“Not only has Chris managed to grow his business from five people to 50 people in a short time and directly supply most major retailers with his produce, he has done so while being actively involved with organic industry associations. Chris is a highly respected figure in the Victorian organic industry and is a very worthy recipient of this award.”

The Young Grower of the Year Award is supported by Corteva AgriScience, the agriculture division of DowDuPont™ and the only major agriscience company completely dedicated to agriculture, with leading positions in seed technologies and crop protection.

The award is presented to a horticulture grower who has applied excellent business acumen and innovation on-farm, while also demonstrating a high level of commitment to the wider industry, and participating in industry groups and community activities.

“In addition to his work within his business and the organic industry, Chris has been actively engaging with government and universities to facilitate the implementation of new technologies across all areas of the agriculture supply chains,” said Mr Whiteside.

“I congratulate Chris on his award and his commitment to the improvement of the industry. The Australian horticulture industry needs more young people involved, and it is important that we recognise the achievements of young growers such as Chris to ensure we foster our next generation of leaders.”

The Hort Connections 2018 National Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner honoured growers and other members of the Australian horticulture industry for outstanding achievements. The dinner was the capstone event of Hort Connections 2018, which drew nearly 3,000 local and international delegates for the premier event in Australian horticulture. For official photos of the awards ceremony, please contact the AUSVEG media contact below.

Image: Chris McLoghlin with Nick Koch from Corteva