2022 AUSVEG VIC Awards for Excellence winners
The AUSVEG VIC Awards for Excellence event shines the spotlight on some of the highest achieving Victorian vegetable growers in the industry.
The annual event offers a chance for the Victorian vegetable and potato value chain to come together to develop new and strengthen existing connections.
Held at the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park on Saturday 7 May, this year’s event provided the opportunity to showcase the dedication to high quality produce, innovation and leadership within these vitally important industries in Victoria.
The growers and industry members nominated in the Awards provided a snapshot of the outstanding achievements of Victoria’s vegetable industry over the past 12 months.
Congratulations to the following winners of the 2022 AUSVEG VIC Awards for Excellence:
- E.E. Muir & Sons Grower of the Year Award: Peter and Rick Butler, Butler Market Gardens
- Visy Young Grower of the Year Award: Michael and Jason Agosta, AAA Farms
- Boomaroo Nurseries Women in Horticulture Award: Catherine Velisha
- Butler Market Gardens Environmental & Sustainability Award: Karen Thomas, Melbourne Water, Regional Agriculture and Landcare Program
- VegNET Victoria R&D Adoption and Industry Impact Award: Cameron Hussey, Cameron Hussey Engineering
- Elders Community Stewardship Award: Carl Larsen, RM Consulting Group
Apart from a suite of industry representatives, Victoria’s Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas, Shadow Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh, and Senator Raff Ciccone were in attendance on the night.
The Award winners are automatically nominated for the National Awards for Excellence, part of this year’s Hort Connections conference.
Pictured: 2022 AUSVEG VIC Awards for Excellence winners (L-R) Peter Butler, Rick Butler, Carl Larsen, Rouven Grossmann (accepting on behalf of Catherine Velisha), Karen Thomas, Michael & Jason Agosta, and Paul Gazzola (accepting on behalf of Cameron Hussey).