Amelia Marsden wins 2025 Nelson Young Grower title

Amelia Marsden has won the Nelson 2025 Young Grower regional title.

Amelia, who is the Kiwifruit Manager at Willisbrook Orchards in Brightwater, pitched her skills against five fellow contestants to take the title on 19 June.  

She will now go on to compete against six other regional winners in Horticulture New Zealand’s national Young Grower of the Year competition, to be held in Christchurch in September.  

Amelia, aged 29, grew up on a dairy farm on the West Coast of the South Island, gained a Bachelor of Agriculture from Lincoln and began her career in the dairy sector.

An accident when she was kicked by a cow, resulting in a wrist injury, made milking difficult so she began looking for corporate roles in the primary sector.

“I hadn’t found anything. My parents were moving to Nelson and I saw a job advertised as an apples supervisor with Willisbrook so I applied. It was so nice to get a ‘yes’ from them.”

She quickly found she really enjoyed working in horticulture.

“I have always been passionate about all of the primary industries and the importance they have to New Zealand. I really enjoyed working in dairy farming, but I noticed a lot of differences in horticulture.

“Agriculture has come a long way in terms of accessibility for females, but I went from being the only female in my dairy job to working with a lot more. There is less brute strength required which makes horticulture very accessible for everyone.”

She also found there’s a lot of scope for professional development, both learning on the job and through external providers.

Willisbrook supported her to gain the New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Production – Fruit Production at Level 3 and 4 through Primary ITO.

After two years with the company, Amelia moved to Ballance Agri-Nutrients as nutrient specialist for the Tasman Buller region and also undertook further courses in nutrient management through Massey University.

She enjoyed her role but found she missed the practical side of working in horticulture, so last October she returned to Willisbrook.

“I didn’t have experience in kiwifruit so I knew, coming back, that I would need a good network around me as I got my feet planted and Willisbrook has really provided that. I have had so much support.

“I’m managing the permanent and seasonal staff, so up to 30 people at peak times. There are so many different aspects to the work and, for me personally I really enjoy that I can still get to do a lot of practical stuff and am not just in an office.”

Amelia sees the Young Grower competition as valuable both for personal development and for promoting the industry to others.

“It’s a great experience. It helps you find where your knowledge gaps are and where you track compared to other people in your age range. I see it as an opportunity to see what I can learn from and what I need to focus on.

“We really need young passionate people coming through the sector. To anyone thinking about it as a career I’d say, ‘do it’. There is so much opportunity and if you don’t want to be boots on the ground outdoors there are so many other roles available.

“At school, I found it quite hard to get information about careers in the primary sector, so I am really passionate about getting the message out there about it as a career path.”

Runner up in the Nelson competition was Tasman Valley Young Farmers chair Georgia Steele, who has also transitioned from dairy farming to horticulture and works for JS Ewers in irrigation and tractor operations.  

Third place went to Caleb Aarsen who is currently studying towards a Diploma in Horticulture at Lincoln University.

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.

“Amelia’s story really illustrates the experience of young people who come into careers in the horticulture sector and find there is so much opportunity and support for professional development and career progression.

“The regional Young Grower competitions and the national Young Grower of the Year final celebrates the very talented young people pursuing careers in the sector and raises awareness of those opportunities.

“The passion and commitment to supporting young people in the industry is clear through the many industry professionals across the country who volunteer so much of their time and energy to organise the regional events.”