Educational workshops only happen with industry support.

I am so pleased to say the Berry workshop, held in Pukekohe last week, was a success and it was all made possible thanks to the support of The Horticentre Trust, who underwrote the event.  The fantastic turnout, and the registration fees collected, means all of the funds will be returned to the trust to assist with future events.   

A huge thank you to James Harris and Peter Holwerda, from Apex Greenhouses, who sponsored the morning tea.  There was a delicious selection of savoury and sweet, which meant there were no rumbling tummies throughout the second part of the morning- thank you!

I would also like to mention and thank the sponsors that have now made it possible for Marie and I to organise this event.  Thanks to BNZ, AquaSan, Educhem, Ecomix, PureLED, Zonda Beneficials Ltd, Bumpercrop.  These are just a few of the Grower2Grower website sponsors, their continued support means we can continue to bring educational events to the growing community.

This was the inaugural Grower2Grower workshop. We plan to ensure we keep improving for future events so a big thank you for the feedback we’ve received from the growers and suppliers that attended.  WE aim for bigger and better next time- watch this space!

Tony Ivicevich, trustee of the Horticentre Trust sent his apologies, he was unable to attend the workshop but sent an e-mail explaining the Horticentre Trust and how it came to exist;

Here is some background on the NZ Horticentre Trust

The major milestone goes back to the late 1950s when some Auckland glasshouse tomato growers knew they were being rorted over soil fumigant so they got together through the Auckland Vegetable & Produce Growers Society to bulk buy which apparently later halved the price from the two existing suppliers. With that success other group bulk buying followed; sprays, cartons and they started importing fertilisers just to keep the supply trade honest.

So to keep the story short, firstly it was the Trading Society then it formed Veg-Gro Supplies Ltd still primarily servicing greenhouse growers. As it expanded into floriculture, outdoor vegetables, berries, vineyards and fruit it became Horticentre Ltd. Its owner the Auckland Society went the way of many district associations and closed down with a very large asset that nobody owned so the NZ Horticentre Charitable Trust was formed to take up ownership. They operate separately.

The Trust’s objects are to use the proceeds of the Horticentre Group’s trading and growth to benefit and enhance NZ’s horticulture by way of sponsoring scholarships, education, training, research, technical transfer and is the Platinum Sponsor of Horticulture NZ’s Young Grower of the Year Competition [happening at the end of the day]. Since its inception, the Trust has put back over half a million dollars back into industry all due to the support of its grower customers and the Group’s staff in a very competitive trading environment.

Sponsoring your excellent Greenhouse Berry Workshop initiative is a prime example of what the Trust is all about.

Image above Tony Ivicevich 2018. 

Thanks again to the sposors of morning tea Apex Greenhouses 

I appreciate your comments.  Please feel free to comment on the grower2grower Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/StefanGrower2grower/

Article Written by Stefan Vogrincic, Consultant, Grower2Grower

Article Edited by Marie Vogrincic, Editor, Grower2Grower