Recognised as an exceptional young farmer and future leader of Tasmania’s agri sector, Cressy farmer Will Green has taken out the 2016 Rabobank Simplot Young Grower award.
Chosen from a select group of nominees across the vegetable sector, Green received the award in front of more than 200 fellow growers and industry stakeholders at the recent awards dinner in Ulverstone.
“As farmers we work hard and it is rewarding to be recognised for that work by this award which helps lift the profile of young people in the sector,” Green, who hails from Tasmania, said.
Green, together with his twin brother Tom and his parents Michael and Prudence, has transformed the family business into one of the largest mixed cropping and grazing enterprises in the North Midlands region throughout the recent years. They are the third generation to handle The Glen, which is 4,500 hectares of land in Cressy.
“When I returned home to the business in 1999, we realised we needed to work together as a family to grow the business, as it wasn’t going to be big enough to support three families. And 20 years on, we have more than doubled the size of our mixed-farming operation,” he said.
Green and his family have a rotational cropping arm of the company comprising of different produce from peas, grass seed and poppies. They also lease their land for the production of potatoes, broccoli and carrot seed. Currently, they have around 10,000 merino sheep and 1,000 Angus cattle.
Stuart Whatling, Rabobank acting state manager for Tasmania, said Green was well regarded within the industry for his innovative and forward thinking approach to farming.
“The foresight Will has shown at just 38 years of age is extraordinary and we look forward to seeing him further his leadership and management skills by attending Rabobank’s Executive Development Program,” said Whatling.
As part of the award, Green received a scholarship program from Rabobank and Simplot to attend the flagship program for Australia and New Zealand’s leading farmers.
“I am looking forward to mixing with the other farmers on the course, as they will all have different ideas and ways of looking at things,” Green said. “I have found from being involved in a benchmarking group that so much of the learning comes from your peers, and the opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded farmers from not only Australia, but also New Zealand, will be invaluable.”
