Q&A with 2026 Nelson Young Grower - Amelia Marsden

Not only has she won back-to-back Nelson Young Grower Award titles (2025 + 2026), she recently took out the Outstanding Leadership Award and placed third at the 2026 Young Grower of the Year national finals in Cromwell.

Hear from Amelia on her experience of apprenticeship training, pushing herself to enter industry awards and what she loves about working in horticulture. 

Amelia with the Nelson Young Grower Award (Credit: Hort NZ)

How did you start out in horticulture?

I fell into horticulture!

I started out in dairy farming after growing up in that industry and wanting to be involved in it. An injury early on meant I had to pivot from that. I wanted to stay in the primary industries, and a friend’s mum suggested horticulture. I saw an apple supervisor role advertised in Nelson, got the job and have progressed from there.

I definitely didn’t see myself going into the industry and enjoying it as much as I have!

Amelia working in the orchard at Thomas Bros Orchard

Tell us a bit about your current role as Kiwifruit & Apple Nursery Manager at Thomas Bros Orchard…

It’s a new role and quite exciting to get to develop the nurseries. The role is varied and very hands on, with plant husbandry (looking after plants), grafting out in the blocks, day-to-day running of the nursery and compliance and admin.

I love working outside, the variety and the satisfaction of taking a plant from infancy to being planted out in the block. I enjoy giving the orchard the best possible replacement plants I can.

What motivates you to enter the Young Grower Competitions and how has it helped to shape your professional development?

I grew up watching Young Farmer competitions and have always been involved in their comps. I thought Young Grower was an opportunity to challenge myself in a different industry.

It’s a great way to find your strengths and weaknesses and see where you lie against your industry peers. It helps you to develop problem solving skills and to gain confidence around public speaking. It also opens a lot of doors regionally and nationally and there is opportunity to attend industry conferences, to network and develop that wider circle in the industry.

I was absolutely stoked to win the Outstanding Leadership Award!  It gives me more confidence in myself and my abilities. The prize is a place on the Horticulture NZ Leadership Programme. I’ve heard really good things about it and am really looking forward to it.

Amelia Competing in Young Grower (Credit Hort NZ)

How has your Primary ITO apprenticeship training helped your career and professional development?

I had already done some ag papers through Primary ITO while dairy farming.

I started the horticulture apprenticeship three weeks into working on the orchard. I knew nothing – zilch – so it gave me a really good foundation to start on.

It helped that the apprenticeship training was run alongside work and topics were done seasonally alongside what we were doing on the orchard. It gave me an appreciation of how everything links together. The practical component helped it to make sense.

Would you recommend Primary ITO apprenticeship training?

Definitely - it’s a great way to learn and you don’t have to stop work and study offsite.

We need more enthusiastic young people coming through and having an apprenticeship qualification on your cv shows you are committed to the industry, and it shows stickability.

Amelia Competing in Young Grower (Credit Hort NZ)

What makes horticulture/fruit production a great industry to be part of?

There’s so much variety! There are different tasks in different seasons, and there’s always something to learn. Horticulture isn’t just fruit picking… there’s so many other jobs; in the packhouse, distribution, working with technology, research and development etc.

It’s about producing a healthy nutritious food to help feed the world.

The primary industry has big goals to double the value of exports (by 2034) and an action plan to support this, so there will be more and more roles coming through.

Any advice to someone just starting out?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

If you want to get into the industry, seasonal jobs can turn into permanent jobs if you prove you have qualities they’re looking for, like reliability and enthusiasm. For students, in the school holidays, visit your local orchard and see if there’s any jobs going.

Amelia took out the Outstanding Leadership Award and placed third at the 2026 Young Grower of the Year national finals

What about future career goals/aspirations?

I used to have my career goals all mapped out, but now I go with the flow. I’m excited to see how my current role develops and where it takes me.

In the far future I’d like to be self-employed in horticulture or the pastoral side of things. In life you never know what opportunities will come along.

To finish, what’s your favourite fruit and vegetable?!

Mum will laugh when she reads this! My favourite fruit would probably be cherries or plums, and my favourite vegetable is potatoes – every way you can do them!

For more information on our horticulture production training, click here.