It’s exciting to see the differences in varieties and plants and how they behave and respond.

A belief in what we’re doing

My time is split 50:50 between seed production and commercial sales. In seed production I do agronomy for lettuce, carrot, cabbage, radish, celery, fennel, spinach, beetroot, rocket, endive, and witlof. I do commercial sales for Tasmania and northern Victoria, mostly working on lettuce shelf life and new variety introductions and trials. There is always something new and exciting and I really like working with the growers. They’re down to earth, realistic people who believe in what they are doing. 

A big science experiment

I enjoy science and knowing how things work and I’m really passionate about the process of developing a seed. The growing process is so complex and the more you look at it, the more is involved. But I like that growing has a system with lots of beginnings and ends – that part is really rewarding for me. It’s exciting to see the differences in varieties and plants and how they behave and respond. It’s all just a big science experiment. 

Ensuring vegetables won’t be forgotten

I’m constantly surprised by consumer choices and the way people eat. There’s a movement towards eating out and not preparing our own food and if we’re not careful vegetables will be forgotten. It’s so important that we are sharing our knowledge and ensuring our growers can grow a fantastic, quality product all year by providing them with the right varieties and right knowledge to grow the product. 

The future of sustainable production in Australia

Rijk Zwaan has the values of a family run business while placing a big emphasis on staff development and product research. I’m proud to work for a company that is honest and interested in environmental sustainability. For seed production we have an emphasis on integrated pest management and reduced chemical use, we also recycle water. We see this as the future of more sustainable production in Australia.