GETTING THE SCIENCE TO THE SOIL

Daniel Sutton : Vegetables New Zealand research, development and extension manager

I am based in Pukekohe and pretty familiar with a lot of the growers here through my recent roles. So I’m really pleased to be joining Vegetables New Zealand Inc (VNZI) as research, development and extension manager. I’ll be going around the country and I’m sure I’ll meet many more of you.

This is a new role to help link growers with science. I think there is huge potential to get research and development (R&D) into practice so that it’s benefiting growers and New Zealand. There’s already important and innovative work being done of course, by VNZI together with the Vegetable Research & Innovation Board and the various vegetable product groups and Process Vegetables, but I know growers want more practical support to apply it in the field. Change doesn’t happen without resource.

I come from carrot growing country near Ohakune. Although not from a grower family myself, I grew up with today’s generation of young growers. I developed my interest in horticulture at Ruapehu College, where I had an awesome and inspiring teacher, Leigh Hynes. It’s a small school with just a couple of hundred students and I was the only one doing horticulture in the last year. I went from there to Massey University and got a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in Horticulture followed by a postgraduate diploma in Agriscience. Around that time I was also working with potato growers in the Manawatu during the early years after tomato-potato psyllid arrived in New Zealand. So I got to know Potatoes New Zealand then.

Most recently I’ve been at Fruitfed Supplies on the technical team working on crop protection, integrated pest management and industry research projects. So in this new role at VNZI I’m looking forward to supporting grower development through applied science. And I encourage you to get in contact with me about getting the support and resources you need.

Call me on 027 473 2381 or email daniel.sutton@freshvegetables.co.nz