What's your job about?
At the Perfection Fresh Two Wells site, they grow tomatoes and cucumbers in a glasshouse hydroponic system. My role involves learning all aspects of growing, from nursery propagation through to the end of the growing cycle. I am constantly working with growers, labour managers, the IPM team, technicians, and workers to gain the best understanding I can. One day I may be working with the crop labour team, another with the fertiliser team or in the nursery. Every day I aim to absorb as much information as I can. Often, I am taking daily crop growth measurements. One of my responsibilities is leading a crop yield forecasting trial in conjunction with an agricultural technology company. It’s interesting as we are using lots of technology for precision growth. Working here, you quickly realise that an operation of this scale involves a lot of moving parts and therefore communication and organisation are imperative.
What's your background?
I grew up in the Yarra Valley Victoria and Hamilton in Southwest Victoria.
During high school, I had many interests, so it was difficult to know exactly what to study or pick as a career. I tried quite a few different occupations and courses, until choosing agriculture. The formative years spent with my father, an experienced horticulturalist, instilled a passion for plants. After graduating I was looking for a graduate agronomist role. I knew this would be a great foundation to build my career. The opportunity with PFA was intriguing to me as they are a progressive and growing company, so I applied and fortunately, I was successful. I have been working in my current role with PFA for 4 months.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes of course. Different backgrounds bring different ideas and innovations. Everything else required can be learned if the motivation is there. The most important attributes are passion, curiosity, and determination.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I enjoy seeing the results of the efforts of not just myself, but of everyone who works to achieve our shared goals. I like working with plants, I find it relaxing so even if the work is hard sometimes, it’s a nice environment to be in. The other important aspect that makes working here enjoyable is the people. It’s great to be able to laugh and smile at work each day with people from all over the world and share our differences and commonalities. I learned a lot from all the people here.
What are the limitations of your job?
In horticulture, the plant is always growing and responding to inputs regardless of our weekend schedule! You must be prepared to work according to the biological cycle of the plant. This informs how you plan your week or weeks ahead. The weather plays a major role in outcomes; therefore, you must be forward-thinking and flexible.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...