Bigger and better things for joint winners

Written by Glenys Christian

First published in the March 2022 issue of The Orchardist and NZGrower.

Craig Botting (left) and Austin Singh Purewal were joint winners of the 2019 Pukekohe Young Vegetable Grower of the Year competition.

There has been plenty of change in the working lives of Craig Botting and Austin Singh Purewal – the joint winners of the 2019 Pukekohe Young Vegetable Grower of the Year Competition. GLENYS CHRISTIAN reports.

Craig’s career in horticulture began upon completion of his Diploma of Agriculture at Lincoln University. After working on an arable farm, Craig spent a season abroad during the grain harvest in Canada, later applying for an ad on TradeMe for a planting supervisor and tractor operator at Scottfresh – growers of lettuce and broccoli in north Canterbury.

Successful in his application, Craig, 27 at the time, was encouraged by Scottfresh to enter the competition. He was the only South Island finalist in the competition that year.

“I most enjoyed getting to know the other contestants,” Craig says. “I learned a lot about growing in different parts of the country and the leadership training built up a lot more confidence in my speaking ability.”

At the end of 2020 he returned to his family’s sheep and beef farm out of Balclutha. Horticulture beckoned again in August 2021, when Craig joined Southern Cross Produce based in Woodlands, Invercargill, as a tractor machinery operator.

“I was looking for a horticultural job closer to family and friends,” he says.

The company’s principles and values around looking after the soil attracted him most, he says.

“Good soil produces the highest value crops.”

With parsnips, carrots, potatoes, brassicas and brussels sprouts being grown, the operation felt quite different at first, but soon became more familiar.

Craig’s time in pastoral agriculture cemented his passion for the horticultural industry.

“There are so many good things about it,” Craig says.

It’s a broad industry but quite close-knit and there are a lot of ideas out there.”

He remains determined to enter the competition again despite the arrival of Covid-19 making it more difficult. But he takes heart from Regan Judd, who won the 2021 Hawke's Bay Young Fruitgrower of the Year competition after first taking out the title in 2019.

“Good on him for giving it another crack.”

Austin, who is now 21, was just 16 years old at the time he entered the Young Vegetable Grower of the Year competition. He obtained special permission from the organisers to enter the competition. Two years later and Austin was determined to try for the title once more. He was not only successful in being named joint winner of the 2019 Pukekohe Young Vegetable Grower of the Year alongside Craig, but also took out the national title in the Young Grower of the Year finals.  

At the time, Austin was working as second in charge for his father’s company, Purewal Growers, which leases 28 hectares of land around Pukekohe to grow brassicas, spinach, parsley and herbs.

Austin says the most beneficial aspect of the competition was making new connections and extending his industry networks, which weren’t as developed because of his age.

“I found a lot of likeminded people,” he says.

Soon after the competition, Austin moved to T&G Global as a key accounts manager, which he credits for broadening his horizons. He first worked in covered crops and later in summer crops. After two years at T&G, Austin returned to Purewal Growers as part of a business expansion. He took up the role of head of sales and finance in November 2020 and has relished the opportunity to put his ideas forward to his brother, Amrik, who is head of operations and his father, Chanjit, who is chief executive.

“There’s a lot of trust there,” he says. “We’re expanding the windows for our crops and presenting new opportunities for customers.”

He counts himself lucky to have been selected for Horticulture New Zealand’s graduate programme in 2020, valuing the leadership and wellbeing skills it taught him. He was master of ceremonies at last year’s Young Vegetable Grower of the Year Competition in Pukekohe and not long after, was nominated by local Member of Parliament, Andrew Bayly, to be part of the week-long Aspiring Leaders’ Forum in Wellington.

“It showed me how you could use your own beliefs and morals to help you be a leader,” he says.

He’s the youngest member of the Pukekohe Vegetable Growers’ Association’s (PVGA) executive committee and says the mentorship of president, Kylie Faulkner, has been an aspect he particularly appreciates.

“She’s given me some different views to guide me,” Austin says.

While he’s still actively searching out more avenues for learning and personal growth, Austin makes sure he uses every chance to speak to young people who may be interested in working in horticulture.

Last year, he took part in manning the PVGA stand at the Franklin Careers Expo where local school pupils have the opportunity to explore some of the employment options available to them. Of course, he was quick to sell all that horticulture has to offer.

“I wish someone had told me to take every opportunity,” he says. “And if it’s not there you’ve got to create it.”