August 22 2023
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High honour for local grower u by Andy Bryenton
Andre de Bruin has been honoured with a prestigious award this month as the leadership of New Zealand’s horticultural industry met in Christchurch.
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p Andre de Bruin has been granted life membership by the leadership of Horticulture New Zealand
reads the application to HortNZ for this award, and his continued work alongside Kaipara’s horticulturalists is a testament to the truth of this. Andre’s commitment to educating others spans the KidsCan Cook programme, which promotes healthy eating by getting young future chefs into the kitchen and leading young growers’ trips to Australia to forge international bonds between farmers. HortNZ is the advocacy, support and networking organisation standing behind the nationwide horticultural industry,
calculated to be worth $7 billion each year to the Kiwi economy. The organisation was born out of the combination of previous vegetable growers’ federation VegFed and the Fruitgrowers’ Federation; on the same night that Andre de Bruin received his lifetime membership, founder of HortNZ Max Lilly was awarded horticulture’s Bledisloe Cup of the same name as the famed rugby trophy, for his role in establishing the group of which Andre is now an honoured life member. ¢
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The Kaipara farmer and long-time horticultural advocate was recognised for his exemplary record of service to horticulture in New Zealand, including high office in Horticulture New Zealand and affiliated industry bodies. The conference of life membership is one of the highest honours HortNZ bestows. For Andre, this completes a trifecta; he is also a life member of the Northern Wairoa Vegetable Growers’ Association and Vegetables New Zealand. “Andre has been involved in vegetable industry governance for more than 25 years at both regional and national levels. Andre’s work over this time has had a massive impact on the kūmara and wider vegetable industry. Andre has a strong philosophy of making sure the next generation of growers and industry leaders are successful through mentorship,” said HortNz chair Barry O’Neil in his presentation. That massive impact came from hard work. A list of Andre’s milestone achievements includes 26 years on the Northern Wairoa Vegetable Growers’ Association committee and 13 as president, tireless promotion of Kaipara’s iconic kūmara crop, registering new methods to combat insect and fungus pests, and representation of the kūmara industry to institutions as varied as the Waitangi Tribunal and Louisiana State University in the US. There are more, too, spanning research, training and promotion. ‘Mentoring and advising others has been an ongoing part of his career,’
P: 021 705 837 E: brett@barnbuildersnz.co.nz W: www.barnbuildersnz.co.nz
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