Daniel Hoffman, Age 35, Penfield, SA
| Business | Hoff Family Trust |
| Expertise | Plant nutrition and fertiliser. Pest and plant health management. |
| Crop Focus | Tomatoes, capsicums, eggplant, cucumber, bunch lines |
| Methods | IPM/Biodynamic |
| Current Focus | Harvesting, planting, pest/disease management and irrigation |
What’s your favourite beneficial bug? And why?
Nesidiocoris tenuis because I have managed to breed and maintain my very own healthy population on farm. They have become a key part of my farming practises.
How do you feel about being nominated for the Young Grower of the Year award?
It feels great! We love these awards and it feels nice to be recognised for years of work. It gives us something to feel appreciated and now I think growers in our young growers group are really taking notice. If we can use things like this to strive for better practices and share knowledge to benefit the industry… then Great!
Why do you think it is important to honour young growers?
Young growers will be our future. It’s important to recognise good work in our industry so the next generation strives for better farm practices and will be next to lead the way in sustainable farming. When a next generation of farmers come up feeling appreciated from the get go, then the industry will benefit from proud growers. This is a very noble and hard profession, people should be damn proud of this industry.
What are some of the major challengers for young growers?
Young growers are lucky to have access to loads of information and technology these days. I think our greatest challenge will be financial and to remain viable. The cost of farming is only growing and growing but our produce remains the same. It’s up to us to come up with and utilise the best methods we can to keep costs down and profits up….These days it’s not what you earn…it’s what you save that makes you a successful business.