Stuart Davis has a phrase he uses to illustrate the complexity and challenges facing today’s growers – “… being a ‘simple farmer’ ain’t as simple as it used to be.”
Fortunately for those growers, and the broader horticulture industry, Stuart has spent the last 35 years working on their behalf, championing the introduction of science and innovation to enhance sustainable vegetable production and developing new thinking on sustainable methods of crop protection.
It is for this work and much more that Stuart was last month awarded horticulture’s highest honour, the Bledisloe Cup for outstanding and meritorious contribution to the industry.
Dr Stuart Davis (centre) at the awards evening, with Horticulture New Zealand vice-chair Bernadine Guilleux and chair Barry O’Neil.
Nominated by A Lighter Touch (ALT) Programme Governance Group chair Dave Tanner, Stuart is chair of ALT’s Industry Stakeholder Advisory Group, and was instrumental in initiating research which over time led to the creation of the $27 million, pan-sector programme that is A Lighter Touch.
“Stuart’s contribution to the industry has been deeply involved in taking science and innovation through to practical outcomes. He understands the science side of growing, but he also understands how to take science into practical application on farm,” Dave says.
One of many examples of this was in the early 1990s when Stuart championed the commercial application of mathematical crop prediction models for sweet corn and other vegetable production while at Wattie Frozen Foods, working in collaboration with Crop & Food Research.
“This was leading edge thinking at the time, building an important part of the foundation for the partnership we now see between the New Zealand vegetable industry and science.”
He has been a Director of Vegetables NZ and Chair of the Vegetable Research and Innovation Board and has had many leading roles in many industry projects, especially in integrated pest and disease management.
Stuart attending the A Lighter Touch biodiversity forum at the Pukekohe demonstration farm.
“Stuart has worked tirelessly in all these roles, and always with the Industry’s best interest at heart. He is a thinker, a man of few words, but when he speaks it’s worth listening. His quiet manner, deep wisdom, and giving nature has been of great benefit to the New Zealand horticultural industry,” Dave says.
Stuart’s day job is Sustainability Manager for LeaderBrand, and Chief Executive Richard Burke describes Stuart as someone who is tenacious and delves deeply to really understand the heart of an issue.
“There is nothing Stuart doesn’t know about growing vegetables. Over the last 30 years I have worked alongside him, his knowledge and dedication has made him an integral member of the team.
“He has managed technical and operational areas at LeaderBrand Gisborne before moving to our Pukekohe farm to ensure our environmental projects are on track and getting done. He manages everything from our Regenerative Farming Project, riparian planting, biodiversity project, our emissions, nitrogen, and water efficiency projects and so much more.
“In every role, Stuart has been instrumental in initiating research, science, and innovation into understanding the relationships of vegetable farming with the environment and developing new thinking on sustainable methods of crop protection,” he says.
Richard says Stuart has dedicated many hours to championing the industry with government and councils, always having the industry’s best interests at heart.
“I have no idea where the industry would be without him. It certainly wouldn’t be what it is now. We wouldn’t have some of the things we’ve got now.”
Dave agrees. “We would be poorer without guys like Stuart, and it’s not often we celebrate champions like him.”
