AU: Buz Green takes HAL Graham Gregory award

Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) announced the winners of the prestigious Graham Gregory and Young Leader awards recently, recognising outstanding contributions to the horticultural industry.

The Graham Gregory award was presented to Buz Green, Executive Chairman of Serve-Ag Pty Ltd, in an elegant awards ceremony held at the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney

Read full article: FreshPlaza.com

TER LAAK ORCHIDS: MOST SUSTAINABLE NURSERY AWARD

Ter Laak Orchids is the winner of the public award in the ‘Ranking the Grower’ event. This announcement was made yesterday in the House of Technology & Innovation. ‘Ranking the Grower’ was initiated by TuinbouwCommunicatie, the company that publishes such titles as KAS Magazine, GroenteNet and SierteeltNet. The award was presented by Volker van Vuurde (Holland Contracting).

This year, the theme for ‘Ranking the Grower’ was sustainability. The competitors had been classified into 11 groups according to crop or group of crops, and a jury of experts selected the best grower in each of these groups. After the winners were announced last summer, the readers of KAS Magazine, GroenteNet and SierteeltNet could vote for their favourite. The results of the voting in order of placement were:

1. Ter Laak Orchids 
2. Prominent Groeneweg II 
3. Beyond Chrysanten

The Marketing Cup goes to the exhibitor who can attract the most visitors to Horti Fair in proportion to the size of its stand as measured in square metres. Hortiplan managed to attract 302 visitors to the trade fair. Divided by Hortiplan’s stand area, this meant that Hortiplan attracted about 7 visitors per square metre. Priva came in second with a total of 881 registered visitors, and Koppert Biological Systems was in third place with 415 visitors.

The Marketing Cup was presented yesterday afternoon in the House of Technology & Innovation. The winner in the category reserved for non-Dutch speaking exhibitors was the UK’s Commercial Horticultural Association.

The Marketing Cup was won by Hortiplan. This company was the most successful at attracting visitors to the Horti Fair. As a prize, Hortiplan receives free stand space in 2012 (equal to its stand area in 2011).

Horti Fair - ROYAL VAN ZANTEN AND SION BV WIN QUALITY CUP

The Horti Fair is the biggest international trade fair for technology, innovation and inspiration in horticulture and is taking place in the Amsterdam RAI on 1 to 4 November inclusive. On display at the Horti Fair’s Interpolis House of Quality are the cut flowers and pot plants entered by growers in this competition. Each entry is inspected by the Permanent Judging Committee or VKC. The first-place winners among all the cut flowers and pot plants are then eligible to become an overall winner and be presented with an Interpolis Quality Cup. The winner of the Quality Cup for cut flowers receives marketing support from Hilverda-De Boer and the winner of the Quality Cup for pot plants receives marketing support from Javado Plant and Noviflora.

Bernard Koeckhoven, manager at Interpolis, announced the winners of the Interpolis Quality Cup yesterday at the Interpolis House of Quality. The winner for cut flowers was Royal van Zanten from Rijsenhout and the winner for pot plants was Sion BV.

Horti Fair Innovation Awards 2011 go to Mardenkro and Corn. Bak

Amsterdam, 1 November 2011 – With its new product ReduFuse, Mardenkro B.V. is the winner of the Fair Innovation Award 2011 in the category dedicated to Technology. The winner of this highly prestigious award for the most promising new product at the Horti Fair in the ‘Green’ category was Corn. Bak BV with its Florinilla^® ‘Bella’^[p]. These announcements were made by Geert van Oosterhout, the chairman of the jury, on behalf of the international jury of experts, on the first day of the trade fair being held in the Amsterdam RAI. On behalf of the organisation, fair director Frans-Peter Dechering  presented both winners with a trophy and a cheque for € 2,500 in square metres for the next Horti Fair. ‘These two winners and the other 11 nominated new products provide a good picture of the broad, innovative character of international horticulture under glass, just like the Horti Fair is a reflection of this dynamic sector.

Read full press release from Horti Fair >>
Horti Fair Innovation Awards 2011 go to Mardenkro and Corn. Bak

Viticulture researcher wins horticulture's top prize

Internationally recognized expert in vine management and vine improvement, Mr Peter Clingeleffer was last night announced the 2010 Graham Gregory Award winner at the Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) Awards held in Sydney.

Mr Clingeleffer, who currently holds the position of Project Portfolio and Team Leader at CSIRO Plant Industry, has been an enthusiastic and tireless supporter of Australian horticulture for nearly 40 years. He is regarded as an expert in the development of modern practices and improved varieties for dried grape, table grape  and wine grape production with significant worldwide impact at both the scientific and industry adoption levels.

Despite his long-standing career with the CSIRO and his significant contributions to the industry over the years, Mr Clingeleffer was surprised to be given the Graham Gregory Award.

"It was very unexpected and I am absolutely delighted to be honoured with such a recognised industry award," Mr Clingeleffer said.

Vail's Betty Ford Alpine Gardens honored

VAIL, Colorado — America's highest botanical garden, Vail's Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, has won the 2009 Award for Garden Excellence from Horticulture magazine.“It is a tribute to our volunteers and staff that Betty Ford Alpine Gardens has been honored with this national award. We want to use this opportunity to encourage our visitors, as well as those in our community from Gypsum to Vail, to become members of the Gardens,” says Deane Hall, president the Gardens' Board of Trustees. Read more>