Sustainability Specialist

What does a typical day in your role look like?

A typical day varies with the season. Right now, I’ve just finished preparing fertiliser recommendations, so my focus has shifted to orchard visits. I spend a lot of time walking through blocks, checking bud break progress and vine health.

This season, I’ve also seen more grower interest in regenerative practices—partly thanks to the exposure from Country Calendar. Eight orchards have drilled seed mixes, so I’m visiting regularly to monitor how those swards establish and perform.

Between now and harvest, my role is very hands-on with growers: working alongside them in the orchard, troubleshooting issues, and supporting decisions to maintain soil and plant health. It’s a great balance of technical monitoring, grower collaboration, and seeing how our earlier planning translates into orchard performance.

How did you get into this role?

I got into this role quite unexpectedly—one day I received a phone call from DMS. But really, it was the result of a much longer journey. For the past 10 years, I’ve been intentionally building my experience and skills toward a technical advisory position. So while the opportunity came suddenly, I was well prepared and ready to step into it.

Did you need to study for this role, if so, what did you study?

I studied Horticulture, specialising in Biosecurity and Plant Protection. It gave me a strong foundation in plant health and production systems.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Working directly with growers is what I enjoy most. I value the relationships we build and the chance to support them through change. It’s rewarding to see how even small adjustments—whether in orchard management or soil health—can lead to meaningful improvements in plant performance and fruit quality.

What’s something unique, surprising, or fun about your role or team?

What’s unique about my role is that I get to see the full picture—from soil health to fruit quality—and connect those dots with growers in a practical way. People are often surprised at how much time I spend in the orchard. It’s not just data and recommendations—it’s hands-on work, walking blocks, digging into soils, and talking directly with growers.

What makes the role fun is the team I’m part of. We’re collaborative, we challenge each other, and we celebrate even the small wins with growers, which keeps the work motivating and rewarding.

What advice would you give someone interested in your role or career path?

Try everything and get as much hands-on experience as you can—whether in the field, orchard, or nursery. This kind of work is something you learn with all your senses. You can smell if a soil is healthy, feel the strength of a leaf, and over time develop an eye for spotting issues the moment you walk into an orchard. It took me years of field work to build that intuition, and it’s far more valuable—and rewarding—than just sitting in an office looking at results.

Anything else that you would like to add?

Stay patient but stay hungry. Building a career in horticulture takes time—you won’t learn everything overnight. But if you keep your curiosity alive and keep pushing yourself to grow, the opportunities will come.