During the Unplugged event at Cultivate’21 in Columbus, Ohio, on July 12, GrowerTalks and Green Profit magazine announced the winners of its annual Young Grower and Young Retailer Awards.
Maddie Maynor, Growing Operations Manager for North Creek Nursery in Landenberg, Pennsylvania, was named Young Grower of the year for 2021. Wyatt Page, Garden Center Assistant Manager for Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co. in Corpus Christi, Texas, won Young Retailer.
Maddie and Wyatt were two of six finalists chosen for this year’s award. The other finalists for the Young Grower Award were: Diego Barahona, Costa Farms (Miami, Florida), and Thomas Minter, Loma Vista Nursery (Ottawa, Kansas). For Young Retailer, the other two finalists were: Terra Campbell, Round Rock Garden Center (Round Rock, Texas), and Esmeralda Carrasco, Ponderosa Cactus Nursery (Tucson, Arizona).
This year marks the 17th annual Young Grower Award for GrowerTalks magazine, which was sponsored by The HC Companies. It’s the 16th annual Young Retailer Award for Green Profit, and it was sponsored by The Garden Center Group. AmericanHort was also a sponsor for both awards.
Winners Wyatt Page and Maddie Maynor (center) flanked by finalists (from left to right) Terra Campbell, Esmeralda Carrasco, Thomas Minter and Diego Barahona.
Ball Publishing created the Young Grower and Young Retailer Awards to recognize young professionals in the horticulture industry who have inspired others with their leadership qualities and are hardworking, passionate, creative and innovative. To qualify for the awards, you have to be under the age of 35 as of the month of July and reside within the United States or Canada.
After nominations are gathered, Ball Publishing editors choose six finalists, and the winners are chosen by a panel of four judges, including the previous year’s winner.
The 2021 Green Profit/The Garden Center Group Young Retailer Award winner Wyatt Page (left), and GrowerTalks/The HC Companies Young Grower Award winner Maddie Maynor.
“We love celebrating the young, energetic members of our industry this way,” said Chris Beytes, editor of GrowerTalks and Green Profit, who presented the awards along with Green Profit Managing Editor Jennifer Polanz. “And it’s a big thrill for them, too—we’re always amazed at how meaningful the award seems to be. They truly appreciate being recognized for their hard work.”
Nominations for the 2022 Young Grower and Young Retailer Awards are already open. Go to https://www.growertalks.com/YoungGrower/ or https://www.greenprofit.com/YoungRetailer/ to nominate yourself or a worthy young horticulture professional by March 1, 2022.