As the first Australian to adopt heat pump technology for greenhouse heating, Zeke Zalsman was recognised as the winner of the 2024 Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year. Farms & Farms Machinery speaks to the award-winner to find out how this idea came about and his experience using the technology
Growing up on a farm for his whole childhood, you'd be forgiven for thinking that second generation farmer Zeke Zalsman was destined to take over his family business when the chance arose. However, this was not initially the case, with Zalsman leaving his family's business – Zaldeesh Farms – after high school, in search for a career in commerce and economics.
"I liked growing up on the farm and working there, but I never took an interest in running it," he says. "It was enjoyable helping out, but I never actually thought I was going to work there full time."
With his parents being horticultural growers, Zalsman went down a very different path, but after a few years of working in commerce and economics he found that it wasn't for him. "I wasn't enjoying it and I needed a break to try and figure out what I really wanted to do in my career," he says.
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