NENA's Young Nursery Professional Award recognizes, honors and encourages participation, achievement and growth by individuals in the industry who meet the following criteria:

*Are under the age of 40;

*Have shown involvement in his or her state association;

*Have contributed to the success of his or her company; and 

*Have portrayed a positive image of the nursery industry to the public.

Nominations for the awards are made by the individual New England state associations. Congratulations to the following individuals who were recognized by NENA and their state associations as the 2016 Young Nursery Professionals of the Year:

Connecticut   

Dustyn Clifford Nelson, CANP

The Garden Barn  

Vernon, CT

Maine

Zach & Katey Campbell

Campbell's Landscape & Design  

Topsham, Maine 

Rhode Island

Paul Camara, RI-CH

Spring Green Landscaping and Masonry, Inc.

Exeter, Rhode Island

Vermont

Hannah Decker

Fairfax Perennial Farm, Inc.

Fairfax, Vermont 

In every issue, we will highlight one of our 2016 Young Nursery Professionals.  This month, we recognize:

Dustyn Clifford Nelson, CANP

The Garden Barn * Vernon, CT 

Dustyn has worked at The Garden Barn in Vernon, CT since 2012. You can find him pretty much anywhere on site, but his strongest interests are in annuals and greenhouse plants. He handles The Garden Barn website, social media, and coordinates email newsletter distribution. In addition to playing a role in the technology side of the business, Dustyn also serves as a cashier, has experience in controlling insects and diseases, and helps customers in the nursery yard. He is a third generation horticulturist and he aims to give back to the industry in return for all the industry has done for him. In 2014, he graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Horticulture and a minor in Agriculture Business Management. He hopes to obtain a masters in Marketing. Congratulations Dustyn. Our industry is lucky to have you!