2024 Charlie Nastasi Hortcultural Farmer of the Year: Deb Nucifora

Far North Queensland is home to some of the best farmers in the world.  They invest millions every year to reduce farm waste, choose environmentally responsible processing and packaging options, value add to underutilised crops, improve soil quality, decrease water consumption, embrace the latest and most innovative ag technology, and care for their staff.  If you spend time talking to a farmer, they will tell you about their passion for taking care of their farm and the land it is on.
With such a high calibre of farmers in our region how do we recognise the best of the best, the cream of the crop?  Who is not just growing quality crops but also is farming sustainably, being innovative and leading their industry and their community?  For more than a decade, that benchmark has been set with the annual Charlie Nastasi Farmer of the Year Award.
Charlie Nastasi was a stalwart of the Far North Queensland farming community throughout his life.  Charlie and his wife Lucy grew tobacco and then pumpkins, sweet potato and other vegetables on their farm in Biboohra which was first established by his father Salvatore Nastasi in the 1940s. 
In 1975 Charlie planted 3,600 mango trees.  As his neighbours moved onto greener pastures, Charlie bought their farms and planted more creating a flourishing 73-hectare farm of 17,500 Kensington Pride, Kensington Red, Keitt and the family’s own Pearl mango trees.  
In 1999, Charlie saw an opportunity to value add to their mangoes, creating new income streams and protecting the farm business against fluctuating fruit prices.  The Golden Drop Winery not only became the first commercial winery in North Queensland, but also a flourishing agri tourism venture.
Today Charlie’s sons Sam and Dino continue their father’s legacy not only running the farm but also leading the industry by participating in a number of programs to care for the Great Barrier Reef including achieving Hort360 Reef Certification. Grassy interrows, earthworks to prevent erosion and loss of topsoil, scouting to improve efficacy of chemical use, and retaining riparian vegetation are some of the ways the Nastasi family looks after their farm, and in turn waterways leading to the reef.
On Friday the 13th of September, 290 members of the Far North Queensland farming community came together in Mareeba at the FNQ Growers Gala Dinner, to learn who would be honoured as the 2024 Charlie Nastasi Horticultural Farmer of the Year.  FNQ Growers President, Mr Joe Moro was impressed by the quality of finalists. “Our growers are leading the world with their innovation and industry leadership, and we should be very proud of them.”
 
The 2023 Charlie Nastasi Farmer of the Year was Lorraine Stopford from Rocky Creek Orchards on the Atherton Tablelands. Lorraine was the first woman to win the title and was honoured to showcase the role that women play on farm. ​“Until 1994, Australian women were not allowed to list their legal occupation as ‘farmer’, so to be awarded the Charlie Nastasi Farmer of the Year Award is a huge deal.”

Nominations for the 2024 Award were received from throughout the Far North Queensland region. Four finalists were selected from the nominations to be assessed by the judges for their innovation, industry leadership and community contribution. Finalists included Joe Zappala growing papaya and sugar cane, Deb Nucifora growing mangoes, Claude Santucci growing lemons and sugar cane, and Bradley Moulton growing lemon myrtle.

After a presentation on the farm business of each finalist, Lucy Nastasi joined FNQ Growers President Joe Moro on stage to present the 2024 Charlie Nastasi Horticultural Farmer of the Year award to Deb Nucifora. Deb is active in the community as well as in her mango business with 17,000 trees in the orchard. A hard-working volunteer and business manager, Deb attends every Australian Mango Industry Association conference and is always looking for opportunities to develop the Deb’s Gold Mangoes brand.  Outside of her farming business, Deb is also heavily involved in the community as a volunteer with the Paddy’s Green Rural Fire Brigade and the President of Mareeba Flexi Choice providing services to people with a disability.
 
Deb was joined by her husband John, children and grandchildren as she celebrated the win and joined in the bidding for the charity auction.  Donations of fruit and vegetables were auctioned off to the highest bidder raising almost $23,000 for charities including the Mareeba Friends of the Hospital Foundation, Down Syndrome Queensland and the Black Cockatoo Foundation to support mental health.  Winning bids came from many industry stakeholders, some of whom had travelled from as far away as Western Australia to join the celebrations.  Nominations for the 2025 Charlie Nastasi Horticultural Farmer of the Year will open in July.

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