Celebrating rangatahi in farming
Te Tumu Paeroa is a proud sponsor of Ahuwhenua Trophy’s Young Māori Farmer Award. It gives us a chance to celebrate the kaiahuwhenua early in their careers, who are already achieving great stuff. This year’s finalists are no exception.
The finalists in the 2024 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award have been announced. They are:
Ben Purua, Tainui, 29, Farm Manager at Waimakariri Lands Ltd, near Tirau in Waikato, which runs 540 cows.
Hannah Speakman, Ngāti Kahungunu, 21, the 2IC for Woodlands Farming on Pine Hill Dairy farm in Enfield, near Oamaru. The Craigmore farm is 170ha and milks 560 cows.
Shayden Gardiner, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Rangi, 21, is the Assistant Farm Manager for Ma Taua Dairies, Rylib Group, near Ashburton – a 354ha farm which milks 1,120 cows at peak.
The Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award, established in 2012, recognises up-and-coming young Māori in the pastoral and horticulture sectors.
Lead Judge Matiu Julian, Māori Engagement Manager at Primary ITO, says the awards attract those invested in their farming careers, who understand they are part of a legacy of Māori endeavour, tenacity and resilience.
“The experience is uniquely Māori and it’s about representing their whānau and the communities who have invested in them,” says Matiu.
“The personal experience as an Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer finalist is always profound and emotionally moving.”
The best way to describe the essence of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award, says Matiu, is through the wisdom of the whakataukī: He kai kei aku ringa – There is food at the end of my hands.
“This proverb builds on an intergenerational intent to increase the productivity and capability of the Māori agribusiness sector, with flow on benefits to improve the health and wellbeing of the community.
“With a growing alumni group of young Māori leaders who continue to excel and uphold the mana of being an Ahuwhenua Young Māori ambassador, the future is in good hands.”
The team at Te Tumu Paeroa absolutely agree and see the kaupapa of the Office of the Māori Trustee and the Ahuwhenua Trophy as strongly aligned.
Te Tumu Paeroa’s role is to protect whenua Māori for now and generations to come, and to protect our whenua for the future we need to support the development pathway of our future Māori farm leaders to manage this whenua.
You can read more about the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award finalists on the Trophy website: 2024 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Finalists Announced