Whakata¯ne base for Ahuwhenua winners
A Whakata¯ne farmer took out the 2021 Ahuwhenua Young Ma¯ ori Farmer at the awards night held in New Plymouth on Friday.
Quinn Morgan is 26 and in his first season, working as an assistant for Sam and Kate Moore on their
155-hectare farm in Otakiri near Whakata¯ ne. They milk
570 cross-breed cows through a 36-aside shed.
The other two finalists were Anahera Hale, 26, who is working as the second-incharge farm assistant on Rod and Jackie McPherson’s dairy farm near Whakata¯ ne, where they winter about 360 cows; and Ben Purua, also
26, who is working as the second-in-charge for a contract milker at Trinity Lands farm, near Tokoroa in the South Waikato, which milks 900 cows.
The Ahuwhenua Young Ma¯ori Farmer Award was first held in 2012 and is designed to recognise talented up-and-coming young Ma¯ ori farmers and growers, and to encourage young Ma¯ori to make farming a career choice.
It was a sweep of sorts for Whakata¯ ne with the Tataiwhetu Trust, an organic dairy farm in the Ru¯a¯toki Valley south of Whakata¯ ne, taking out the Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Ma¯ ori dairy farm.
Tataiwhetu Trust, runs 432 kiwi cross cows and carries 188 replacement stock on its two support blocks.
The farm is managed by former New Plymouth woman Desma Feakins and her partner Whare Teepa.
Feakins, who celebrated her birthday on Thursday, said the win was surreal, especially given the awards were held in her home town and she was surrounded by wha¯nau. ‘‘It’s been an amazing experience. I’ve loved the journey I’ve been on with the trust.’’
The runners-up were Pouarua Farms, a large operation of 4600 cows across nine separate farms near Nga¯ tea on the Hauraki Plains, close to Thames; and Tunapahore B2A Incorporation, a 385-cow operation located at Hawai and To¯ rere on State Highway 35 on the east coast of the North Island.
The Ahuwhenua Trophy, which was set up 88 years ago, runs on a three-year rotational basis, competed for by Ma¯ori in the sheep and beef, horticulture, and dairy sectors. This year it was dairy.
The objective of the trophy was to encourage Ma¯ ori farmers to improve their land and their overall farming position with an emphasis on sustainability.