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First Māori Land-Based Summit ready to go

Monday, March 13th, 2017

Over 300 people will be attending Unleash the Māui, the first Māori land-based summit of its kind to be held this week at the Lincoln Events Centre.

The three-day summit hosted by Whenua Kura and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu is a conference with a difference and Renata Hakiwai, Chair of the Unleash the Maui Steering Committee says it acknowledges the important role of Māori in the future of the land-based industry.

“The whenua has always been important to Māori; it’s in our traditions. The land was created by Māui, the Māori demigod responsible for the creation of Aotearoa, so it’s integral to our whakapapa – we are of this land. It has fed and sustained our people for many generations,” Renata says.

The theme of the summit is Past, Present and Future and an exciting range of guest speakers will focus on leadership, pathways and innovation designed to enable innovative, creative and sustainable solutions for the whenua (land).

It will explore issues and priorities, and it will challenge thinking.

“We want to grow Māori leadership within the land-based sector, progressing innovative solutions that will enable Māori success, alignment with hapū and iwi. We want to encourage the advancement of Māori aspirations, and explore deeper and more collaborative solutions to the key challenges facing the sector,” says Renata.

“The summit will also celebrate and acknowledge success as a motivation to continue our positive progress into the future.”

He says there will be a strong focus on emerging leaders, and encouraging them to be more entrepreneurial, innovative and future focused.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu CEO, Arihia Bennett says, “innovation and technology will be key drivers in ensuring a vibrant future for land-based industry.
“Unleash the Māui creates an exciting opportunity to bring together many of the leading influencers and innovators in the sector to share and inspire innovative and creative solutions for a positive future,” she says.

Over 35 inspirational presenters are lined up. They include agribusiness and future foods leader, Dr Ian Proudfoot; Agresearch-based environmental entrepreneur and scientist, Dr Selai Letica; Māori life style entrepreneur, Robett Hollis; and Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmers winner and entrepreneur, Tangaroa Walker.

The event will also showcase some of Aotearoa’s leading Māori land-based businesses including Miraka, Awanui Huka Pak, Watsons and Sons Honey, Tuaropaki Trust, and Ngāi Tahu Tourism.

“It will be a dynamic and innovative event that we hope will inspire and motivate the growth of Māori leaders and business success in the land-based sector, says Renata Hakiwai.
“Our people are some of the best innovators and entrepreneurs in the world, and we need to provide them with the best tools and platforms to unleash.”

Unleash the Maui begins at the Lincoln Events Centre on Wednesday and runs through to Friday.

Tags: Unleash the Maui, Conferences, Education, Whenua Kura
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HR Volunteer of the Year

Wednesday, March 1st, 2017

Claire Bourne, General Manager, People and Development, Ngāi Tahu Farming Limited was last week named HR Volunteer of the Year at the annual Human Resources Institute of New Zealand Awards in Auckland.

Claire, who has been a member of HRINZ for the last five years, says she was honoured to receive the award and be recognised by her peers.

“The most important thing in the world is people and at Ngāi Tahu Farming we do a lot of work around engaging and developing our talented staff, we are constantly reviewing our work and looking at innovative and outside-the-square ways of ensuring staff can reach their full potential,” she says.

The HR Volunteer of the Year award recognises those who have contributed to the success and building of the capability of the HR profession through their personal contribution to the HR community, local region, or wider business community.

For Claire, that includes her work on the HRINZ Canterbury Branch committee for three years, leading the committee of eleven for one year; and the large amount of work she has done with the Oranga Pāmu Community Committee. Along with Renata Hakiwai, Director of Whenua Kura and community members, she was instrumental in establishing the community group and has worked hard to champion the voices of, and build relationships with members of the Te Whenua Hou community.

Hundreds of industry heads gathered at Auckland’s SkyCity Convention Centre last week, where HRINZ hosted the record-breaking awards ceremony.

With 315 guests in attendance, the 18^th annual NZ HR Awards not only became the most highly-attended event in its history, it also gave out the most awards to date.

“This year’s finalists and winners have demonstrated an extraordinary level of achievement in their categories,” said Chris Till, chief executive of HRINZ. “With a record number of awards being presented, this evening highlights how truly impactful our profession is in workplaces,” he said on the night.

Nineteen awards were presented, compared to just 13 handed out in 2016, with the Diversity and Inclusion Award being introduced for the first time.

Tags: Human Resources, Claire Bourne, Oranga Pamu Community Committee, Ngāi Tahu Farming
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Aspiring Young Farmer wins award

Tuesday, January 17th, 2017

Ash-Leigh Campbell – Happily adjusting to desk life.

Ngāi Tahu farmer Ash-Leigh Campbell is one of three aspiring Young Farmers to be recognised for their leadership qualities with the inaugural NZ Young Farmers 2016 Excellence Award.

Ash-Leigh (Ngāi Tahu – Kāti Huirapa, Kāti Hāwea, Ruahikihiki; Waitaha; Mamoe), says the award will have a massive impact in terms of building her connection to Ngāi Tahu and to the business side of her career.

Ash-Leigh is currently the sustainability co-ordinator for Ngāi Tahu Farming in Christchurch, working on sustainability issues around kaimoana, landscape, ecosystems and waterways within the organisation. She is a strong advocate for sustainability within the dairy industry and she is delighted to be part of an organisation that is leading the way.

“There has been a significant forward shift over the last five years and the dairy industry is now looking much more deeply at its farming practices. Ngāi Tahu Farming is heavily involved in sustainability research and development with Lincoln University and it’s great to be a part of the educational process and seeing advanced technology implemented in the field,” she says.

Prior to starting at Ngāi Tahu Farming in October, Ash-Leigh, 26, had spent a number of years studying and working on farms in the Canterbury region. In the process, she has become much more in tune with her Ngāi Tahu whakapapa.

“I found out about the Whenua Kura Scholarship three weeks before I started a Diploma in Agriculture at Lincoln University; and I knew my mother was connected to the iwi but otherwise I knew nothing of my Ngāi Tahu side.

“I started at Whenua Kura in 2015 and it’s thanks to that two-year programme, I discovered I affiliated to Puketeraki Marae in Karitāne and that my family were once whalers.”

Ash-Leigh says her reconnection to the iwi has had a huge impact on her life.

“It has made me feel much more grounded and confident. I now know where I belong and it feels great to be giving back to the iwi through my work.”

Although she has always loved working out in the field, she now finds herself more attracted to agribusiness and her transition from paddock to office desk has been seamless as a result. She finds herself constantly challenged and while there are days she does miss being out on the farm, she is confident that her career will go further in agribusiness.

Ash-Leigh brings a string of successes to her current role – from her ability to work as a farm manager to her training in artificial insemination, and her success as a finalist in the 2016 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Fairy Farmer of the Year awards. She is currently vice-chair of the Tasman Regional Young Farmers group.

Tags: Ash-Leigh Campbell, Young Farmers Excellence Award, Ngāi Tahu Farming, Whenua Kura
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Successful Oranga Pāmu Health Day

Thursday, September 8th, 2016

From left, Elya Ameriks, Ra Dallas and Kirstine Macpherson.

From left, Elya Ameriks, Ra Dallas and Amanda Davison.

The first Oranga Pāmu Hauora Day has been held at Eyre Lodge, at Te Whenua Hou and organisers Ra Dallas and Elya Ameriks are enthusiastic about the future potential of the pilot event.

“Our aim was to get as many of our health providers as possible to engage with whānau on the farms, to introduce them to Ngāi Tahu Farming, so that we can work together to ensure the wellbeing and health of our farming whānau,” Ra says.

There are now around 130 people living in the Te Whenua Hou community and around a hundred of them took time out of their work day to attend the Hauora event. Farming staff and Whenua Kura students were provided with a ‘health passport’ and encouraged to visit the different providers offering everything from free blood pressure and eye tests to advice on diabetes, money management, sexual health, cardio-respiratory health, tax refunds, immigration dental care, insurance, breast screening, rongoā Māori and more.

Kai time at Eyre Lodge.

“We want to do everything we can to help our Whenua Kura students and farming whānau to connect with each other and with their wider communities. It’s about empowering them to look after themselves and each other and it’s about encouraging them to have a say about what they need and how we are going to achieve it,” says Rā Dallas, the whānau community champion for Te Whenua Hou.

He says the initial pilot health day was a great success. Farm staff were about to take time out from their farm work, visit the health providers for their health checks and then return to work.

“We’d like to see this happening every year,” says Ra.

“And as it grows we hope to extend out to our wider community so it becomes a community event hosted by Ngāi Tahu Farming. I think it’s important to create a community environment where our people feel more socially connected and our Hauora Day is a positive step towards that.”

The event also included a successful hāngī – “That was a great success and in addition to demonstrating manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, it also encourages rangatiratanga and oranga – all key Ngāi Tahu values that we want to encourage every farmer to be a part of,” says Ra.

Tags: Oranga Pāmu Hauora Day, Eyre Lodge, Ra Dallas, Whenua Kura
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High country challenges

Tuesday, September 6th, 2016

Deborah Paterson – “I left my heart in the high country – Ka Roimata Whenua, the land of my hapū.”

Having the opportunity to stay on the Ngāi Tahu Farming high country stations in Whakatipu has been a huge plus for farming student Deborah Paterson and she is quick to recommend it for anyone learning about farming.

“As part of the Whenua Kura and Diploma in Farm Management at Lincoln University, we have a number of practical work assignments to complete. Mine have all been done on Ngāi Tahu Farms in dairy and beef.

“This was my best opportunity to look at sheep and the challenges of high country farming,” Deborah says.

“I’d been studying high country agriculture and this was my best chance to live the life.”

Deborah spent two weeks on the Routeburn, Greenstone and Elfin Bay stations, which are all under the management of Stu and Anne Percy.

During her time on the stations, Deborah was involved in feeding out to stock, moving sheep to and from the shearing shed for crutching, vaccinating cattle for animal health, repairing fences, clearing stock tracks after winter damage and caring for the stations’ horses.

“The experience was of immense value to me. It was a chance to put my technical knowledge into practice and experience first-hand, the challenges of farming in high country locations. Those challenges aside, the place has huge potential and Stu and his team do an amazing job of farming such a huge operation,” she says.

“If you’re doing your Diploma in Farm Management and have a hankering for the high country, then you need to work there and see the experience and the fortitude required to farm in this beautiful but unforgiving environment.

“For me, this was a spiritual and personal journey too. I bought a painting of this region in 1982 without knowing where it had been painted. It has travelled with me ever since and as I drove into the stations, I looked out at the view and realised that ‘this was my painting.’ I immediately felt at home and I would love to have more time there if the chance arises – I’ll definitely be applying for any jobs there, should the opportunity arise in the future

Tags: High country stations, Whenua Kura
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Building community

Sunday, May 22nd, 2016

Te Whenua Hou mums attend the first Community Committee meeting chaired by Renata Hakiwai (top left) and Claire Bourne (top right).

The new Te Whenua Hou Community Committee is working hard to create an environment where Ngāi Tahu Farming employees and their families feel more socially connected to each other and to their wider communities.

The group, which had its first meeting in March, aims to be the voice of the Te Whenua Hou community, and a number of mothers from the farms have joined forces with other community members to initiate a series of activities and events to grow camaraderie and connections.

Staff barbecues have already been held and according to Rā Dallas, the whānau community champion for Te Whenua Hou, those have been a great success.

“In addition to demonstrating manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, social events like that also encourage rangatiratanga and oranga – key Ngāi Tahu values that we want to encourage every farmer to be a part of,” he says.

A community of close to 150 people is now spread across seven operational dairy farms and eight grazing farms and that’s expected to grow. As in any new community, there are people living just 60 metres apart, who don’t even know each other.

“That’s why we thought it was important to form a community-centred community and in 2015 we surveyed the people at Te Whenua Hou to find out what they wanted, how they thought we could help them,” says Whenua Kura manager, Renata Hakiwai.

“For us, it’s vital that this be driven by the people within the Te Whenua Hou community and that we are there to help them make their community aspirations a reality.”

Renata, is chair of the committee and is working closely with Ngāi Tahu Farming People and Development manager, Claire Bourne with community and committee members to organise a range of new initiatives.

“First up is the Glits and Gumboots Ball, which will be held on 3 June at the West Eyreton Hall,” says Claire.
“Two mums in our community – Catherine Dawson and Nicola Risato – came up with the idea and they’ve done all the organisation for it. It’s been planned as a celebratory event to mark the end of the dairy season and the achievements of the Te Whenua Hou community to date.”

Renata Hakiwai and Claire Bourne – “We’re excited about the new initiatives that Te Whenua Hou community members are coming up with.”

June also sees the beginning of community health days at Te Whenua Hou, when a number of Oxford health providers will meet with farming families to discuss and offer a range of health checks. It is hoped that by engaging with Canterbury health providers in this way, Te Whenua Hou families will be able to establish a trusted network of specialist support.

Staff kapa haka evenings have been organised for Thursday evenings to enable farm staff and families to strengthen their cultural connections in a friendly environment over shared kai; and cooking classes are also being discussed.

“We want to keep this very community-centred, and everything we do comes from the community. It’s about the committee ensuring that the community realise their aspirations. We are there to support and assist them; it’s not about us telling them what they need to do.” says Renata Hakiwai.

“Whenua Kura is funded by Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu to develop a sense of community at Te Whenua Hou and it’s about us following the community lead and building on their ideas – on what they want to see happening in their own community. This includes things like a children’s playground, community vegetable gardens, a regular community newsletter and karaoke nights.”

Claire Bourne adds that Ngāi Tahu Farming is also looking to fund two Te Whenua Hou community members to undertake paramedic or similar training.

“Once we have one or two trained individuals living within the community, they will be able to provide fast on-ground support in case of an emergency, before an ambulance arrives. This is a significant investment on the part of Ngāi Tahu Farming, as part of our on-going commitment to enriching the farming community and it’s one we feel is important for their wellbeing.”

In the meantime, monthly barbecues have started. These are a successful way of building connections says Claire.

“The barbecues provide a relaxed environment where everyone can interact socially and learn more about each other. In addition, they also demonstrate manaakitanga and whanaungatanga and encourage rangatiratanga and oranga – all key Ngāi Tahu values that we want to encourage every farmer to be a part of,” she says.

“It’s about empowering community members to look after themselves and each other – encouraging them to have a say about what they need and how we are going to achieve it.”

Tags: Community Committee, Ngāi Tahu Farming, Te Whenua Hou
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Farms host Ahuwhenua Open Day

Thursday, March 10th, 2016

Staff from the two finalist farms accepting their certificates.

Staff from the two Ngāi Tahu finalist farms accepting their certificates.

Over 250 people attended the BNZ Ahuwhenua Māori Excellence in Farming Awards Field Day held at Ngāi Tahu Farms at Te Whenua Hou, South Eyrewell on 8 March.

As part of the two-day final judging process, the field day attracted a large and diverse crowd keen to get a first-hand view of the two Ngāi Tahu Farming properties – Maungatere managed by Hemi Dawson (Ngāi Tahu) and Te Ahu Pātiki managed by Rod Lamb – that were joint finalists in the awards; and to congratulate the farms on their finalist medal and prizes.

It is the first time in the 83-year history of the awards that a South Island farm has made it to the finals and this year, there were two – Ngāi Tahu Farming and the Rakaia Incorporation. Tewi Trust at Tirau in the Waikato is the third 2016 finalist.

First round judge Paul Bird noted that Ngāi Tahu Farming stood out for its clarity of vision a and how it entwines Ngāi Tahu values in the farming operations.

GNgāi Tahu Farming Board Chair Gil Cox presenting at the Ahuwhenua Field Day.

“As part of its quadruple bottom line scorecard, Ngāi Tahu Farming has a broad range of goals it seeks to achieve. It’s not just about the money, it’s about the people and the environment and meeting cultural values,” he says.

“That is embedded in everything Ngāi Tahu Farming does and that was a real feature for us. We were impressed by the way the company is striving to develop the social and community aspects in addition to the ‘nuts and bolts’ of farming.

“There is also clear vision and leadership around environmental matters – from irrigation management to employing the best possible techniques to monitor and assess environmental impact.”

Ngāi Tahu Farming’s quadruple bottom line comes down to four pou – social, economic, natural environment and values and culture – that form the basis of assessing whether the company is growing the ability of the land to support life (both quantity and variety), preserving and enhancing the quality of the catchment and the engagement with manawhenua around use of the farm and gauging environmental impact.

From Left: Ngāi Tahu Farming CEO Andrew Priest holding the finalist medal, finalist Hemi Dawson, Dairy General manager Shane Kelly and finalist Rod Lamb.

There was keen field day interest in the farms and their operation, and presentations by Board Chair, Gil Cox, CEO Andrew Priest, General Manager, Ngāi Tahu Farming Dairy Shane Kelly and the two finalist farm managers, Hemi Dawson and Rod Lamb were well received.

The Ahuwhenua Māori Farming awards are one of the most robust judging competitions in the New Zealand farming calendar – they set the benchmark for the whole industry says Chairman of the Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee, Kingi Smiler.

The 2016 winner will be announced on May 20 at a dinner hosted by Waikato-Tainui. Over 800 people have already confirmed their dinner attendance.

Tags: Ahuwhenua Māori Farming awards, Andrew Priest, Gil Cox, Ngāi Tahu Farming
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Building community relationships

Thursday, March 3rd, 2016

Lifting the hangi at Te Whenua Hou.

Rā Dallas, the whānau community champion for Te Whenua Hou sees himself as the conduit between a large farming community in North Canterbury and the wider region, and he is excited about the potential his role has for building on Whanau Ora values.

“We have a community of close to one hundred people now, spread across seven operational dairy farms and five grazing farms and that’s expected to grow. As in any new community, there are people living just 60 metres apart, who don’t even know each other – that’s where I come in,” says Rā.

“I’m working hard to create a community environment where our people feel more socially connected, so that they can feel comfortable about knocking on their neighbour’s door for a chat, a cup of tea, or for help.”

Funded by Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu through the Whenua Kura agricultural training programme, the whānau community champion role looks beyond where the programme is largely based at Te Whenua Hou, the Ngai Tahu Farm property north of the Waimakariri. Rā has met with representatives from the Oxford Trust, Waimakariri District Council and local schools as far afield as Rangiora and Swannanoa.

“I want to do everything I can to help our Whenua Kura students and farming whānau to connect with each other and with their wider communities. It’s about empowering them to look after themselves and each other and it’s about encouraging them to have a say about what they need and how we are going to achieve it,” says Rā.

He says a barbecue was recently organised to bring the community together – in that case particularly, to thank some Argentinian staff.

“That was a great success and in addition to demonstrating manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, it also encourages rangatiratanga and oranga – all key Ngāi Tahu values that we want to encourage every farmer to be a part of.

Ra Dallas, centre – Building on Whanau Ora values within the Ngāi Tahu Farming Community.

“We’ve also been working with Pegasus Health to have a Health Day on the farms so all workers can have a health check. Engaging with our Canterbury health providers in this way, enables our people to establish a trusted network of specialist support.”

Also involved in the project is Whenua Kura co-ordinator, Letitia Goldsmith, who is also building on-farm relationships especially between farm managers and staff, Lincoln University tutors and Te Tapuae o Rehua staff.

“The experienced farmers want to share their skills and even make time to ensure our students get basic skills in activities like backing trailers and fencing. It’s all about creating a fun, safe, and learning environment underpinned by our cultural values,” Letitia says.

She spends a lot of time advocating for students and building support around them.

“We have students from many different backgrounds, and from all over Aotearoa and some of them come to us with no immediate family to help and support them. They’re often disconnected from their families, so we step in to take care of any immediate health and wellbeing needs they may have while on farm at Te Whenua Hou. I often take groups of students to local events like community rugby.”

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu invests in a wide variety of activities that build sustainable
whānau capability. Through programmes like Whenua Kura, Te Pūtahitanga encourages on-going investment in whānau development and wellbeing.

Tags: Ra Dallas, Te Pūtahitanga, Te Whenua Hou community, Whanau Ora
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Ahuwhenua Trophy finalists announced

Thursday, February 18th, 2016

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy have congratulated this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy competition finalists, celebrating excellence in Māori farming.

The three finalists are Tahu a Tao farm in Rakaia near Ashburton, the two Ngāi Tahu Farming operations,Te Ahu Pātiki and Maukatere near Oxford in Canterbury and Tewi Trust in Okoroire near Tirau.

“I commend these finalists for their sheer hard work and fulfilling a legacy left by Sir Apirana Ngata, who helped introduce the competition which encourages proficiency and skills in Māori farming,” says Mr Flavell.

Ngāi Tahu Farming chief executive Andrew Priest sees the awards as a wonderful opportunity to raise the profile of the organisation’s farming activities.

“Up until July last year, Ngāi Tahu Farming was a part of Ngāi Tahu Property; now we are a stand-alone business in our own right and the Ahuwhenua awards are an opportunity to highlight our new identity.

“We also have a strong involvement with the Whenua Kura programme, which focuses on growing Māori leadership in agriculture through its in partnership with Te Tapuae o Rehua and Lincoln University, and by entering the awards, we hope to we hope to showcase Māori achievement in the farming industry,” he says.

Ngāi Tahu Farming staff in Wellington for the announcement of Ahuwhenua finalists. Back row, from left: Ngāi Tahu Farming CEO Andrew Priest, General manager, Ngāi Tahu Farming Dairy, Shane Kelly, Mana Whenua Clare Williams, Stakeholder Engagement Specialist Kim Manahi, Mana Whenua Lik Dawson, Catherine Dawson and baby Taituha, Ngāi Tahu Farming Board Chair Gill Cox. Front row, left, finalist Rod Lamb, Te Ahu Patiki and finalist Hemi Dawson, Maungatere.

The Ahuwhenua Trophy competition, which is now in its 83rd year, celebrates the pursuit of innovation and new approaches by Māori farmers.

The competition alternates each year between sheep and beef farming and dairy.

“These dairy farms are outstanding examples of excellence in agribusiness and demonstrate commitment to sustainable developing farm land for future generations. I am proud to celebrate and acknowledge the key role Māori play in New Zealand’s primary industries,” says Mr Guy.

“The Ahuwhenua awards contribute significantly to the profile and growth of Māori agribusiness – and in turn the growth of the country’s economy. It is also a reminder that the provenance of these finalists’ products are internationally appealing because Māori culture is uniquely Aotearoa,” says Mr Flavell.

The Government has a number of initiatives in place to support Māori Agribusiness growth including the Regional Growth Programme, MPI’s Pathways to Productivity programme, the Primary Growth Partnership and the Sustainable Farming Fund.

“I congratulate all farmers involved in this year’s competition and I’m looking forward to seeing the continued growth and success of Māori agribusiness,” says Mr Guy.

Each of the finalists announced today will showcase their properties at public field days in March, before a winner is announced in Hamilton on May 20.
For more information, visit www.ahuwhenuatrophy.maori.nz

Tags: Ahuwhenua Māori Farming awards, Māori agribusiness
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Supporting our Community

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2015

Earlier in the year Ngāi Tahu Farming provided a $2500 grant for Swannanoa School to help with the purchase of a scoreboard for their basketball competition. Basketball is hugely popular at the school with 54 tamariki playing in the weekly North Canterbury competition across six teams. The great news is that with our help, the school now has their scoreboard proudly in place in the school hall and assisting the scoring in the local competition.

“Your generous donation of $2500 towards a scoreboard not only meant we could go ahead and get one without further fund raising to complete what we had already raised, but it has already been installed and operating since the start of the season. We are incredibly proud of it and have received many positive comments about it.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the staff and especially the children of Swannanoa School, I wish to thank Ngāi Tahu sincerely for your donation. Quite simply without it, we would not have the facility that we do today.” (Scotty Herbert, Chair, Swannanoa Board of Trustees)

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Māori students ready for best-practice farming

Tuesday, August 5th, 2014

A pōwhiri marked the commencement of studies for the first cohort of Whenua Kura students.

Whenua Kura students Papataitua Harrington (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Raukawa), Kea Maurice (Ngāi Tahu) and Shannon Jay (Ngāti Porou)

Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri welcomed the students at the event attended by the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Hon Steven Joyce at Maahunui Tuarua marae, Tuahiwi on Wednesday 6 August, 2014.

The 14 Māori students, ranging in age from 18-28 years old also received their full-fee scholarships at the event.
Whenua Kura is an iwi-led initiative that includes studying toward Lincoln University qualifications, specialising in land-based studies, work placements on Ngāi Tahu farms, a Māori approach to learning, as well as guidance and support through to employment.

Whenua Kura student Papataitua Harrington said he has been enjoying the Whenua Kura course so far.
“It’s an awesome group with heaps of different personalities – everyone is bringing their own thing to the course.”
He said the students have been assisting with calving, “Getting the calves into the trailer was hard work – it was pretty hectic trying to get the heifers moving!”

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Tuarua Lisa Tumahai said the occasion marks the dawning of a new generation of agricultural students who will farm the land in a way that is best practice, upholds Ngāi Tahu values and sustains the environment for future generations.

Whenua Kura students Tiana Pirimona (Ngāpuhi) and Mereana Hyde (Ngāti Tahinga)

Lisa Tumahai addressed the Whenua Kura students…
“Today is a new beginning for you, for your career and we believe the future of farming in New Zealand. We need our people to be the best in cutting-edge farming practices as we want to be leaders in agriculture. Ngāi Tahu has set its sights high and we need our future Māori farm leaders to do the same.”
She added the group was likely to be the largest cohort of Māori agricultural trainees in the country and most definitely the largest cohort learning on an iwi-owned farm.

Lincoln University Assistant Vice Chancellor (Communities) and Professor of Indigenous Planning Professor Hirini Matunga said Whenua Kura is helping to link Ngāi Tahu people and Māori people to their land through the industry of dairy farming.

“It’s quite a unique initiative and innovative in the way we are delivering the programme. It’s about dairy training in a Māori context and training up our people to be managers of the family farm.”

Whenua Kura is a partnership between Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Te Tapuae o Rehua, Ngāi Tahu Farming and Lincoln University which seeks to grow Māori leadership in agriculture. The Whenua Kura Programme is open to all Māori from ages 18-34. Visit www.whenuakura.co.nz for more information and to register an interest in the January 2015 Whenua Kura programme.

Tags: best practice farming, Hirini Matunga, Lincoln University, Lisa Tumahai, Ngāi Tahu Farming, Papataitua Harrington, Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Tuahiwi, Whenua Kura
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Ngāi Tahu Farming sponsor West Eyreton School Teams

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014

Most of the Ngāi Tahu Farming employees are new to the small farming community of Eyrewell which is located 40 km northwest of Christchurch and sits within the

West Eyreton school representative cross country team

takiwā of Ngāi Tūāhuriri. To help staff and their employees settle in, Ngāi Tahu Farming has been active in looking for ways to get involved in the community.

Back when the farms were first piloted in 2011, locals have come came forward with offers of industry advice and support while local surrounding schools, sports clubs and community organisations helped with final land clearing (stick picking) as a community fundraiser.

To help keep this community connection going, Ngāi Tahu Farming recently sponsored West Eyreton School, supplying branded navy jackets that will be used in a variety of ways to support the schools’ representative swimmers, triathletes, duathletes, cross country runners, school leaders, sports teams, debaters, choir and chess teams.

West Eyreton School is located close to the Ngāi Tahu Farming dairy farms at Eyrewell where a number of the students are from.

These jackets have already been worn very proudly by the cross country team that competed in the Eyre Cluster Cross Country competition on Friday 23 May. Nine children qualified to compete against 11 other North Canterbury Schools at the Pegasus Cross Country and from this competition three have qualified for the Canterbury Cross Country competition to be held at Halswell Quarry. It’s been a great effort by the team.

The jackets are also being used by, the Year 7 & 8 representative rugby and netball teams, who are entered in a North Canterbury tournament that will take place every Friday afternoon for the next six weeks. Last week the rugby team won 90 – 20 and the netball team won 25 – 6.
We wish all the competitors the best of luck over the coming weeks.

Tags: Ngāi Tahu Farming, West Eyreton, West Eyreton School
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Phil Colombus, Regional Farm Manager of the Year

Thursday, March 6th, 2014

**UPDATE** 9 May
Phil Colombus has come third in the 2014 national Dairy Industry Awards Farm Manager of the Year competition. Phil was also awarded the Fonterra Best Practice Award and the PrimaryITO Human Resource Management Award.

Congratulations to Phil Colombus who has won the Canterbury North Otago Farm Manager of the Year title at the 2014 Canterbury North Otago Dairy Industry Awards on Tuesday evening, 4 February.

As well as the Farm Manager of the Year Award, Phil also took out the TH Enterprises Ltd Leadership Award, RD1 Farm Management Award and the Westpac Financial Planning and Management Award.

A farm manager for Ngāi Tahu Farming at Eyrewell, this is the second time Phil has entered the awards and the second time he has come out on top. In 2006 he won the Upper South Island Dairy Trainee of the Year title.

Phil has worked his way up the industry ladder and enjoys the opportunities provided by Ngāi Tahu Farming on the 1300-cow property he is managing.

Ngāi Tahu Farming General Manager Andrew Clayton says the awards are hugely contested and saw hundreds of entries throughout the two provinces.

“It’s fair to say that we are very proud of Phil’s achievements. We are also very proud of his wife Mel who plays a big part on Phil’s farm. It’s great to see Phil and the team’s hard work being recognised by the industry.”

From here, Phil joins 10 others to compete for the National Farm Manager of the Year award in Auckland.

Tags: Eyrewell, Farm Manager of the Year Award, Ngāi Tahu Farming, Phil Colombus
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Meet Jackson Bertanees

Monday, January 13th, 2014

It took a while, but Jackson Bertanees (Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki) has gotten used to the long hours and the early morning starts that dairy farming demands.

Two days a week Jackson is up and out of bed at 2am. At 3am he’s in the milking shed where he’ll spend four hours milking 1150 cows. Then he heads for breakfast before returning to the farm to spend a couple of hours doing tasks before heading home for a rest and some downtime.

About 1pm it starts again with the same 1150 cows making their way back in to the 64-stall rotary shed on Ngāi Tahu Farming’s second dairy farm. The herd will have produced less milk in the hours since their morning milk so this time around Jackson will usually spend about three hours in the shed attaching the cups that drain up to 25,000 litres of milk a day from the mainly Friesian and crossbreed herd.

Jackson is 18 years old and has been working on the farm for a year since being selected to join Whenua Kura, a Ngāi Tahu initiative to create pathways for Māori to enter the rural workforce. He is working towards a qualification in farm management which he could complete in four years. Much of what he learns is through the experience he gets on the job, passed on by farm manager Dave Hunter and his partner Lynda Townshend. But he also regularly attends block courses run by Primary ITO where he is learning the ins and outs of farming technology, animal health and husbandry, and pasture management.

Jackson is the second of eight siblings and grew up with his mother Shae Bertanees in Dunedin where he attended Kaikorai Valley College. Many of his holidays were spent in Edendale on a small dairy farm with his father Russell Fowler. It was here that his interest in farming began.

Jackson feels pretty proud that he’s on a pathway to a career in dairy farming, and even more so that he is being supported by his iwi and is working for his people.

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Whenua Kura rōpū visit the Eyrewell dairy farm

Wednesday, December 18th, 2013

A rōpū of Lincoln University staff and potential Whenua Kura students recently visited the Eyrewell dairy farm to learn more about Ngāi Tahu Farming’s operations.

Ngāi Tahu Farming development manager Glen Clayton led the kōrero on board the bus.

“It was an opportunity to talk to potential students and the staff from Lincoln about what makes our farms different. We explained some of the best practice technology we are using and research we are carrying out to ensure we are doing our best to uphold the values of Ngāi Tahu.”

Whenua Kura is an educational initiative between Ngāi Tahu Farming, Lincoln University and Te Tapuae o Rehua, which aims to increase the number of Māori working on Ngāi Tahu farms and support them into leadership roles.

Keith Churcher (Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki) used to be a fisherman and is now a painter weighing up his next career change. He travelled from Nelson to take part on the tour.

“I have always had this thing in the back of my head, an inkling. I have watched people make a lot of money out of milk solids and I want to be on board that waka.”

Keith hopes to begin study next year so he can start to work his way up to a management position.

“I will start out as a dairy assistant, work hard, listen and focus on the bigger picture.”

To finish the tour, the rōpū were called onto Tuahiwi Marae to hear the Mana Whenua Working Party’s aspirations.

The Mana Whenua Working Party is made up of members of Ngāi Tahu hapū who hold mana whenua over the Hurunui and Waimakariri catchments associated with Ngāi Tahu Farming’s Eyrewell and Balmoral developments.

The working party was established to advise on the cultural, environmental and social aspects of the farms. They worked with Ngāi Tahu Farming to identify ways that give effect to cultural values in Ngāi Tahu Farming’s rural developments.

Creating pathways for Māori to enter the rural workforce and work on Ngāi Tahu farms was identified as a key way to uphold cultural values.

Eruera Tarena from Te Tapuae o Rehua says it is important that future Māori staff and students of Whenua Kura hear directly from mana whenua.

“The kōrero helped staff and students understand why it is important to uphold the values of Ngāi Tahu on Eyrewell farm.”

Tags: Keith Churcher, Whenua Kura
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