Leading hand now NZ's leading young Maori grower
Grace Rehu, 21 – a leading hand for Turners and Growers in Puketapu, Hawke’s Bay – is the winner of the 2023 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower competition.
The station consists of 850ha (effective) on which are run 6000 Romdale sheep and 1200 Angus cattle plus 600 goats, which are mustered annually.
The day started with a traditional Maori welcome at the Waerenga-o-Kuri hall where the programme for the day was outlined and a brief overview of the farm given by the owners Marty and Janice Charteris. The visitors were then taken on an extensive tour of the farm to see sheep, cattle and the bush area they have preserved. There were two stops on the tour and at these other rural professionals also spoke about the Charteris’s work.
Most of the visitors brought along their own quads or side-by-side vehicles and strict safety rules were strictly enforced – no passengers on quads and everyone on a quad or a side-by-side wearing a safety helmet.
The line of these vehicles stretched back over a kilometre as they wound their way through the property. A shorter tour was taken by 4WD vehicles to the major stopping points.
After lunch came more presentations and Marty and Janice were presented with their finalists’ medal by Maori Party MP Marama Fox representing the Minister of Maori Development.
Also present were the other finalists, Bart and Nuku Hadfield of Mangaroa Station and Chad Paraone and a number of staff and trustees from Paua Station in the Far North.
Marty Charteris says they enjoyed the field day and the competition.
“The whole experience has been humbling with all the focus on us; we have never had anything like this happen to us before. When someone asked me what the community reaction was going to be before the field day I was just prepared to wait and see. The reaction spoke for itself with over 200 people here,” he says.
Janice says during the farm tour they stopped and were thrilled when she looked back at all the motorbikes and vehicles. “It was a very proud moment for me and especially to have my daughter and son in law with me. We took a photo and said ‘this is us’.”
The judges praised the excellent use of professional help sought by Marty and Janice. They also praised their willingness to investigate and implement alternative land uses on the station to boost income streams. These included growing squash for export, grazing dairy cows and the use of goats on poorer land.
Ahuwhenua Trophy management committee chair Kingi Smiler says all three farms are worthy finalists that have demonstrated a commitment and determination to create successful farming operations that will benefit them and their whanau.
He says the Ahuwhenua Trophy has helped lift the bar behind the farmgate and the result is some amazing innovation.
