The finalists in the 2024 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award have been announced. They are:
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Ben Purua, Tainui, 29, is the Farm Manager at Waimakariri Lands Ltd, near Tirau in the Waikato region which runs 540 cows. Ben is a previous finalist in the AYMF award.
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Hannah Speakman, Ngāti Kahungunu, 21, is employed as the 2IC for Woodlands Farming on Pine Hill Dairy farm in Enfield, near Oamaru. The Craigmore farm is 170ha and milks 560 cows.
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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 in mid-Canterbury – a 354ha farm which milks 1,120 cows at peak.
The Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award was inaugurated in 2012 and is designed to recognise up and coming young Māori in the pastoral and horticulture sectors. Since its inception the competition has proved to be very popular and has attracted high quality entrants, many of whom have gone on to take leadership roles in the agri sector. The three finalists this year were selected from a number of entrants from around the country.
Representing the judging panel, Lead Judge Matiu Julian of Primary ITO says every year this award attracts young farmers and growers who are invested in their futures and want to advance their careers, and as judges it is a privilege to be involved.
Matiu Julian says providing an opportunity for young Māori farmers to grow and connect as Māori is an investment in the future growth of the sector. What attracts many young Māori to the award is the realisation they are part of a legacy of Māori endeavour, of resilience and tenacity. The experience is uniquely Māori and it’s about representing their whānau and the communities who have invested in them.
“The finalists are given unique access to a broad range of experienced industry practitioners and service providers who all understand the importance of growing our young talent. The personal experience as an Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer finalist is always profound and emotionally moving”, he says.
Matiu Julian says the best way to encapsulate the essence of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award is through the wisdom of the whakataukī: ‘He kai kei aku ringa – There is food at the end of my hands’. He says, "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."
Media can contact Peter Burke, 021 2242184 - peterj@true-to-ireland.com
Photographs are free for use in relation to the competition. Visit www.bit.ly/ahuwhenuatrophy or contact John Cowpland, Alphapix: 027 253 3464 - info@alphapix.co.nz
A big thanks also to sponsors of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award: Te Tumu Paeroa, Te Puni Kōkiri, Primary ITO, Dairy NZ, and MSD Animal Health.
Finalist Summaries
Ben Purua
Tainui
Ben Purua, 29, is the Farm Manager at Waimakariri Lands Ltd. He oversees the management of the 540 cow, System 5 dairy farm located near Tirau in the South Waikato for Chap and Ashleigh Zwiers and Jack and Tiz Sheares.
Ben faced adversity in his upbringing in Pukekohe, including exposure to gang life, substance abuse, and domestic violence. This led him on a journey in and out of youth prison and eventually to Waikeria Prison. However, it was during his time at Waikeria Prison that Ben discovered an opportunity to work on the prison farms and this ignited a newfound passion for farming. This transformative experience provided Ben with a path to positively redirect his life.
Ben now uses his personal journey of transformation as a presenter at the Waikeria Prison Farm open days. There, he recounts his journey of overcoming adversity and the profound influence of farming on his life. His goal is to inspire hope and motivation amongst the men there and encourage them to embrace new possibilities and look at farming as a promising career. Ben aims to establish a transition farm to support men reintegrating into society after prison, and he currently mentors men working in the agriculture industry who share similar backgrounds to his own.
Ben also actively engages with the community, advocating for youth retention in the food and fibre sector and he serves as a council member of the Food and Fibre youth network. He recently showcased his insights in Wellington as a presenter at the Food and Fibre Centre for Vocational Excellence Conference, emphasising the importance of nurturing talent in the industry. He is also an active member of the Piarere Young Farmers.
Despite facing the challenge of dyslexia, Ben has successfully completed his Apprenticeship in Agriculture, along with attaining his Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications in Dairy Farming. He now uses his knowledge to assist individuals contending with dyslexia and brain injuries, providing valuable support and guidance to help them fulfil their own tertiary training requirements.
Apart from his work and community commitments, Ben and his wife Nikki have introduced their own clothing line called Kāmu tō Pāmu (meaning ‘calm your farm’), aiming to advocate for well-being and positivity. You can find their collection at www.kamutopamu.co.nz. Ben also uses his profile ‘FarmUpNz’ to share his life and journey on the social media platforms TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
For Ben, farming is more than just a career—it's a passion that fuels his spirit. He finds joy in the early mornings, the tranquility of the starlit sky, and he has a profound connection to the whenua. Through his journey, Ben hopes to inspire and empower more individuals to pursue rewarding careers in the dairy industry.
Hannah Leigh Speakman
Ngāti Kahungunu
Hannah, 21, is currently employed as 2IC for Scott and Megan Rowland of Woodland Farming Ltd at Pine Hill Dairy, a 560 cow farm in Enfield, Oamaru in North Otago. The farm is Craigmore owned and consists of 170ha of flat-rolling country. Being fully irrigated, with great infrastructure, equipment, farm management systems, practices and protocols, Hannah has loved her mahi on Pine Hill and it has been a wonderful farm for her to learn and grow on.
Hannah spent her childhood in Elsthorpe, Hawke’s Bay on Edenham – a sheep and beef farm, which was managed by her dad, John. It was there where her passion for whenua and livestock began. In 2019, during the first coronavirus lockdown, Hannah's final year of high school was put on pause and she found herself back home working with her old man every day. It was then that she decided to pursue a career in farming. After watching the success of her sister Emma and brother-in-law Laurence dairy farming in Taupō, she was inspired to follow in their footsteps. At 18, with no prior experience she moved to the South Island chasing that dream. She has since spent the last three seasons working on farms in the area and has not looked back.
Hannah began working for the Rowlands in April of 2022 as a Farm Assistant. She has spent the last two years developing her skillset around feeding, pasture/grazing, animal health, maximizing production, machinery, staff management and many other aspects of running a whāma kau. Hannah is very grateful to have had the mentorship of her employer Scott. She credits his extensive farm knowledge, taught to her with much patience and enthusiasm, as having had a huge impact on furthering her dairying career. “I’m not sure where my career would be to this day if it weren’t for them, or if I'd even have one at all.”, she says. She is currently enrolled with Primary ITO and is studying Livestock Feed Supply and Demand; she has completed Milk Smart Principles and Livestock Husbandry Certificate at Level 3.
Her short term plans are to continue learning, growing and to upskill her way to become a Farm Manager. She would like to gain more confidence, with a deeper understanding of all aspects of the dairy farm, especially from a business perspective. Her long term goals are to become self-employed and add to her career by training to do animal technician work. With a focus on animal health, such as TB testing, debudding, pregnancy testing and artificial breeding.
Hannah is an active member of the Five Forks Young Farmers club and has obtained two roles on the executive committee as Teen-AG liaison and social media. These roles are very important to her as she feels strongly about whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, being inclusive in the community and showcasing a career in farming to rangatahi coming through. Hannah wants to show that if she can do it, anyone can, no matter what gender, culture or background you come from. Hannah hopes her journey can inspire those wanting to pursue a career in farming and give support to those coming into the industry the same way she was mentored.
In her spare time Hannah plays netball, is an avid runner and surfs at her local beach, Kakanui. She entered the NZDIA in the trainee of the year section. Hannah is grateful and excited to embark on this opportunity and experience with Ahuwhenua.
Shayden Gardiner
He uri nō Te Tai Hau-ā-Uru. Ko Te Ᾱti Haunui-ā-Pāpārangi, Ngā Rauru me Ngāti Rangi ngā iwi.
Shayden Gardiner, 21, is the Assistant Manager of Ma Taua Dairies, a 354ha (effective) farm of Rylib Group in mid-Canterbury. He feels very fortunate to be in his position to guide a team of three workers and provide support to the Farm Manager, Murray Bowden. At peak they milk 1,120 cows through a newly built 80 bale rotary shed on System 5.
Shayden is a dad to three tamariki, Te Reimana (4), Tāwhirirangi (3) and Maddison (2) and with the unwavering support of his partner Ellie, they are his proudest achievement in life, and who motivate him to be his best. He says he wouldn’t be where he is today without them.
Born in Whanganui and raised living a rural lifestyle, both Shayden’s father and his Koko instilled in him a passion for the whenua, passing down their knowledge being farmers and hunter gatherers themselves. At an early age he decided that school just wasn’t for him, only enjoying sports and playing rugby, but he had his heart set on a career in farming to provide for his whānau, just as his dad and Koko did. He left school at 14 and ended up wool pressing in the shearing sheds and doing seasonal work for his dad on the sheep and beef station where they lived.
In 2019 he moved to Te Wai Pounamu by his partners whānau where they began to build a new life. In 2020 Shayden started at Ma Taua Dairies where he has been for four years now. He started out as a Farm Assistant who was as green as grass when it came to dairy, then two years later worked his way up to his current position as Assistant Manager.
Dairy farming has opened his eyes up to a world of endless possibilities and opportunities. Shayden’s dream is to become a farm owner within the next 15 years where his whānau can reap the benefits of thriving off their own whenua. Alongside his partner, Ellie, they have been working with financial advisors to make this a reality through purchasing investments in property and shares, education – studying at Primary ITO, and career progression.
While he hopes to inspire young Māori just like him that anything in life is possible through hard work and making sacrifices, he would also like to encourage farm managers and owners to believe in rangatahi and to give them a chance as they are in a position to help shape rangatahi into great farmers and future leaders. Shayden is grateful that his manager Murray gave him that opportunity at 16 years old and taught him everything he knows about dairy farming. He thanks Murray for allowing him to make mistakes and learn from them, helping him grow in the industry.
Life off-farm for Shayden is spending lots of quality time with his whānau, exploring more of Te Wai Pounamu. He is actively involved in rugby, playing, and supporting their local club Southern RFC, and he also enjoys everything about mahinga kai such as fishing, diving, and going home to hunt.
