The finalists in the 2025 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award for sheep and beef have been announced. They are:
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Coby Warmington, Te Mahurehure, Ngāpuhi, 29, Farm Manager, Waima Topu Beef Ltd, Te Tai Tokerau.
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Grace Watson, Whakatohea, 24, Sheperd General, Verry Farming Limited, Te Kuiti.
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Puhirere Tau, Ngāpuhi, Ngati Porou, 27, Head Shepherd, Puatai Station, Tolaga Bay. Puhirere is a previous finalist in the AYMF award.
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. The finalists this year were selected from a number of entrants from around the motu.
Lead Judge, Sam Vivian-Greer of Te Tumu Paeroa says it is great to see another excellent cohort of aspiring Māori farming leaders emerge. He says since it was inaugurated more than a dozen years ago there has been a constant stream of young Māori talent entering this competition.
“Māori agribusiness is growing exponentially and it needs people with the skills, experience and leadership qualities to take it forward. This competition has done just that and we are seeing young Māori who have been winners and finalists take on leadership roles in the primary sector,” he says.
Sam Vivian-Greer says not only have these rangatahi done well in their own right, but they have also proven to be excellent role models for others to follow in their footsteps. He says they have built up new networks and have helped mentor other young Māori. He says the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Award has been a significant factor in future proofing the Māori agri-sector.
The AYMF finalists will be attending the field days of the finalists in the senior Ahuwhenua Trophy competition in April. The winner will be announced on Friday 6 June 2025 at Fly Palmy Arena, in Papaioea, Palmerston North. See our website for further details.
Media please note:
For further information contact Peter Burke on 021 224 2184 or peterb@actrix.co.nz. For ‘free for editorial use’ photos of competition go to https://rb.gy/6f1bwy and contact John Cowpland from Alphapix for download access on info@alphapix.co.nz.
Our thanks to the sponsors of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award:
Kaitautoko Tuatahi: Te Tumu Paeroa
Kaitautoko Taketake: Primary ITO, Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Te Puni Kōkiri
Finalist Profiles
Coby Warmington, Te Mahurehure, Ngāpuhi
Coby Warmington, 29, is the Farm Manager at Waima Topu Beef Ltd, a bull beef finishing farm in Waima, Northland. The farm has 385 effective hectares of mostly rolling hill country. Coby lives on-farm with partner Holly and their four kids.
Coby is from Waima, where his passion for farming evolved from an enjoyment of being outdoors and working with animals, as well as a love for kai and feeding people. His earliest memories of farming were misty mornings, tagging along with dad to help on his grandfather’s beef breeding farm. During school Coby studied agriculture, receiving top of the class. Coby then worked for three years at a local meat works, gaining valuable knowledge, but realising indoor chain work was not for him. He then began working for a local fencing contractor, as well as part-time mustering jobs. Skills learned during this time helped him into a full-time shepherding role at Oromahoe Trust, where he gained experience with intensive bull finishing systems, and was supported into studies with Primary ITO.
Coby started at Waima Topu Beef in January 2021 as a Shepherd/General, when an opportunity to move home was too hard to turn down. The farm was at the beginning of a massive re-building phase. Being involved in projects such as a new water system, fencing, roading and weed control have excelled Coby’s personal development, he gained a lot of practical knowledge during this process and had great support from the business’s directors and advisors. He became Farm Manager in March 2023.
While Coby has been on board the farm has transformed from a small number of extensive paddocks, low quality in-paddock dam water and 100ha+ of mature gorse and tobacco, to 165ha of intensive grazing cells, a robust water reticulation system, kilometres of metalled farm tracks and gorse areas brought back into grazing. Coby and the directors are passionate about mitigating the negative effects farming has on the environment and as a part of the farm’s development has excluded stock from many waterways, native bush blocks and erosion prone areas. On-farm focus has now turned to utilising improvements to increase animal performance and farm production.
Coby is grateful for the opportunities given to him in his early farming career. He thanks the farmers who employed him and shared their knowledge, helping to mould him into the farmer he is today. He enjoys catching up with these mentors and loves to lend a hand on their farms when possible.
Coby enjoys playing rugby and spending time with family and friends. Living at home gives him the opportunity to contribute to his community through coaching kids’ rugby teams, kai mahi on the marae, cleaning and gravedigging at the urupā, and supporting the local kura. He thinks the most rewarding part of farming at home is the ability to be close to whānau, being a positive role model in your hapū and caring for your own whenua.
Coby’s plan includes continuing the development of Waima Topu Beef with the target of being in Northlands top 5% producing farms, ideally creating a space to grow rangatahi who are interested in a farming career. Also important is continuing education opportunities and engaging with other farmers at B+LNZ workshops and focus groups. Long term, farm ownership is Coby’s dream.
Grace Watson, Whakatohea
Grace Watson, 24, is currently employed as a Shepherd General for Wendy and Reon Verry of Verry Farming Limited on their 1,000ha (effective) Puketitiri Station in the King Country, near Te Kuiti.
Grace grew up on her parent’s dairy farm in a small rural community at the foot of Mt Tarawera called Rerewhakaaitu. Grace and her three younger sisters spent a lot of time on farm as children. She believes her strongest values and attributes were instilled through watching her parents passion and dedication to working on the whenua.
After finishing high school Grace pursued her passion for sport representing New Zealand on the international stage for rowing. Unsure of her future endeavours but ready for a new challenge Grace found herself emerged in the unknown territory of sheep and beef farming on the hills of the East Coast. Farming runs deep in Grace’s blood so in a way it was no surprise to her when she found herself rounding up a team of dogs.
Grace will have been at Puketitiri Station coming up one year in July. Puketitiri runs 3,500 breeding ewes and 1,200 replacements. The flock is split between terminal, Coopworth and Wiltshire ewes. The station winters around 180 breeding cows, 400 bulls, 240 dairy grazers, 150 steers and 80 beef heifers. Grace has enjoyed the challenge of helping to manage and juggle feed requirements and health measures/preventatives for the various classes of stock. Grace speaks highly of Wendy and Reon as they are passionate about the health of the waterways on farm and take pride in fencing off buffer zones and riparian planting where possible. Grace also appreciates that the station is committed to supporting rangatahi with an interest in agriculture through the Growing Future Farmers programme. She enjoys the opportunity to share some of the knowledge that has been passed down to her with others who are keen to learn.
Grace is currently completing the Level 4 Primary ITO Sheep and Beef course to help prepare her to step up into a stock manager/managers role sometime in the future. Her ultimate long-term goal being farm ownership with her partner, Will. In the short term, Grace is thriving off the opportunities presented to her. Exploring the foreign territory of investing and home ownership, she feels lucky to have the guidance and support of those around her in helping make that end dream a reality. Grace says the learning and growth she can feel within herself are a sure sign that she is in a good space.
Life off-farm for Grace is spending quality time with whānau and friends, exploring the outdoors and a bit of hunting and fishing. She is looking forward to joining a local club for the upcoming netball season.
Grace hopes to encourage rangatahi back to their roots, to live off their whenua. To work hard yet enjoy the lifestyle that farming allows. She is thankful to those who gave her the opportunities to find her way in the agriculture sector and encourages more farm managers and owners to do the same. Grace sees the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award as an invaluable opportunity to represent her whānau, iwi, farm and network of supporters to whom she owes so much. She is excited to embark on this waka with Ahuwhenua.
Puhirere Tau
Ngāpuhi, Ngati Porou
With seven years of experience in the agricultural industry, Puhirere Tau, 27, has already carved out an impressive career in New Zealand’s farming sector. Currently serving as Head Shepherd at Puatai Station, a bull finishing block on the East Coast, he plays a crucial role in managing a 650ha farm. With 700 R2 Angus bulls and 500 R1 Angus bulls spread across the station’s mix of flat and rolling country, Puhirere thrives in an environment that demands skill, dedication, and a deep understanding of livestock management.
Born and raised in the Far North, Puhirere also proudly has whakapapa to the East Coast, where his deep connection to the land and its people has shaped his journey in the agricultural sector. Coming from a lineage of builders and servicemen, he has always been driven by a strong work ethic and a desire to contribute to his community. His passion for farming eventually led him back to the East Coast, where he embraced the opportunities and challenges of large-scale sheep and beef operations.
His journey in agriculture began at Pakarae Station, a challenging steep-country farm running 12,000 stock units of capital mixed-age stock. Over three and a half years, he honed his skills, starting as a general hand before progressing to a junior shepherd role, proving his ability to adapt and excel in demanding conditions. He then spent two years at Rototahi Station, which operates a 7,000 stock unit hogget rearing system, working as a shepherd and further refining his expertise. His dedication and leadership saw him progress to Head Shepherd at Puatai Station, where he now leads by example in an intensive bull finishing operation.
Puhirere is committed to continuous growth. Having completed Primary ITO Level 4, he now has his sights set on Level 5 Production Management. Once he completes Level 5, he plans to pursue a degree in Agricultural Commerce, further expanding his knowledge of farm business management and sustainability.
Puhirere has a strong work ethic, a thirst for knowledge, and unwavering dedication to the industry. He is determined not to take any shortcuts in his career and is committed to mastering every aspect of farming – from stock management and pasture growth to business operations. His goal is to build a well-rounded skill set that will allow him to contribute meaningfully to the future of New Zealand agriculture.
