Dannevirke: New partnership boosts farm training

Taratahi students Hemoata Kopu (left), from the Bay of Islands, and Tane Hubbard, from Wairoa, at Pukemiro at Otope, the property of the ADB Williams Trust. Photo / Christine McKay

An initiative by the trustees of the ADB Williams Trust, which owns Pukemiro Station at Otope, is the partnership with Taratahi in Masterton.

In 2013 the trustees purchased the adjoining Awakeri property and that, with the amalgamation with Pukemiro and the purchase of a summer safe property, Coonoor in 2002, was the catalyst for the trustees to review the operation. As a result of the review the trust began discussions with Taratahi Agriculture Training Centre to create a partnership for on-farm training for students, trustee David McKenzie told visitors to the property last weekend.

"We are in our second year of the partnership, delivering real training on real farms here at Pukemiro," he explained. "Our staff are doing a great job, with the oldest trainee from Taratahi, a 50-year-old. He had never been on a farm in his life and his last job had been building a kit-set playground for McDonalds in Auckland."

Of the students who rotate on to the ADB Williams Trust property two or three times a year, 35 per cent are girls and one of last year's intake, Hemoata Kopu from the Bay of Islands, won the ADB Williams Trust scholarship which covers the full second-year fees for a Taratahi student.

"It's been a great opportunity," she told the Dannevirke News. "I've loved learning to shear and this year competed at the Golden Shears in Masterton."

But shearing is not where Hemoata sees her future.

"I want to work on a sheep and beef farm," she said.

First year Taratahi student, Tane Hubbard from Wairoa, said he has thrived on learning new skills.

"I've learnt a range of different skills and I want to get my level 3, 4, 5 NCEA qualifications and then work on a sheep and beef farm," he said. "I see a great career path in farming."

Tane also competed at the Golden Shears and said the experience was great.

Ross Mitchinson is one of the three full-time staff at Pukemiro, with a role as tutor for the Taratahi students.

"They have three weeks at a time here, but time is so short we have to rotate them around all the tasks," he said.

"It takes time because you can't learn everything in five minutes."

As well as time spent out on the farm, one student stays behind with Mr Mitchinson's wife Corriene, cooking for the other students, part of the life skills and self-sufficiency skills training.

Peter Noble-Campbell, a former ADB Williams Trust manager and trustee, said the likes of Hemoata and Tane are the type of people the trust aims to help into a farming career.

The first year Taratahi students visit the property in groups of seven to eight and are on farm two or three times a year, but Mr McKenzie said it was important for people to realise the ADB Williams trust has no financial tie-up with Taratahi.

"The students are a big focus for us."