Eighteen-year-old student Shawn Sands said all aspects of safety was well enforced at the school, and most of his peers took on the message.
Mr Sands, who has just finished a Certificate in Agriculture (Dairy), won the 2012 Taratahi Cup for Best Overall Wairarapa Student, as well as the Stainrite Taratahi Fencing Competition Cup with Lucien Keightley, the National Bank Cup for Top Dairy Student Level 3, the Perry Cup for Ideal Trainee and the Richard Mills-Taratahi Scholarship.
Growing up on a dairy farm in Waiuku near Pukekohe, Mr Sands said he wanted to be a dairy farmer since he was young and it was just hard work that had earned him the top prizes.
"I was always thinking, what else could I do to push myself? And I guess that was enforced a bit by Mum and Dad, too."
He said he was thankful for the support his parents had given him, and was looking forward to another year at Taratahi working towards his Level 4 certificate.
Former All Black captain and director of Ngati Kahungunu Taine Randell also spoke at the ceremony, and told graduates they should aim to have no regrets in life.
"Personally I wouldn't change a thing, maybe a few line-out calls. I had skin in the game and my neck on the line and I would do the same again," he said.
Taratahi chief executive Donovan Wearing said the graduates had proved it was possible to prepare young people with the right skills and attitude for the agricultural industry.
"Taratahi has a 90 per cent course-completion rate and 85 per cent qualification rate, and that ranks us as one of the top-performing institutions in the country. Outcomes for Maori learners are some of the best in the country."
