Grace Rehu (Rangitāne, Taranaki) was named the 2023 Young Māori Grower at the Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards in Tauranga last weekend attended by more than 900 guests.
The 21-year-old, who is a leading hand for Turners and Growers in Puketapu, Hawke’s Bay, was a finalist alongside Alix Te Kere (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tu, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Maniapoto) a health and safety adviser at snack apple grower Rockit Management Services in Hastings, and Erica Henare (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Maniapoto) a pipfruit and kiwifruit manager at Kono NZ in Motueka.
This was the first time in the history of the competition that three wāhine Māori were selected as finalists. To mark the special occasion, each of the finalists received $5000 from Te Tumu Paeroa in addition to their other prizes.
Rehu said she could never have had this “amazing experience” without the support of the two other finalists by her side and admitted she was pushed into entering the competition without really knowing what was involved but “fell in love” with the kaupapa and kept going.
She is eager to inspire rangatahi to consider horticulture as a career and says it is more than just picking apples, “If I can do it, so can our future wāhine and tāne,” Rehu said when first named a finalist.