Farming turns Jack into a winner

Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer of the Year Jack Raharuhi with his boss, Rebecca Keoghan, who was named Dairy Woman of the Year at the Dairy Women's Network conference. Photo / Primary ITO

Jack Raharuhi, awarded the 2016 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Dairy Farmer title last week, is of Ngati Kahu ancestry.

His father, Lani Raharuhi, moved from Whatuwhiwhi to the South Island.

He met Jack's mother in Christchurch, where their son was born in 1992 and when the boy was 3 the family moved to the West Coast, where Lani still works in the mining industry.

Jack left Buller High School at age 15 to work on a dairy farm after his father organised the job for him through a friend.

"I got into the wrong crowd as a teenager and I chose the wrong path," Jack said.

"I left school and came to work here on the farm which I now manage. Dairy farming got me in line. I had no time to go out and get into trouble. Now I have a fiancee and two children."

After three or four years of work, Jack decided to get back into study and enrolled with Primary ITO.

He has now completed Level 3, 4 and 5 qualifications in Dairy Farming and Production Management. He also has several short courses in milk quality and leadership skills under his belt, and was named Primary ITO's West Coast Overall Trainee of the Year in 2015.

Now 24, he manages the 450ha Bassets Dairy Unit, a Landcorp property in Westport.

Five fulltime staff help him look after 1100 cows, which are milked twice daily through most of the season.

He is a big believer in second chances and says winning a prestigious award such as the Ahuwhenua is a huge honour.

"This win is definitely going to help me get to where I want to go. I want to be a supervisor and oversee 5000 cows or move into an advisory role down the track. I have a goal to do the best I can to ensure my whanau and I have a great quality of life."

Alternating between the dairy and sheep and beef sectors, the Young Māori Farmer competition aims to celebrate leadership qualities and inspire young Māori to grow their careers to reach their full potential.

Jack has developed a passion for training other young workers and helping them carve out viable career paths.

"Education is a big thing these days," he said.

"To get a manager's role now, qualifications are a necessity. If I can train my guys up to get to that level and know they have the certificates to back themselves up, I feel really positive that I've helped them get there."

Jack said he was certain he still had relatives living around Whatuwhiwhi.

He planned to look them up when he and his fiancee, Charlotte Park-Stewart, brought their children to Northland for a holiday.