Early morning starts are a breeze for cadet Legacy Hiroti

Joining the Awhiwhenua cadetship programme in January of this year, Legacy has settled happily into the programme, despite the seven-week lockdown during the Alert Level 4 response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I had completed four years at Ruapehu College, but rather than returning for another year, I decided to do this programme because I really wanted to see whether or not farming was for me,” says Legacy.

Growing up with Ātihau- Whanganui Incorporation shareholders, grandparents Garth and Dionne Hiroti, Legacy Hiroti is valuing the opportunity of being a cadet.

“My grandfather owns a shearing contract so I’ve worked in shearing sheds most of my life,” she says. “I’ve enjoyed watching the shepherds doing the mustering and driving around on the farm motorbikes. It always seemed fun to me.”

“My cousin Hezakaya Metekingi had already joined the Awhiwhenua programme so I was able to team up with him and one other cadet, Keilani Filoa. Her mother moved the family to Waiouru after seeing the course advertised on Facebook.”

Legacy appreciates that the course provides a lot of hands-on experience.

“I can’t think of an easier way to be introduced to farming, especially in terms of practical experience where you learn on the job,” she reflects. “When we first started we were involved in fencing and working with the stock and now we have docking coming up soon, as well as shearing. It’s very physical but girls are more than capable of doing the work.”

“In fact, when you think about it, girls are good at farming because we have to think more about solutions rather than just use our physical strength.”

This practical work covers four days of the week with Wednesdays reserved for the theory part of the course. This means cadets graduate with qualifications in Level 3 and 4 National Certificate in Agriculture, and an understanding of the science around animal care, soil, their nutrients, and pasture management.

Based at Te Pā Station, Legacy has also travelled to work on other Ātihau-Whanganui Inc stations and for joint training sessions such as dog training, health and safety, and working around conveyer belts.

“My team is great to work with and the support I’ve had from my practical tutor, Brendon Craw, and theory tutor, Derek Priest, has been great too,” she says. “Awhiwhenua Kaiawhi, Nanny Olive Hawira, has helped us learn to live independently”.

Legacy has applied for a grant with the Te Ati Hau Trust to help with her course fees. She is thinking about her future, whether to carry on with another Awhiwhenua course, or go to work on a farm fulltime. Or, as suggested by her grandmother, go on to Lincoln Unversity.

“Going to university with this practical experience would definitely be beneficial and someday I would like to be a farm manager,” she says. “My koro said that it would be pretty good for me to become the CEO of Ātihau-Whanganui Inc, but I don’t mind just being a farm manager.”