Proud milestone: Awhiwhenua graduate takes on head role

Te Paenga Station has a new Head Shepherd – and Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporation couldn’t be prouder. He is a graduate of the Awhiwhenua farm cadetship – and after several years away, he’s back on home ground with an exciting future ahead of him. Moana Ellis talks to Jade Johnson.

Ten years ago, Ātihau- Whanganui Incorporation (Ātihau) launched an on-farm residential cadetship teaching livestock skills to a small number of cadets each year in a supportive, hands-on setting.

Part of the Ātihau commitment to creating training and work for shareholder whānau, the programme has equipped up to six rangatahi each year with a Level 3 New Zealand National Vocational Certificate in Agriculture and realworld experience that sets them up for farm work on Ātihau whenua or anywhere in Aotearoa.

When Jade Johnson (Te Ātihaunuia-Pāpārangi) was unexpectedly offered a place five years ago on the Awhiwhenua farm cadet programme, he didn’t have to be asked twice.

A cadet had unfortunately had to give up a hard-won place partway through the two-year live-in cadetship, the vacancy providing a young Jade with an opportunity out of the blue.

Just 16 and straight out of Whanganui High School, already hooked on working the land and certain that farming was the life for him, he was itching to broaden his horizons, gain some independence and top up his skill level.

“Since I’ve been a little kid, I’ve always wanted to be a farmer. It’s the lifestyle I grew up with – everything I did was on a farm,” Jade says.

“At 16, I was probably a little bit young to go straight to work – I didn’t even have a driver’s licence. Awhiwhenua gave me a bit more time before going out into the big bad world. I only caught the last part of the course, but it was all good. It got me up to scratch with things like fencing and crops, and the paperwork side of the business.”

There was no cropping on the Whangaehu Valley farm where he cut his teeth – almost literally – on farming. His grandfather, Hubba (Rex) Browning, ran the Smiths’ sheep and beef farm for many years in the valley, and Jade and his family lived just across the road.

Above and below images: A young Jade Johnson spent as much time as possible on the whenua with his koro Hubba (Rex) Browning.

Hubba Browning was also farm manager for a stint at Ohorea and before that at Morikau, and young Jade spent as much time as possible on that whenua at weekends and in the holidays, working alongside his Pop.

“I’ve grown up on a farm all my life. Right through since before school I’ve been on a farm, pretty much my whole life since I was a little fulla.

“I never really liked school and have always been better at practical stuff. I tried to go to work as much as I could, although Mum didn’t always agree with that.

“I did anything and everything – just as much as I could help with general farm work, chasing sheep, riding horses. Just being outside with the animals, especially the dogs and horses, working on the land – it’s just what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Gaining stockmanship and general farming experience with his grandfather lay the groundwork for an outstanding cadetship with Awhiwhenua.

Tikanga and Brand Manager Whetu Moataane says Jade was a stand-out cadet, already at home on the land when he joined the programme.

“The Awhiwhenua farm cadet programme is designed to encourage uri and Māori into sheep and beef farm training. At that time, the theory was provided by Land-Based Training and the practical work was done at Te Pā Station, where Jade lived at Awhiwhenua House with his fellow cadets.

“I’m told he was a very good cadet who showed a lot of promise from the start. Aunty Olive Hawira, who looked after the cadets in Awhiwhenua House at that time, said he was a great kid in the house, and she knew he had a good future ahead of him. He was always one of the shining stars, both in the theoretical side of training and doing practical mahi on the farm.”

As well as investing in pastures, water, infrastructure and best practice, Ātihau also has a strategic focus on developing people.

Jade is the first graduate of the Awhiwhenua farm cadetship to gain a senior position on an Ātihau farm, and that’s a milestone worth acknowledging and celebrating, says Whetu.

“He’s uri – a shareholder descendant – and he’s a product of the Ātihau vision and a success story for Awhiwhenua. It’s about succession: the aspiration to grow the next Ātihau farm managers. It takes a lot of work and many years to achieve, but Jade is a fine example of how Awhiwhenua and Ātihau can support our people toward reaching that goal.”

Jade spent a good part of his cadetship at Papahaua Station, a 2670ha breeding station 24km south of Raetihi on the Matahiwi Track, where there was plenty of opportunity to hone his skills, working up a few dogs, mustering on horseback and making the most of any hunting opportunities in his spare time as well.

After graduating with flying colours, Jade spent several years in the Taihape and Hunterville area. The Awhiwhenua programme encourages graduates to venture out to other farm operations to gain work experience, and then come back to work on Ātihau farms.

Jade started off as a junior shepherd at Taihape, where he built up a few more dogs for his team - "Finding the right pups, breaking them in and building them up is a part of the job I like " - before taking on a shepherding role in Hunterville.

When a shepherding job came up at Te Paenga Station just over a year ago, Jade jumped at the chance to return home and quickly found his feet.

“This area’s always interested me, it’s got natural character … and I missed the pig-hunting,” Jade says. The link between his grandfather and Ohorea makes him feel at home, and he has family living close by, which further ties him to the area.

In August, at the age of 21, Jade was made Head Shepherd at Te Paenga Station.

He’s taking it in his stride and relishing the new challenge. Te Paenga is a sheep and beef breeding station on 3029 ha of steep to rolling hill country on the Parapara, half an hour from Raetihi and 40 minutes from Whanganui. It has 10,000 ewes in lamb, 3000 hoggets and 600 mixed-age cows as well as replacement stock, with progeny transferring to Ohotu and Tohunga stations for finishing.

“It’s steep and hard country,” Jade says. “We use horses all the time and do all the mustering by horse.”

He keeps things simple by moving “not too big of a mob” – the biggest mob being moved around is a couple of thousand.

Jade says he feels privileged and lucky to be offered an opportunity to take the next step as Head Shepherd.

“Coming back to work for Ātihau, it’s a privilege. The Awhiwhenua programme promotes the idea that cadets will come back and work for their iwi. That’s what they want to see and it’s kind of cool I’ve been able to do that.”

“I’d like to be a manager one day, but that’s a fair way away yet.”

Ātihau Chief Executive Andrew Beijeman says there is plenty of support at Ātihau to develop good people.

“I’m sure if he commits himself, Jade could go on to become a future farm manager. On farm, he’s the sort of person who’s paying attention to everything that’s going on, and he’s notably proactive in his actions.”

“When he’s ready to do more training, he can pick up Level 4 and 5 training through an ITO (industry training organisation).”

“At the moment, though, he’s focused on gaining experience in his new Head Shepherd role.”