Home > Student Stories
“Being a Taratahi graduate definitely helped me get where I am today, these days you need experience and I could clearly show that I had all that, as well as the form...
“Being a Taratahi graduate definitely helped me get where I am today, these days you need experience and I could clearly show that I had all that, as well as the formal qualification to back it up.”
Hamish is a Shepherd General on Brancott Farm Trust, and this is exactly where he wants to be. He loves his role as Shepherd General. “What I like best is being able to be a part of the running of the farm, seeing the difference I make to it and being recognised for it.”
“I love having a team of dogs and being able to produce sheep and beef that I can be proud of.”
She's young, blond and petite but Cologne McKinstry has been the Stock Manager on a 2,400ha station in southern Hawke's Bayand takes it in her stride.
She's young, blond and petite but Cologne McKinstry has been the Stock Manager on a 2,400ha station in southern Hawke's Bay and takes it in her stride.
“The first year at Taratahi was full of challenges. It took some getting used to, I’d come from an all-girls boarding school in Stratford, so to come to a mixed residential campus was a completely different world!”
Cologne credits Taratahi with changing her whole attitude to learning. "Once I was learning about things I was actually going to use in life it was all different.”
Emma attended one of the Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre’s Wairarapa four day Taster Courses and was hooked! Taratahi, in the mixed sheep and beef and dai...
Emma attended one of the Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre’s Wairarapa four day Taster Courses and was hooked! Shortly after the Taster Course Emma enrolled at Taratahi, in the mixed sheep and beef and dairy option.
These days Emma is a Shepherd General on a 2,700ha Landcorp farm in Southland. The farm has 29,000 stock units. There are three Shepherd Generals, one Senior Shepherd, one Stock Manager and one Manager. Each of the Shepherd General’s look after one block of land and Emma looks after the sheep and beef unit. “Pretty much the three of us are responsible for 4,500 stock units on our own. “
Heidi is enrolled on the Massey University Diploma in Agriculture, delivered by Taratahi in the Wairarapa.
Heidi started the programme in March and has her sights firmly set on graduating at the end of 2014. “It will be really exciting to graduate, I’m just so keen to get out into the dairy industry and start working my way up the ladder. Having the diploma will definitely be helpful when I am ready to start getting into the managerial side of the industry.”
Heidi has clear plans for her future. “In five years’ time I’d like to be share milking. I know I need to get lots more experience on-farm and that it will take time to work my way up. Farm ownership would be my ultimate goal in the future, I’m not sure where yet but it might be nice to move back to Northland to be close to my family.”
“I don’t want to be a yes-man, I want to get ahead and further education is the fastest way I can improve myself as a farmer.”
At the beginning of 2013 Duncan enrolled in the Massey University Diploma of Agriculture to further his farming career delivered by Taratahi.
The style of teaching at Taratahi resonates with Duncan. “I don’t have one favourite tutor, they are all my favourites for different reasons and they all bring something very different to the table. The classes are not lectures but more discussion groups which is so valuable. They really encourage you to get involved.”
Duncan believes in planning and setting goals. “In five years’ time I want to be Herd Manager of a large farm or Farm Manager of a small farm." In 10 years’ time Duncan wants to be sharemilking. “I’m not fussed where, I’ll move to wherever the opportunities are.”
“We want to make a lifestyle more than a job for ourselves and tie it in with hunting,”
Jason and Aaron Taka-Turchie have their futures all mapped out.
The Whangarei brothers are keen to gain the extra knowledge they need at Taratahi so they can combine their love of hunting and pest control with farming to ensure they have a comfortable lifestyle in the years to come.
“We want to make a lifestyle more than a job for ourselves and tie it in with hunting,” says Jason.
The brothers enrolled at Taratahi‘s National Certificate in Agriculture (Work Ready) Level 3 programme, which they hope will secure them employment by the end of the 2014 and set them on the road to their dream lifestyle.
Jason and Aaron admit to being “townies”, apart from going bush for a few nights at a time to hunt possums and pigs, and are relishing the opportunity to acquire a new set of skills.
Billy Steventon signed up for Taratahi’s National Certificate in Farming Skills (Work Ready) Level 3 programme, run in partnership with NorthTec.
Billy Steventon signed up for Taratahi’s National Certificate in Farming Skills (Work Ready) Level 3 programme, run in partnership with NorthTec. Six months after starting his training with Taratahi, Billy was offered his first job as 2IC on Taratahi’s training farm at Titoki in Northland.
Nga had always been passionate about the outdoors and interested in farming. He saw a job in the local paper advertising in the dairy industry that looked interesting.
Nga had always been passionate about the outdoors and interested in farming. He saw a job in the local paper advertising in the dairy industry that looked interesting. He applied, but the only thing that let him down was his lack of experience. “I was really disappointed, the job sounded just perfect for me, so in 2011 I decided to get qualified and experienced and applied for a place at Taratahi Taranaki.
By 2014-2015 Nga wants to be in the role of Assistant Manager or Manager of a farm. His ultimate goal in 10 years’ time is to represent New Zealand on a Fonterra farm in China. Nga is interested in developing the industry and looking at new and improved ways to feed and breed stock.
“I love training and dairy. Luckily I’m a morning person and there’s not one job on-farm that I don’t like doing."
Bella Kinza-Ward is a bright young Taranaki woman who has her sights firmly set on the dairy industry. Bella has been training with Taratahi since 2013. “I love training and dairy. Luckily I’m a morning person and there’s not one job on-farm that I don’t like doing. I love the milking, the cows definitely all have their own personalities and I’m excited about the technology that’s on-farm. The farm I am training on now has just installed a Protrack system; it’s so interesting and adds another level to it all.”
Students Ngawai Kohiti and James Paterson recently graduated from Taratahi’s ‘Introduction to Farming, Level 2’ programme. The 23 week programme was held in Galatea in the...
Students Ngawai Kohiti and James Paterson recently graduated from Taratahi’s ‘Introduction to Farming, Level 2’ programme. The 23 week programme was held in Galatea in the Bay of Plenty.
The key to Ngawais' success was her positive attitude, she was always very positive and she always gave everything a try. From tractors to chainsaws and milking early in the mornings to late at night. Ngawai is now in further training.
James Paterson excelled in all aspects of training and at times tutors were confident enough in his abilities to leave him unsupervised due to his understanding and knowledge about the task. James was particularly competent at fencing, tractors and water reticulation. James is now employed as a Farm Assistant at Whakamaru.
Studying Level 3 at Taratahi is full-on, I often help milk 300 cows in Kihikihi before the programme starts each day, so I’m up at 4.30am, then go to meet the Taratah...
After finishing the Introduction to Farming (Level 2) as Top Student, Sophie made the decision to enrol back at Taratahi's Putaruru campus for the National Certificate in Agriculture (Work Ready) (Level 3). “Studying Level 3 at Taratahi was full-on, I often helped milk 300 cows in Kihikihi before the programme started each day, so I would be up at 4.30am, then go to meet the Taratahi van in Kihikihi at 7.30am. Getting home at 5.30pm, it really makes you get used to the reality of working a long day” says Sophie.
Work experience as part of the Level 3 programme was on a stud farm. Sophie believes that her interest in genetics has developed as a result of what she has learned at Taratahi. “I passed science at school, but it wasn’t my strongest subject. Despite that I still loved it and now see the connection between science and agriculture in a practical nature every day. Seeing it all in context on-farm basis has helped me make the decision on where I see my future heading.”
After a year out working on a farm, Sophie is now a student at Massey University undertaking the Bachelor of AgriScience. She sees her future in farm management and farm ownership.
"I’m going to get further with these qualifications, not many farmers will employ someone without them."
At just 16 years old Domenic packed his bags and moved to Taratahi’s Wairarapa campus.
"I’m going to get further with these qualifications, not many farmers will employ someone without them. One day I want to be share-milking or managing a dairy farm. I’m going to work my way up and with my work experience and qualifications I’m going to be better off and get there quicker.”
“My dream has always been to work in the South Island, working down there on a station like this is for shepherds like their big OE. Working in that big country...
Recently Carys was called by the Technical Manager from Mt Linton Farm who gave her the good news that she had just secured a much sought after role on the South Island station over the summer.
“My dream has always been to work in the South Island, working down there on a station like this is for shepherds like their big OE. Working in that big country, with massive mobs is going to be incredible.”
Carys will take her dogs Tom, Pip and Quake with her. “It will be as much a learning experience for them as it will be for me. We’ll be working with 78,000 stock units and in particular 58,000 ewes which will be a bit intimidating. It will be like experiencing a whole new world, working on this scale.”
In 2013 Paris applied for and was accepted onto the first year programme at Taratahi as a sheep and beef student.
In 2013, Paris applied for and was accepted onto the Taratahi Certificate in Agriculture (Level 3) as a sheep and beef student.
“Yes it’s similar to a school environment but the difference here is everything I do is exactly what I love doing, all day, every day. I love being outside and being hands on, I care about animals and their welfare. I try not to stand back too much because you just have to get stuck in and give everything a go, even if it feels scary at first.”
After completing the programme, Paris enrolled on to the Massey University Diploma in Agriculture (Level 5). She graduates at the end of 2015 and has already got a job with Kingsmeade, milking sheep.
“The Diploma has opened up career options that I may not have been able to have access to if I had just finished at Level 3. It has definitely been worth doing.”
Once she has completed her qualifications Paris wants to travel and work overseas in the ag-contracting area of the industry.
Questions? Get in touch
Thursday, 14 December 2017
Get free fees for your first year of study at Taratahi New government policy means that students starting tertiary education for the first time in 2018 will get one year of full-time study fees-free. You may also wish to check the Fees-free 2018 Student Guide or www.feesfree.govt.nz.
Tuesday, 12 September 2017
Taratahi’s latest “try before you buy”residential Taster course in the Wairarapahas filled up faster than ever before.