Full Transcript for Ahuwhenua Trophy: Are you more ready than you think? | Ep. 133

or with the community, whoever was around the farm at the same time. 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:25.360 And that's how I see the trophy. 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:26.319 That's the way. 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:28.000 That's the spirit to me. 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:29.439 It's not something up here. 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:38.000 It's something that's kind of walking along in the paddocks with us, sharing our stories and sharing our wins and sharing our losses together. 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:41.759 So that's how I kind of see the spirit of the trophy. 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:42.959 It is very important. 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:46.720 It's an auspicious trophy, but that's how I sort of see it. 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:55.759 So if you can just sort of say that it's gone through 1933, the first winner was uh William Swinton from Lo Korkord. 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:59.680 And Tefano Wapanui, he was the first winner. 00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:03.360 There was another winner from around that area in Tiki Tiki. 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:07.600 His name was Henry Jews, he was a sheep farmer in 1936. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:11.680 The trophy sort of decided that it would go on its own, Tippi Hide. 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:15.360 It got lost, but then it got found again. 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:18.879 So in the 1940s, the competition continued on. 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:24.560 It was divided into two separate awards, the dairy category and then the sheep and beef. 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:30.319 So time goes on, fast forward 1980s, round about then. 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:33.600 It sort of goes on a bit of a hiatus, a bit of a holiday. 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:36.639 But it wasn't until around about the 1990s. 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:41.600 There were three individuals, Gina Rudlin, Wayne Walden, and John Ackland. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:50.240 John Aklund was the chair of New Zealand Meat at the time, and they were instrumental in restarting, reinvigorating the competition. 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:52.879 So it goes along, 2005. 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:57.120 Sheep and beef are separated into alternate years. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:00.959 So the sheep and beef year and the dairy year. 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:03.120 So we're in dairy year coming up. 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:06.959 So that's where that sort of happened in 2020? 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:17.040 Horticulture was added to the competition because a lot of Maldiv is, well, especially in the Bay of Plenty, Northland, and throughout. 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:22.240 Those are the sort of the main regions where a lot of Mori land was being changed into horticulture. 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:28.879 So horticulture was added to dairy, sheep and beef, and to the trophy. 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:35.040 And there's just one other main trophy, and that's the um Young Mori Farmers Award. 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:46.079 So that's to encourage the next generation of farmers, orchardists, and the like to be leaders in their respective sectors. 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:50.319 So this year will be the Young Māori Farmer and the Dairy Sector Award. 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:52.560 That started about 2012. 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:57.040 So it's sort of like how I sort of see the history of Ahu Fenua. 00:07:57.199 --> 00:08:08.560 It's nested or it's located or it's placed, you know, really in our relations between Mori and Pakia and the land, the Fenua of Old Teodore. 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:19.680 You raise a great point there, Dito, you know, around the commonality which solidifies good relationships between Mori Agri businesses and Pakia New Zealand farmers. 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:26.160 And that's our love for the Fenua, our love for the animals, and our love for horticulture and farming and agriculture. 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:27.600 I have one little thing. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:34.320 Now I've heard through the grapevine that the Ahu Fenua trophy is actually the older brother to the Pedaso Cup. 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:35.440 True, false? 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:39.759 I'm not actually sure about that actually, Julian. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:43.440 I'm not sure who's the Tuekana and who's the Tana or who's the older sibling. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:45.679 He had a lot of cups. 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:52.799 Yeah, like he had a cup for like, I think it was chess or something, to encourage people to play chess in New Zealand. 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:55.279 So I'm not actually sure about that one there, Julian. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:09:00.559 But suffice to say, when you see the cups, there's something about the cup. 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:06.080 And that's why I sort of like think about Lord Bledaslo and Hapu Dana Nata. 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:10.799 You know, I kind of like think that's their legacy, their spirit is imbued in the in the cup. 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:15.600 Since we always win, we always see the Bledisloe Cup, so that's cool too. 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:18.320 Yeah, cool. 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:21.759 Peter, the awards have been running since 1933. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:27.840 What do you think is the legacy of the Ahifenua and why does it stall matter for Mori farming today? 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:29.679 Thanks, Julian, and um thanks, Rido. 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:31.919 That was really great to hear the hear the history again. 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:45.279 I think one of the things that really stands out for me is that even though we're in our in in the mid-2020s, the TikTok, the cowpapa that that Sarparana and L Bedaslo talked about in 1933 still is very live today. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:51.440 And it's referenced every time we visit farms during the competition as part of the Wayata or the song for the competition. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:53.200 We talked about Sarparana. 00:09:53.600 --> 00:10:03.120 And so the base understanding of the competition around highlighted excellence and what that means, not just from Maori farming, but also farming in general. 00:10:03.600 -->

00:10:12.799 How do you maintain a highly profitable, productive business or having strong focus around environment, around people, is foundational for all good farmers. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:24.000 I suppose why it's still important is that if we MPI did some work with Bill, we released a report earlier this year which showed that there's over 1.4 million hectares of federal Maori and primary production. 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:36.000 Given that we've got dairy coming up, there's around 70,000 hectares of dairying that's in Maori land,$5.3 billion in gross domestic product earnings, employing 33,000 full-time equivalents. 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:48.080 And some of the work we did during that report showed that if we can continue to optimize primary production on the Maori land, there's over a billion dollars to be had in terms of additional earnings and additional unemployment. 00:10:48.399 --> 00:11:01.200 So really reinforcing the opportunities around what excellence means, what balancing those profitability, production, environmental, people, animal side of things remains as important today as it was back in 1933. 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:10.559 Different drivers, but one of the things that I hear whenever I visit farms is around the importance of the land to the people. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:13.440 That's still the fundamental driver. 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:16.320 The reason for the trophy remains key. 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:20.960 And it's not just, as I said, not just for Maori farming, it's about the messages that are for all farmers. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:32.879 And one of the things that I'm constantly surprised about is how well known the Ahu Fenua trophy is in the Māori primary sector, but how unknown it's across the border primary sector. 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:39.519 I see the trophy as a real connector about building those key messages and also understanding the Maori primary sector economy. 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:54.240 The trophy, by all sounds of it, seems like a great kickstarter for relationships, for new relationships, and basing those relationships from a mutual place of likeness, agriculture, horticulture. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:12:04.000 Just on excellence, uh Rito, sometimes people assume these awards are only for the biggest and highest performing farming businesses. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:11.759 Now, what's the biggest misconception Modern Agribusin's Ahufeno Trust and farmers have about entering the Ahufenhua competition? 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:19.679 Yeah, I've heard that a lot in my travels, but I can say that it doesn't matter how big you are. 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:22.240 It matters how great you are. 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:24.320 That's the most important thing. 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:29.440 So it doesn't matter whether you're small or medium or large farm. 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:34.559 What actually matters is that you are excellent or that you are great. 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:37.759 That's the most important criteria. 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:40.080 And um, what does great mean? 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:46.240 The way the trophy and the competition looks at it, what's great is determined by our criteria. 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:52.799 And you can get the criteria from our website, dub dub dub, a whofenword trophy, dot moldy.nz. 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:58.559 So it's it's kind of a little bit more defined, you know, about what that great looks like. 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:11.279 And if I look at the competition as a whole, we've had some husband and wife competition winners, Eugene and Panya King from Kiri Rua and Station of Matawai. 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:14.480 They won in 2019, the sheep and beef competition. 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:22.159 And even 2025, Fango Rua, Ngayo Tonga, also another sheep and beef farm just outside of Fangoe. 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:34.480 Now it's quite a small operation, you know, when you compare it to a lot of other big stations, but they were really focused on what they wanted to achieve, and they were achieving it. 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:37.360 What they said, you could actually see it on farm. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:42.799 So, you know, that they'd done all the fencing of their waterways, and you know, it was all complete. 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:45.519 You know, it wasn't something that was a work in progress. 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:53.840 Those sort of smaller type enterprises also are just as were there and valid coming into the competition. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:57.120 And obviously there's the connect with their communities as well. 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:02.080 So I can say though, it doesn't matter how big you are, it just matters how good you are. 00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:03.440 That's the main thing. 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:09.840 On that, um, you've both walked onto a lot of properties, you know, throughout your times as Ahufenua judges. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:14.320 Peter, what separates a good farming business from an exceptional one? 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:16.480 I think it's about the whole package. 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:27.679 I think if we go back to the judging criteria, and also just acknowledging that Nuku here and Bart Hadfield also will in as a family-run business as well, and Nuku's now the the chair of the Ahufena Management Committee. 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:31.679 If you look at the judging criteria, it's very much a holistic conversation. 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:37.840 So it's not looking at purely profit or purely health and safety or purely environment. 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:40.399 It's about how the whole business runs. 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:57.919 And for me, one of the things that I've sort of learned over the years is that a lot of places have visions and strategies and whatnot, but they don't necessarily connect with what's actually happening on the ground, or they don't connect with the economics, or maybe there's things happening on the ground that don't reflect the vision of the owners.

00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:02.320 And where I see with winners and the finalists, that connection is really strong. 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:08.799 So the vision and the strategy from the trustees and from the owners is reflected about what's happened on the actually on the farm. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:11.360 Everyone understands what good looks like. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:18.000 There's clear communication between governance and management, the environment, the animals that the pasture are all looked after well. 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:21.200 So it becomes a whole picture rather than just focusing on one thing. 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:22.720 Absolutely, you want to be profitable. 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:36.240 There's no point being not profitable, but also it's a conversation around how people are using that money, whether it's around dividends, but it's also about how they're supporting their wider community, whether they're providing scholarships for their Rangatahi or young members of the landowners. 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:39.039 So it's all thinking about those types of connections as well. 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:57.279 Like I was reflecting this morning on the various winners over the years, and there's no one thing that stands out in terms of like they're all doing those things well, but if I think about past winners, um, like Tehan Ornal Forest Trust up in the Napier Taupo, they had a particular trust process. 00:15:57.360 --> 00:16:03.360 So they, when they had trustees leaving the governance, they weren't leaving and just isolating them. 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:10.559 Those older members of the governance were still providing mentorship and guidance for the new trustees and associates. 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:20.240 Others were they brought Landox together to build scale and the facilitation process they've gone to help drive that, and then that they've all got a common vision and common understanding. 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:26.240 If I think of farms like WePari, where you've got like a really detailed understanding of the farm. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:43.120 So they've got not just farm maps, but they've got it at paddock scale or even sub-paddock scale, and so they're managing economics and managing their animals well, but they're also managing their land really well, and that's connected back to the ancestors who are also driving these, and so it's not an isolated conversation about the farm. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:46.639 It's again it's connected back into that land fuck a conversation. 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:52.639 And so it's all of those various aspects that makes the really good farms excellent farms. 00:16:53.039 --> 00:17:06.000 Rita talked about the farm in Northland with Faytonga No Tonga, who won recently, using livestock as a capital to better drive expansion, given that it's difficult for minor land to access capital from the land. 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:11.599 And so we're looking at innovative ways of progressing and developing

the land. 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:16.640 So it's just those little extra things that make the difference between good and excellent. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:34.720 What I'm hearing is that combination of having guided principles that may come from those that have set the course before the current governors or the governance or trustee board, embedded with visionary action-oriented leadership. 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:36.319 That's an acquired skill. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:41.519 Some have that charisma, some have that uh experience, and some have that type of leadership. 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:42.480 Some don't. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:54.160 For those that don't have their skill set around a trust board, do you have any advice for them to be able to acquire those skill sets or where to look or how to develop that internally? 00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:59.359 One of the things that we see with every finalist is they have a really, really good group of people around them. 00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:04.319 They're accountants, their farm consultants, their advisors, other good farmers. 00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:06.400 No one's doing this in isolation. 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:16.640 And so one of the things that that we do as a judging panel with the first-round judges is we provide um written reports for all the entrants, regardless of if they make the finalists or not. 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:27.359 And so effectively becomes an independent assessment or review of what's happening on your farm based on your aspirations and the histories of your blocks and what you want to achieve. 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:28.799 And it's a very neutral thing. 00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:36.640 So for us, following the cop-upper of Sopper Owner Luple's lows around how do we improve the capacity and capability of all Māori land. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:45.759 So it's not just we're not saying we don't believe you're right, we're saying based on what we've heard, these are the things that we think that could help things progress. 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:52.799 And then part of what I've been doing with my first round team is really identifying people that can support that progression. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:55.519 And so it's not an isolated piece of paper either. 00:18:55.680 --> 00:19:12.880 Previously, Rito and I, and part of that, Abe and I used to go and talk to the boards or trustees, work through the report, and I can use my connections and others and things to bring support into the farm and help further those conversations and then hopefully drive action as the landowners require. 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:15.119 Um it's very much a landowner-driven space. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:24.799 It's not about me telling them what to do, it's about me hearing what their aspirations are and how best I can and the Henoua far now can support those aspirations. 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:30.960 I just really want to sort of extrapolate and just stick Dev on that question just for a little bit longer. 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:39.680 Uh, Lorito, uh, can you, from your experience, tell us around some of the key things as a judge you look for in the entrant? 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:48.640 Well, I agree with Peter, what he's previously said in terms of what you look for in terms of an entrance. 00:19:48.799 --> 00:20:09.200 So it's more of a total and comprehensive sort of look at the farm in terms of governance, your financial performance and the processes that underlie that, how you're you're taking your environmental responsibilities, how you're undertaking those, how you're connecting to your communities. 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:13.519 And I I just want to stick on the connection to the communities part. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:17.759 This is quite a unique part of a Moldy farm. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:29.440 Usually there's a community involved, like it might be a trust that's got a quite a large far no, it might be a Hapoo, it might even be an Ewi or combination of Iwi that invested. 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:32.559 So there's there's quite a large community there. 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:45.119 And one of the things that I think about, and I think this is both true for Mori agribusiness and New Zealand agribusiness or New Zealand dairy, is that we want to encourage the sector to succeed. 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:47.039 That's what we want to do. 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:52.720 And through the competition, it provides a platform for success. 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:54.640 It'd be seen by everybody, really. 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:56.319 That's what the platform is about. 00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:08.160 So you enter into the competition, you go through the various rounds, the finalists, the field days where the community is invited into your farm to see what happens. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:16.160 And my hope is that by people seeing that, they feel as though they're inspired to do it on their own farm. 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:23.279 But more importantly, those farms that enter ask questions of themselves about how can we help? 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:36.480 How can we help, say, like our neighboring farms, or maybe farms in our catchment, or you know, farms nationally, whoever it is, what can be our contribution to ensuring that everybody is successful? 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:41.839 So I think that's what I would sort of add to what Peter's saying, that leadership part. 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:48.720 It's something I think that's really important, both for the Mori sector and for the New Zealand sector, New Zealand Act as well. 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:51.519 It is about excellence in Maori farming. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:55.680 But I think if we took the Maori out of it, it is about excellence in farming more generally. 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:59.279 So it is around lessons that are learnt and that they're transferable. 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:09.519 When it comes to excellence, do you two ever disagree about what excellence looks like in in terms of that criteria?

00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:18.640 Not the criteria, but like there have been some rigorous conversations around where one might be excellence in one area and someone else might be excellence in another other area. 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:22.720 And so just really teasing out that how that fits into the bigger picture. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:28.079 I don't think there's any been any total disagreements, but we have a certainly as part of the first round judging team. 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:37.839 And our role as first round judges is to visit all the entrants and to find the three finalists or the two finalists, and we treat that as a in the respect that it deserves. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:52.240 And so the conversations are are really rigorous and we test it out within our panel to make sure that we have the two or three farms that best reflect the Kulpapa, the Tikanga of the competition and what Sarah Puranal Bedas though thought about 1933. 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:55.279 So we want to make sure we do justice to the competition. 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:59.680 So just with the judging criteria, and feel free to elaborate. 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:06.640 I'm just trying to clarify and help our listeners understand what excellence means when you mention excellence. 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:09.920 In the judging criteria, does it sort of have a breakdown? 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.480 You know, for example, you're at high school, you know what A, you know what a B, you know what a C looks like. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:17.519 Um is that the same for the Ahu Fenor competition? 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:19.440 Or is that something one-on-one? 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:21.359 Yes, that's same thing. 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:22.960 So the weightings are in there. 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:26.720 So it gives you separated out into what the categories are. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:33.039 It gives you a few pointers within each category, and then also about what the weighting is. 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:39.680 So it is a little bit like out of a hundred percent, if I can put it for it like that, you know, 100% would be perfect. 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:44.960 But I was just sort of add to what Peter was saying is that I'm lucky enough to do the first round and the final round. 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:50.240 And it's not until you actually get on the farm that I think that everything sort of like comes together. 00:23:50.400 --> 00:24:01.200 You know, so you can read as much as you we get provided with information, which I really acknowledge all the work that's been put in by the different farms to enter into the there's a lot of information there. 00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:10.400 And you do your homework, but it's not actually until you get onto the farm that you get a real kind of like a sense about what the farm is all about, you know? 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:15.839 So it's like that's what I'd I'd say as well, it's also part of the judging criteria. 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:27.440 In terms of the weighting, I'm guessing across people, farm systems, profitability, environment, are they all measured equally or does one outweigh the other? 00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:31.839 So governance, financial, and environment are the top three in terms of the points. 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:35.119 Certainly governance and and financials are critical. 00:24:35.279 --> 00:24:46.799 It needs to be a profitable business, but the driving around, the vision, the strategies, how the governance, management, interaction works, and the strong focus around environment. 00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:54.799 So connecting that productive part of the business to the environment that the farm's either connected to or has within it is probably the key areas. 00:24:55.119 --> 00:25:08.079 But that doesn't mean that the other areas around health and safety, about animal and partial production, aren't important because they are key aspects and have been on a number of farms where health and safety is hardly even mentioned. 00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:12.480 Um, and that becomes part of the conversation we have around how governance is working. 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:19.279 Because if governance who have that leadership role around health and safety aren't aware of what's happening on the farm, then there's that there's a disconnect there. 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:32.640 And so it's that's something that I might raise during the at the wrap-up of the first round visit, or we might write down as a part of the report, and then we talk about it with the trustees or the governors when we get invited back to follow up. 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:36.720 What we have talked and discussed and shared with the listeners so far. 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:41.920 To me, it seems like there's a a lot of work involved in entering Dalhoof Energy Awards. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:53.599 And as a entrant, I'm wondering what are the benefits of actually entering the award and just going through the process itself without the intention of winning or becoming a vinylist. 00:25:53.680 --> 00:26:02.000 What are some of the unexpected benefits that um entrants often talk about afterwards when you bump into them at events later on down the track? 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:12.480 I think it's kind of like anything, um, Julian, if you take it in with an open and learning mind frame, you know, your mindset is I'm into this to learn. 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:20.880 I don't think you can lose because you're going to learn things about what you do well and those things that you don't do well as well. 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:24.079 So and then more importantly, how do you improve from that? 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:25.599 That's the key part. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:29.599 So I think that learning is a really important benefit. 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:42.799 Secondly, the other thing that the trophy does is that usually you're so busy in your day-to-day, you know, you're just milking your cows and fixing your fences or whatever it

is. 00:26:42.880 --> 00:26:48.480 You know, you're busy doing your books and all of those things, managing staff and things like that. 00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:57.599 The trophy allows you a little bit of time and space to lift your head up and like say, okay, where are we going? 00:26:58.480 --> 00:26:59.920 Is it the right place? 00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:02.079 Should we be going over here? 00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:03.279 You know, sort of thing. 00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:11.039 You can have a bit more of a think about your long term and your more of your strategic vision about what where you want to go as a farm. 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:13.440 That's a couple of the benefits. 00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:17.279 For every farm that enters, um, they will get benchmarked. 00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:20.400 So whether it's shim and beef, dairy, horticulture. 00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:28.079 So it's dairy coming up, and so running the all of the farms through dairy base and getting a a three-year financial assessment done. 00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:32.240 And for a lot of farms that are visited, they've never had benchmarking done before. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:40.319 Or they might have done some but have a maybe have an unrealistic understanding of what their actual business is doing or what's driving profitability. 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:59.200 And so that benchmarking becomes a really important mechanism, as we just saying, to actually for the governor's management to actually stop for a minute, have a look at that, try to build understanding of what their financial aspects of their business are, what's changed over those three years, and then using that as a as a foundation for moving forward. 00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:02.240 So it becomes all part of that wider conversation. 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:20.319 And I suppose just reinforcing that it that the competition is an isolated and just the judging, that we'd have that report that we write, we pride the opportunity to go for myself and Rita or others to go and visit the board or the trustees and have an ongoing conversation, and then wrapping experts around depending on what the landowners want to do. 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:22.880 So it's not seen as just a linear thing. 00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:26.559 We're not just wandering on for a few hours having a bit of a chat and then going away. 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:40.960 For me, I see my role as a judge and as a first-round lead judge is helping landowners continue on that process around building productivity, building understanding, and that shift move from good to excellent. 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:43.759 It's very much driven by the aspirations of the landowners. 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:51.279 The key word that um I'm pulling out of the recent Cordital and Rito, you mentioned it a number of times, is the worst strategy. 00:28:51.680 --> 00:29:03.119 And as with any competition, and more specifically for Maori agribusinesses, Maori farmers entering the Hafenua competition, it's

an opportunity to get a really good strategic take up if you if you want to call it that. 00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:13.440 Because you're right, you if you've never had the opportunity to have a full-scale look into your farm business, you really don't know what's going on outside of your farm gate. 00:29:13.680 --> 00:29:17.839 Hence one of the the big benefits I can see around entering the competition. 00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:21.119 So for elaborating on that. 00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:24.240 Uh Rito, this question's for you. 00:29:24.559 --> 00:29:31.359 There can only be one Ahu Fenua trophy winner, but as you know, success surely isn't just about taking home the trophy. 00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:37.440 No, for other finalists, what do they actually gain other than what you've already mentioned from going through the competition? 00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:40.480 I sort of like look at it like this. 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:42.319 Your final are proud of you. 00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:46.559 I think that would be the main thing that I would say. 00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:52.160 If you're fortunate enough to come to the dinner, 800, 900 or people come to the dinner. 00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:55.920 It's one of the biggest dinners or celebrations. 00:29:56.079 --> 00:29:58.400 I think yeah, it's huge. 00:29:58.559 --> 00:30:06.160 It actually has to be there's a whole team of people that put the dinner together, which uh we're very fortunate to the team. 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:08.319 It's planned out two years in advance. 00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:16.720 So there's a lot of people that come to that dinner and they see their farm up there on stage, and they're very proud. 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:26.160 Not only that, that is something we hope that will help the future generations that you can see your farm up there. 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:27.200 You can see it, you know. 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:30.000 I just thought it was this farm down the road, you know, sort of thing. 00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:35.200 You know, but when you actually see it, it's gone through the process that Peter's already outlined. 00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:36.960 It's a rigorous process. 00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:43.279 And they come out on top, and all there are finalists, all it's the young Māori Farmer Award. 00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:51.039 There's also a great pride in seeing their people up on stage putting their best foot forward. 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:55.839 There's sponsorship, there's prize money, and you know, the kudos that comes with it. 00:30:56.000 --> 00:31:00.240 But that's what I would say is the biggest um return, I suppose. 00:31:00.640 --> 00:31:01.599 Yeah, absolutely. 00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:08.240 And you see that at the Wards Dinner that um yes, it's a trophy and things, but every entrant acknowledges the other entrants. 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:13.920 They go to each other's field days, very much a far now aspect, a feel to the thing. 00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:28.559 But when you're sitting in

that dinner and the and the winners are announced, or or people are finished speaking, and suddenly the room's filled with Wyata and Song or Hakka, and you get the sense of how important the whole cow pop bottom of the competition is to Mori landowners. 00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:38.880 And also as as MPI as a platinum sponsor, the the importance of recognition from the sponsors around the importance of the Māori food and fibre sector to New Zealand's economy. 00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:46.240 Because a strong Māori economy is a strong food and fibre sector from Maori perspective is a strong driver for New Zealand's economy as well. 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:56.880 I've watched a number of letters soap matches in my lifetime, and you know, at the start of the game, that there's the hucker, you've got the Aussies on the other side, fiercely staring down the all blacks. 00:31:57.039 --> 00:32:03.920 A game is played, and sometimes that game is you know is not an inch drawn and not a portal given type of scenario. 00:32:04.079 --> 00:32:09.359 But after the game, you know, handshakes on, embraces, and then you know, off to the aftermatch. 00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:26.960 I sense the same sort of ahua within the Ahufenuwa competition, you know, though that the coveted uh award is the trophy and the mana that comes with it, the effort that our farm businesses and farmers put into preparing themselves for the competition is equally matched as if an all-black was running on the field against the Australians. 00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:35.440 So it's very, very, very exciting that you sort of mentioned, you know, that aspect, Peter, Editor, you know, around the competition. 00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:46.319 And I think for some of our listeners, you know, especially some of the farm businesses or farmers that have never entered or have just only found out about the IFENO competition through this podcast. 00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:50.799 A little bit fucking, a little bit unsure whether they're ready or thinking about entering. 00:32:51.279 --> 00:32:54.160 What would you say to encourage them to take their first step? 00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:57.440 Well, there's a lot of support that you can access around. 00:32:57.599 --> 00:33:02.880 Obviously, it's Dairy New Zealand, the multi-acribusiness team that will be able to help them. 00:33:03.200 --> 00:33:04.319 Dairy-based support. 00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:11.279 So, what Peter was talking about in terms of the benchmarking, there's also another place to draw support. 00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:14.480 And the Ahufenwa trophy team. 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:17.440 So these are the people that really make it happen. 00:33:17.519 --> 00:33:22.079 It's Martma Steele, uh, Gene, and Cedric. 00:33:22.319 --> 00:33:24.079 They're the glue in the organization. 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:28.559 So they're part of the management, part of the operations team for Ahufenwa. 00:33:28.799 --> 00:33:31.359 And um, they will be able to help you. 00:33:31.680 -->

00:33:34.880 There's a website, it's got a lot of information on there. 00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:38.720 You might want to have a look at some of the other farms that have entered in your region. 00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:43.200 So you could maybe like, can we have a chat or something like that? 00:33:43.279 --> 00:33:44.880 Or what was your experiences? 00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:45.839 What did you learn? 00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:49.119 So I'm thinking of putting our farm in. 00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:52.799 And also, there's a big network within your community. 00:33:53.039 --> 00:34:01.599 So within your farm, might be in your happu, might be just in your town, people will know about the Ahu Feneway trophy and they'll say, Oh, yeah, yeah. 00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:03.599 My grandfather won or something. 00:34:03.839 --> 00:34:05.680 You find out, fire out. 00:34:07.039 --> 00:34:12.880 So, yeah, so there are multiple sources of support for people wishing to enter the competition. 00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:16.400 I think the other thing, Julian, is that the entries are confidential. 00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:23.119 So if you are feeling a little bit fucking uh obviously, as a judging team, we know who all the entries are, especially for the first-round judges. 00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:27.760 But the information, the relationship we have is between the judging team and the farm and the committee. 00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:31.280 So the reports don't go any further than within that core either. 00:34:31.440 --> 00:34:35.760 So obviously the two, three finalists become public because they've got the public field days. 00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:40.639 But if you're not a finalist, that shouldn't be a reflection of how you're running your business. 00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:45.679 It should be part of that conversation around how I can grow my business and strengthen that those relationships. 00:34:45.840 --> 00:34:49.119 So part of it is treating it as that sort of journey. 00:34:49.280 --> 00:34:54.960 But that is if you don't make the final or become one of the finalists, that information stays with you. 00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:58.000 And you can share it with others if you want or you or not. 00:34:58.159 --> 00:35:05.199 But we don't tell anybody else who were the if we have 10 entries, three finalists, we don't go talk about who the other seven were. 00:35:06.480 --> 00:35:13.440 And just on that, you know, as you both know, Darian Z has been a long-standing supporter and sponsor of the Ahu Fenwa Trophy Competition. 00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:19.280 And over the years, we've contributed our people, our expertise, time, resources to support the competition. 00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:23.440 And we also provide a small koha to support the Young Māori Farmer Award. 00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:28.480 But DairyNZ is only one part of the wider support uh network around Ahu Fenua. 00:35:28.639 --> 00:35:33.199 As you mentioned, there's a bit of a wider support network who potential entrants can go

and talk to. 00:35:33.360 --> 00:35:36.239 But is there anyone specifically they should be talking to now? 00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:42.239 Accountants, farm consultants, farm staff, owners to start building that team around them? 00:35:42.559 --> 00:35:52.159 As a first-round judge, the thing that I find the trickiest is when we go onto a farm, there's been no preparation or there's sort of no one really understands what's meant to happen. 00:35:52.320 --> 00:36:03.119 And I think as we're going to talk about, look at the judging criteria, because that's what we went to, and start thinking about what that looks like in your business, and then use your expertise to help frame those up. 00:36:03.199 --> 00:36:06.960 So when we're asking questions, some of those answers are sitting there. 00:36:07.039 --> 00:36:13.280 We'll dive into various little pieces of those conversations if we feel there's something else to be discussed or investigated. 00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:19.360 But do some of that preparation early as much as you can, given the resources you might you might have or not. 00:36:19.519 --> 00:36:25.119 Now, we're not saying you need to have a whole folder of stuff that to give to us because we don't have time to read that probably anyway. 00:36:25.199 --> 00:36:33.119 But just think about some of the conversations that we might have and get the support that you need from your accountant or your consultant or your farmer mentor that you might be using. 00:36:33.199 --> 00:36:38.480 And as I said, some of the information that farms will get through the benchmarking might be the first time they've seen that. 00:36:38.639 --> 00:36:43.920 And that's okay, because we can have a conversation about that and what I'm and what we've seen from the information. 00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:45.920 So they don't have to have all the answers. 00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:56.800 But that's why for us as judging, it's a two-way conversation that we have a job to do, but it's about helping us support their learning, but also it's also the landowners helping me learn as well. 00:36:56.960 --> 00:37:02.239 Every farm that I go to has something unique about it that I can then share more broadly with others. 00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:04.719 Right. 00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:07.760 Before I let you both go, I've got to do a quick fire round. 00:37:08.079 --> 00:37:09.679 One sentence answers. 00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:13.440 Uh, we're gonna start with you, let's all be in a one for one. 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:16.159 Uh toughest part of being a who fenoma judge. 00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:20.719 I think it's encouraging people that they are excellent. 00:37:21.840 --> 00:37:25.280 I think our people undervalue themselves. 00:37:25.920 --> 00:37:27.920 Be courageous, put your best foot forward. 00:37:28.079 --> 00:37:28.800 Killed up. 00:37:29.440 --> 00:37:32.480 Pete, uh, what's the first thing you notice when you arrive on farm? 00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:33.840 The people. 00:37:34.079 --> 00:37:40.079 It doesn't matter if we're meeting in a in a someone's lounge or a little shed or in a boardroom, it's the people is the first name we see. 00:37:40.639 --> 00:37:47.039 Let's all uh what's something you've seen on farm that's made you think, man, I wish more farmers around our country w were doing this. 00:37:47.840 --> 00:37:51.440 We have to talk about the next generation of farmers. 00:37:51.679 --> 00:37:55.760 But how do you practically and actually give meaning to that? 00:37:56.320 --> 00:38:00.159 Peter, what's one common trait you see among amongst the finalists? 00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:02.880 Shared understanding of the vision. 00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:08.159 Everyone's on the same market, on the same boat, and everyone has a clear understanding what good looks like. 00:38:08.320 --> 00:38:17.840 And good will be different for every every farm, but they know what good looks like, and and if they feel that there's a weakness, then they know who to go to and and how to respond to it. 00:38:23.199 --> 00:38:25.840 All the really nice things you could have. 00:38:26.079 --> 00:38:27.519 There's a lot of stuff out there. 00:38:27.679 --> 00:38:30.960 What is the thing that's gonna make your walker go faster or your farm better? 00:38:31.119 --> 00:38:33.440 That's actually going to make a real difference. 00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:35.679 I think that would be the thing that I'd concentrate on. 00:38:36.159 --> 00:38:37.599 Peter, what matters more? 00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:39.679 The farm system or the people running it? 00:38:40.400 --> 00:38:41.519 The people running it. 00:38:41.599 --> 00:38:46.239 Like it's the old Tokatoki or the saying around Hatangata Tungata, Hatangata, it's the people. 00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:54.320 The land will always be there, but it's the people's understanding of that and how they how they manage it and look after the land for not just themselves but obviously future generations. 00:38:54.880 --> 00:38:57.599 Leto numbers or culture? 00:38:58.320 --> 00:38:58.719 Both. 00:38:59.440 --> 00:39:03.440 Peter, one thing entrants underestimate themselves. 00:39:04.159 --> 00:39:08.559 Yeah, Leto, last one, best piece of advice you've heard from an entrant. 00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:11.760 Always keep in mind who you're serving. 00:39:12.480 --> 00:39:18.639 Now these are two different parts though, but uh Peter, I'll start with one thing you'll change about the dairy sector. 00:39:18.960 --> 00:39:24.079 Or one thing you would like to see from the competition that will influence the dairy sector more precisely. 00:39:24.800 --> 00:39:27.679 Well, I think again, it's just thinking about what excellence means. 00:39:27.760 --> 00:39:35.039 And I can't come back to what I said right at the start about how do we continue to build profitable and productive businesses that are environmentally, socially sound. 00:39:35.280 --> 00:39:36.559 It's finding that balance. 00:39:36.719 --> 00:39:42.559 And we don't have to necessarily try to maximize profitability at the cost of some other things. 00:39:42.719 --> 00:39:44.559 It's just thinking about balance. 00:39:45.599 --> 00:39:51.039 And Rito, finally, why should someone enter the Ahufenua in one sentence? 00:39:51.360 --> 00:39:53.599 Because you want to make your Fino proud. 00:39:53.920 --> 00:39:55.199 Kiara, Kiora. 00:39:55.599 --> 00:40:05.280 And on that, if you're listening today and thinking Ahufenua might be something your farm or agribusiness could explore, I'd like to encourage you to take the first step. 00:40:05.440 --> 00:40:10.239 Have a quarter with your Fino, trustees, farm team, your support network. 00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:12.639 Reach out and find out what's involved. 00:40:12.719 --> 00:40:16.880 Uh, there's plenty of support available as you've heard in this podcast today. 00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:31.360 And as we've wrapping up, I'd like you to sort of think about and remember the value about the Ahu Fennua Trophy is more than just winning, it's the experiences, the network and relationships, and making your Fano proud. 00:40:31.519 --> 00:40:33.039 So why not give it a go? 00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:34.480 Hold up. 00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:40.000 And thanks to Rito and Peter for joining us, and thanks for listening. 00:40:40.159 --> 00:40:54.400 The Ahu Fenoa Awards are about more than recognizing excellence, they're about celebrating in many ways Maori farming businesses, creating value for the Fano and people, the Fenua, and most importantly, the communities. 00:40:54.639 --> 00:41:02.960 As we have heard, entering can be a valuable opportunity to reflect on your business, build new connections, and identify opportunities for future growth. 00:41:03.199 --> 00:41:09.039 If you'd like to learn more or enter the awards, we'll include all the links in the show notes. 00:41:09.199 --> 00:41:21.440 Also visit ohfenua.mori.nz or contact the DairyNZ Māori Engagement and Partnerships team at MaoriAgrobusiness at dairynz.co.nz for support. 00:41:21.679 --> 00:41:24.000 Thanks for listening and we'll catch you next time. 00:41:24.239 --> 00:41:25.199 Matewa. 00:41:31.519 --> 00:41:49.119 If you'd like to get connected with DairyNZ's latest advice, research, tools, and resources, whether it's reading, scrolling, listening, or in person, you can visit DariNZ.co.nz forward slash get connected, and don't forget to hit follow to keep up to date with our latest episodes. 00:41:49.280 --> 00:41:58.719 As always, if you have any feedback on this podcast or have some ideas for future topics or guests, please email us at talkingdairy at DariNz.co.nz. 00:41:58.960 --> 00:42:02.159 Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you next time on Talking Dairy.