Young Maori Farmer Finalist Grace Watson Photo: alpha.pix
Before Grace Watson left primary school, she could already drive a tractor and a manual ute, now she's a finalist for Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer of the Year.
Watson (Whakatōhea) and her three sisters grew up on her parent's dairy farm at the foot of Mt Tarawera in the small rural community of Rerewhakaaitu.
"Farming is completely in the blood on both sides of my family," she said.
She has now been shepherding for three years, two years in Wairoa and nearly a year employed by Wendy and Reon Verry of Verry Farming Limited near Te Kūiti, under the guidance of her manager, Rameka Edwards (Ngāpuhi, Waikato-Tainui), a 2022 finalist for the same award.
In the heart of the King Country, Watson and her dog squad of seven, which includes her Beagle (Zoe) and Foxy (Ruby), are taking care of the Puketitiri Station.
"It's a complete change of pace, but I'm learning so much. I've learnt so much already.
"It's just a completely different type of sheep and beef, more intensive, so it's probably like what I'd describe it like, in-between sheep and beef and dairy almost."
Puketitiri runs 3500 breeding ewes and 1200 replacements, split between terminal, Coopworth and Wiltshire, there are also 180 breeding cows, 400 bulls, 240 dairy grazers, 150 steers, and 80 beef heifers.
Watson is a Shepherd General on Verry Farm near Te Kuiti Photo: alpha.pix
What led her to the move was the opportunity to broaden her network and to be closer to her partner William, who works as a stock agent in New Plymouth.
"I told [my partner] that I'd move to the King Country, but I wasn't quite prepared to move all the way to New Plymouth," she laughed.
Her long-term goal is to own a farm with her partner.
When she's not on the tractor or moving and feeding stock, doing health and wellness treatments for stock, or doing general maintenance around the farm, she still spends the majority of her time outdoors whether it be camping, tramping, baiting up a fishing rod, or taking her parent's boat for a spin.
"As Māori, we just have this connection to the whenua that lots of people probably don't understand, unless you're Māori and for me, that's really special."
"Mum and Dad are third generation farmers of our dairy farm at home and I can relate to the connection that I have with that farm, our farm, our home farm. I truly think it's just through being Māori and our love for the land."
Although her farming background put her in good stead to become a farmer, she had her sights set on becoming a police officer, but her ideal career was cut short by narcolepsy, a disorder that affects the brain's ability to control sleep-wake cycles.
"My brain just can't regulate when it's time to be awake and it's time to be asleep."
During high school she was an avid athlete, wearing the fern in age group rowing and NZ secondary schools netball, but her classes were affected by undiagnosed narcolepsy.
Young Maori Farmer Finalist Grace Watson and her Beagle Zoe Photo: alphapix
"My parents thought I was just playing too much sport and getting tired like that. It wasn't until after school, probably a couple of years out of school that they actually diagnosed me with narcolepsy and not just being fatigued from playing so much sport."
"So conferences or anything like that, school, I do not know how I passed," Watson brushed off, "looking back now, I'm like 'oh my God, I was always going to be a farmer. Who am I kidding?"
The other Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer finalists are Coby Warmington (Ngāpuhi, Te Mahurehure). Farm Manager at Waima Topu Beef Ltd, Te Tai Tokerau, and previous finalist Puhirere Tau (Ngāpuhi, Ngati Porou), Head Shepherd at Puatai Station, Tolaga Bay.
The winner will be announced on 6 June Fly Palmy Arena, in Papaioea (Palmerston North).
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