2009 Taratahi intake graduates

RICHARD WOODD

Taratahi agricultural training graduates with their trophies, from left: Logan Tannahill, Nathan Taylor, Natasha Bunting, Brandon Bowring and Alexis Housham.

Taratahi agricultural training centre looks set for another good year at its Stratford campus after the 2009 intake graduated last week.

New regional manager Leanne Richards says 13 Taranaki students (including five mid-year registrations from last year) will be studying for the level 3 national certificate in farming skills. The full-time course costs $2660 and registrations close in mid-February. At a function held at the Stratford demonstration farm, where the dairy farm learning is based, she said Taratahi "exists and thrives because of the support of our work-experience farmer providers and our sponsors, who have maintained their commitment during a recession."

Donovan Wearing, chief executive of the Masterton- administered organisation, said Taratahi was the only tertiary training provider reporting to the Minister of Agriculture.

"We are real farmers. We have a 650-cow milking herd in the Wairarapa and 30,000 dry stock units. We had 2000 students last year, or about 700 full-time equivalents. Our asset base is about $25 million. The Taranaki operation is growing and we can now offer the Lincoln University diploma of agriculture to our Taranaki students," he said.

"Those who put the time into study may lose a year of employment, but the statistics show they catch up in three years and earn on average 25 per cent more." Senior tutor Robert Gaudin of Tututawa (whose wife, Julie, handles the local administration) does most of the teaching, but relies on about 30 farmers who provide on-farm experience for the students.

The 2009 graduates in the national certificate of agriculture:

Level 2 and 3: Brandon Bowring, Strathmore (fencing trophy); Natasha Bunting, Opunake (most improved trophy); Alexis Housham, Wanganui (work experience trophy); Nathan Taylor, Waitara (stockmanship and shearing trophies); Logan Tannahill, Waitara (tutor and top student trophies).

Level 3: Michelle Gaudin, Tututawa and Stefan Mexted, Stratford.

Level 4: Thomas Cartwright, Eltham.

All the level 2 and 3 graduates have dairy farm jobs, either full- time or relief milking.

The Stratford centre has just moved into a new office, in the Senior Citizens' Association building on the corner of Juliet and Regan streets.

Through associations with Parihaka Marae farm and the Conservation Corps, Taratahi provides agricultural education and training to about 60 students annually.

- © Fairfax NZ News