Tui Te Maari, great grandson of Piripi Te Maari began farming at Pouakani in 1953. Also noted as a Waikato rep. footballer, he has become a very successful farmer (producing well over 17,000 lbs of butterfat annually). (Forestry Service Photograph.) may not have owned their own farms, but they had their homes, their friends and firmly established roots in the Wairarapa, The contrast between what they had known all their lives and the unknown would be too great. But they had sons who were young and strong and who would one day inherit shares in Pouakani. Why should they not be eligible for a farm? For the young it was the opportunity of a lifetime. And so with parental support and encouragement, boys who were the sons of owners, or owners in their own right through the death of a parent, with little hesitation decided their way of life lay in this new adventure. The break was made and away went several young men to carve out new lives for themselves just as new farms were being carved from the bush. At first these boys, who went to Pouakani in the initial stages, were employed by the Government on the actual development work, clearing the land, fencing it and all the other jobs necessary to bring it to a farmable condition.

Farmers in the Making When they left home their feelings were mixed: Behind them they were leaving their families, their homes and their friends for the unknown. Would there be many pitfalls ahead; would the work be too exacting; would they be able to cope, and so fulfill not only their own ambitions and hopes, but also the confidence their people placed in them? These were the thoughts of some. Those selected for training saw their opportunity. At home they had no chance of owning farms. With the exception of a few, who probably helped their fathers milk a few cows, the majority were dependent upon working for the European for a livelihood, with much of the work being seasonal. Only a few had permanent jobs as sharemilkers, shepherds, farm labourers or truck drivers. Employment consisted mainly of shearing and crutching, helping with dipping, fencing, drain-digging, or scrub-cutting. (Continued on page 50) With a high producing herd (over 17,000 Ibs butterfat) Mr George Ahipene, who came to Pouakani from the Wairarapa in 1954, is still constantly seeking ways of improving the yield of his herd, (Forestry Service Photograph.)