George Tatham’s commitment to his family’s farming legacy is a clear driver in the operation of Matariki.

Proof that passion underpins achievement, George is perceptibly proud that, with his wife Sarah, he is running Matariki. “From a young age I was pretty keen,” he says, “this is always what I saw myself doing.”

He’s a fifth generation Tatham farming out on the coast east of Masterton. George has been in charge of the 2070ha property for almost eight years. “Our focus is creating a better farm, in improving it for the next generation,” explains George. Which is, he points out, what his parents Bob and Terry did before them.