ABOUT US OUR STORY
Our vision is to cultivate medicinal cannabis and make it accessible for all. Our journey began with a partnership between
Longo and the Waaka whanau in the utilization of Māori freehold land. And so, Aho Farms was born.
OUR GOAL
FOR MĀORI WHANAU
At the heart of New Zealand's beautiful Hawke's Bay region. Aho Farms stands as a beacon of innovation and resilience. In honouring its Māori roots while fostering sustainable growth. We envision a future where the Māori-owned land harnessed to its full potential. Not only for the development of economic growth. But rather to further develop and foster social equity in the region.
Aho Farms is now positioned to execute on this vision. Aho Farms believes that the employment of Māori on our farmland will bear many positive results. These results will ease economic challenges for our Māori people in the region.
These are challenges such as high youth unemployment, low wages with entry level jobs. But the most important factor is the pathway into leadership positions from entry level positions. Puāwai fosters the opportunity to build these pathways for our people.
Our commitment to sustainable horticulture aligns with ongoing efforts to develop Māori-owned land in Hawke's Bay. Like these projects, we are now positioned to harness the abundant resources. These a seen in its fertile soil, ample water, and favorable climate. As a result, this will produce high-quality cannabis products.
Aho Farms is an active participant in the New Zealand government's vision. This is for economic growth through Whenua Māori. We will stimulate new economic opportunities on Māori-owned land. In this we will contribute to regional development.
In partnering with Aho Farms. You are not only investing in a thriving enterprise. But rather also promoting economic independence for Māori communities. In this uplifting the Hawke's Bay region and preserving New Zealand's rich cultural heritage. Your contribution will pave the way for a prosperous and sustainable future. This rooted in the strength and resilience of the Māori people. Together, let's create a future where Māori lands flourish, Māori families thrive, and the Māori economy is robust.
Te Hapuku
Tupuna
In establishing a medicinal cannabis farm in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. It is important to remember that we are not only cultivating a crop. But rather cultivating a legacy. The location for Aho is on the ancestral lands of Te Hapuku. An eminent Māori chief from the iwi (tribe) of Ngati Kahungunu. His impact spanned across the Hawkes Bay region in the late eighteenth century.
As an entrepreneur, and a direct descendent of Te Hapuku. Longo, our managing director embodies the wairua (spirit) of his forebear. Longo intends to grow Aho with the same commitment to his people and the whenua that Te Hapuku showed. We operate under the principles of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and rangatiratanga. Here we cherish our people and nurture our lands, as Te Hapuku did.
This land has a rich history of serving the Māori people. It has provided sustenance and offered sanctuary when needed. Now, it stands to become the ground for sustainable production of medicinal crops. As a result, carries immense potential for all involved.
Our goal is to ensure that this venture benefits not only our investors but also the community. This embeds the legacy of Te Hapuku who held his community’s welfare in the highest regard. Like other local businesses in Hawkes Bay. We at Aho will contribute to the socio-economic upliftment of our people.
Te Hapuku's assent to the Treaty of Waitangi underlines his vision of a future. This had a emphasis on co-existence and trade for his people. A vision that he foresaw his people thriving moving into the future. In our quest to cultivate medicinal cannabis. We aspire to stay true to that vision. Bringing about prosperity through sustainable farming. In this respecting and preserving the integrity of our land, people, and culture.
In joining Aho, you would not only be contributing to a pioneering vision. But rather, becoming a part of a legacy that Te Hakupu envisioned. A legacy of respect and guardianship of the land. A legacy of growth for the community. A legacy for the promise of a brighter future.
Together, lets sow the seeds of change and reap the rewards of progress as
Te Hapuku did.
Tūturu whiti whakamaua kia tina! Tina! Haumi e, hui e, tāiki e!
TOHU
OUR LOGO
Our logo stands as a tekoteko – a carved ancestral figure typically placed at the top of a traditional meeting house symbolising guardianship, whakapapa, and leadership.
The carved figure is our tipuna Te Hapuku, a revered rangatira of Ngāti Kahungunu, whose legacy continues to guide our kaupapa.
He is depicted holding a kō, a traditional digging tool symbolic of cultivation. The handle of the kō is shaped like a half crescent moon, aligning with the Hoata phase of the maramataka –
a time when energy begins to rise after the darkness of Whiro. Tirea represents clarity, preparation, and the planting of intention – an ideal symbol for our mission at AHO Farms: to prepare fertile ground for a legacy of growth and wellbeing.
Beneath Te Hapuku is a wheku (carved face) symbolising Kahungunu, anchoring our legacy in the iwi and whenua of Hawke’s Bay. The wheku reminds us of our whakapapa and the ancestral knowledge that guides our mahi.
The name AHO, meaning “line” or “cord” in te reo Māori, represents the interwoven threads of whakapapa, whenua, and whānau. The stylised “H” incorporates the maihi of a wharenui, symbolising the shelter and strength of collective purpose. Together, these elements form a tohu of leadership, connection, and regenerative potential.
At AHO Farms, we are not simply cultivating medicinal cannabis — we are restoring the mana of whenua Māori, empowering our people, and weaving a future of abundance.