My dad worked on a big station in Central Otago from before I was born until his recent retirement.
School holidays, and other times when I could go to work with him, are some of my best childhood memories.
After university, I desperately wanted to get back on the land, so I went shepherding for a few years then settled in at my new home, at Blackstone Hill, near Becks, with my husband Ben.
The property was purchased by the Hore family in 1920. All going to plan, one of our three children will be the fifth generation to care for the land.
Farmers are custodians of the land; we work hard to make it better for future generations. Our goal is continuous improvement.
The changes in farming in the last 20 years have been incredible, so I expect by 2050 we will see much more use of technology, increased efficiency and good environmental outcomes.
Hopefully, central and local government regulations will settle at a point where primary producers can flourish, allowing the whole country to thrive. We produce the best food and fibre in the world. Let’s celebrate that and work together to make it better.
I was invited to join the Otago Ospri committee when I was heavily involved with New Zealand Young Farmers (it was the Tbfree committee back then).
I quickly learned of the great work going on in reducing Tb infections and could see the value the committee was bringing. I also saw the need to get more of the next generation of farmers involved.
When I was asked to stay on, after ageing out of NZYF, I didn’t hesitate.
Over the years the Nait (National Animal Identification and Tracing) programme was introduced; this created a new avenue for farmer involvement. We then became Ospri and more latterly the M. Bovis eradication work has come under our umbrella.
The strategy shift to eradication of Tb was exciting for the future of farming — it is crucial all New Zealanders support the programme, and we make it happen.
Advances in science and technology have allowed the Ospri programmes to progress, starting from right back in 1969 when studies showed the role of possums in maintaining Tb infection and passing it to farmed livestock. We’ve known since then that reducing possum populations in infected areas is necessary to eradicate the disease.
This year, I was elected chairwoman of the Otago OSPRI committee. Tb is a hot topic in the Otago region currently, as we have a few infected herds. While disappointing, this is not completely unexpected, and the national eradication timeline is well on target. Large vector control programmes are under way in Otago, and this work will continue for years to come. Reducing possum populations to a level where they cannot sustain Tb takes time, and they need to be held at low levels to allow the disease time to die out of the population.
There are also wider opportunities for biodiversity gains, by other groups working collaboratively with Ospri to maintain low possum populations after Ospri completes its work.
One of the challenges we face nationwide is keeping Tb front of mind in areas where there hasn’t been infection for many years.
Back in the 1980s, with over 1700 infected herds nationwide, everyone was aware of Tb, whereas now, with only a handful of infected herds and new generations of farmers who have not experienced the disease, the focus can be lost. It is crucial we keep on track, meet our targets and eradicate Tb from New Zealand.
Fast-forward to 2050, and another new generation of farmers — the Nait system will be working flawlessly, with great compliance, Mycoplasma bovis will be a distant memory, Ospri will be in the final stages of proving Tb biological eradication and we will have dealt with whatever other biosecurity hiccups have come our way.
Working together, we will win, for our future generations.
— Vanessa Hore is the Ospri farmer committee chairwoman for Otago.
