But after that initial challenge and concern was faced head-on, Nigel has gone on to make positive impacts within the industry by becoming involved with the Tb Free committee.
Brought up on a dairy farm in Whanganui, Southland was Nigel and wife Mandy’s lifestyle choice in 2004 both for the people and farming opportunities.
That followed his tertiary studies, a stint in rural lending and also two years overseas.
In 2011, during their last year of sharemilking, a cow in their herd tested positive for Tb; possums and ferrets being the main carriers of the disease.
The couple received conflicting advice, including not to tell the neighbours.
But that did not sit well with Nigel who was due to send 500 cows to four different properties locally for winter grazing in six weeks’ time so he rang them all.
He recalled it as "pretty stressful" time; if the couple exited the industry then, their cows became slaughter value rather than market value.
So they hunkered down and implemented a self-contained system, buying in baleage during the winter.
Once a clear Tb result was received, Nigel and Mandy hosted about 80 people at their home for a Tb Free party, an opportunity to celebrate the good news with those who had supported them through the process.
Nigel enjoyed being involved with Tb Free, saying "it actually feels like I’m helping", and there had not been any Tb-infected herds in Southland for about six years, something which was also worth celebrating.
The couple also play an active part in the local Hedgehope Makarewa Catchment group.
Nigel had no desire to get into politics per se, but said they were rural people living in rural communities and he wanted the map to be "full of catchment groups" covering the whole area.
Nigel enjoyed farming in Southland and the style of farming it created.
Once-a-day milking created a "fantastic" lifestyle and made it easier to employ labour.
Being self-employed and working with livestock and people were the best parts of being in the dairy industry, he said. — Sally Rae
