Tony Pearse has no regrets for his 40-odd years in the deer industry, coming from career beginnings that could well have seen him at a museum scrutinising rocks and fossils.
Deer Industry New Zealand producer manager Tony Pearse admits his career was not necessarily planned, but rather one of one of huge discovery. He talked with Annette Scott.
As Tony Pearse Pearse looks back on a long and exciting career in the deer industry, he says what evolved is best described as a “huge career of discovery”.
“There’s never been a great amount of planning in my life, but what has come out every step of the way has been thoroughly enjoyable and hugely rewarding,” Pearse said.
Pearse, who has been around the deer industry for 40-odd years, retired last month – taking with him a reputation he says is “humbling to the core”.
Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) chair Ian Walker says NZ has an extraordinary number of individuals who have made a huge contribution to the deer industry, often going beyond the call of duty.
“Many of these characters are recognised as legends in the deer industry and I would recognise Tony as one of those iconic contributors,” Walker said.
Pearse is a deer farmer in his own right, has been a deer farm manager, worked for AgResearch at Invermay, was involved in many research projects, has worked in commercial companies in relation to the deer industry and for DINZ and the NZ Deer Farmers Association (DFA).
His range of experience and contacts within the industry, his ability to communicate at all levels, his penchant for fastidiously recording events in words or pictures and his quirky sense of humour have earned him the respect and mana of which he is deserving.
“This is a reflection of why Tony is recognised within the industry as a good buggar,” he said.
Pearse says his role as producer manager became a way of life and a privilege.
“It leaves great friends, unique and valued experiences, highlights, laughter and enjoyment at every turn,” Pearse said.
“All the time it’s been about the teamwork, fuelled by a passion for great deer farming and being engaged in the industry.”
Imagine being a part of a wide talent and essentially producer-inspired team that has produced the Johnes Management Research group and then DeerPRO.
Then part of a team with the DFA executive that has facilitated the Next Generation Programme and a cog in the wider DINZ/DFA team that ran Focus Farms at national and regional level.
Not overlooking Pearse’s involvement in producing environment manuals, organising conferences, industry competitions and the environmental awards that were groundbreaking for the pastoral industry at the time.
“Truly this job, and my role in it, has been easy when the industry team and its leadership talent is behind you,” he said.
“That’s been the secret.”
In 2000 Pearse was awarded the NZ deer industry award for outstanding contribution to the industry.
In 2003 he received the Sir Arthur Ward award recognising successful application of research and experience to an aspect of animal production in NZ.
Pearse has become widely recognised as a world-leading authority on practical deer farming.
But he could well have ended up at a museum scrutinising rocks and fossils.
His first degree was a BSc in geology and zoology, his thesis was on the Maerewhenua diggings in North Otago and he intended to do a PhD in geology, but fate took him elsewhere.
“I wandered into the wool science building at Lincoln and ended up pursuing a Masters degree on the wool of the Tukidale, a Romney-based variant like the Drysdale thought to have an exciting potential at the time for its hairy fast-growing fleece and suitability for carpet fibre,” he said.
Pearse got involved in farming in North Otago before moving to his home patch of Saddle Hill, near Mosgiel, where he and his wife Julie ran 150 town supply dairy cows and 2000 sheep in partnership with Julie’s father.
Cows were eventually replaced with deer and the opportunity to manage an investors’ syndicate based on deer launched Pearse’s deer journey in 1979.
In 1983 a job at Invermay Research Centre popped up.
It was this role as an animal technician in the Invermay deer research team, including managing Invermay’s large deer research farm, where his lifelong love of deer and the industry became incurable.
He followed a happy and productive 19 years at Invermay, during which he did much to create enduring links between NZ deer farming and overseas deer interests.
He was introduced to what he describes as “an extraordinary world of people”, worked in Canada, the US, United Arab Emirates, Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and Korea, through his involvement in the industry.
Pearse was elected to the NZDFA Council in 2001 and in 2002 took up the role as producer manager with the newly created DINZ, which he says was a great move.
“It has been a privilege every step of the way, I have not one regret. I thank you all,” he said.
“In retirement I will focus on farming our 80ha at Saddle Hill.
“I owe Julie a lot more time; we have a son dairy farming in North Canterbury, so more family time and time with our granddaughter.”
