December 14, 2021 • 26 mins
Today we’re talking to Abbe Hoare, a woman of many talents, who is farming and snapping pics in the Manawatu.
With a lifelong passion for photography, Abbe has spent some time supporting rural women in the health space, before making the journey to farming life with her Good Keen Man.
In this podcast, we delve into the importance of backing yourself, how to create and establish an identity in a changing environment, and her amazing ambitious ideas that she’s kickstarting soon!
If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to visit our Instagram, Facebook, and website, or even become a member!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome to the Black Cales and Tractor Wheel's podcast, where
we are sharing stories from a range of women from
around New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
For nearly a century, Rural Women New Zealand has been
dedicated to strengthening and supporting women and children to become
empowered members of their communities.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
We hope that by hearing these stories from inspiring women
all around the country, you'll feel inspired yourself.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
We're your hosts, Emma Higgins and Claire Williamson, and we'd
love for you to join and subscribe to our podcast
so you don't miss our rural stories.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Today we are speaking with Abbie Harre, who is a
woman of many talents. She is farming and taking beautiful
snaps and the month or two with.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
A lifelong passion for photography. Abbie has spent some time
supporting rural women in health space before making the journey
to farming life with her good keen Man.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
In this podcast, we delve into the importance of backing yourself,
how to create and establish an identity in a changing environment,
and her amazing ambitious ideas that she is kick starting soon.
So Abbie, we would really love to hear from you
about your childhood So one of the themes that we've
(01:16):
been asking a lot of people is you know, have
they always lived really and wanting to hear some interesting
and anecdotal stories about their childhood. And I am sure
that you've got some gems out there as well, so
we're really keen to hear a little bit more about you.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I grew up on a she can bee farm in Moquity,
which is about halfway between Antiquity and termat Annoy. My
earliest memories are my dad on his horse and dogs
and being in the yards. I guess it's the sort
of most farm kids. Hey, I'm thin. And then my
mum was a hairdresser and so we used to have
people come to her house all the time to have
(01:52):
their haircut in her little cottage, which was so cool
because there was always kids around, which was really fun. Yeah,
and then we moved closer to Tiquity when I was ten.
So my dad had a cardiak career while he was
playing squash one day, and he was really fortunate that
he was playing another big burly farmer and a nurse
and so together they managed to revive him until the
ambulance got there. But in those days that was like
(02:14):
in the early nineties, the ambulances didn't have defibrillators, so
it was a really long way. It was sort of
two hour trek to the hospital from there. And so
those sort of early health interactions, I suppose of my
dad sort of encouraged me to get into the health sector.
So then I went to finish my schooling Antiquity and
then I went to Hamilton Girls boarded there and then
(02:35):
went on to do radiography, which is, yeah, something that
I really really loved. It was a very cool career
in time in my life that I hoped to go
back to one day.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
You became a radiographer and based yourself and the white
gutle somewhere or how did that kind of go from there?
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Yeah, So when I graduated, there weren't actually any radiography
jobs around, so I went to the out back in Australia,
which was so cool. It was such a cool experience. Yeah,
and then I went traveling in Europe and then came
home very broke and very pregnant, which was sort of
changed the course of my life. I guess that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
So tell us a little bit about the next few
years for you, Like from the air.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Yeah, I came back home for a bit and then
I sort of ended up finding my way to the
Hawk's Bay, and I feel like children are an amazing motivator.
You've really got to like get your stuff together, you know.
And so I ended up taking a job in the
Hawks Bay and I got into mimmography. And when I
was a radiographer, it wasn't really something that I had
(03:37):
thought of wanting to do, But once I started it,
I felt like I'd really found my calling, I guess,
and it was definitely the most fulfilling job I've ever had,
just trying to change the conversation around mammogram and encourage
women to think more positively about them, because I think
that that's a huge part of why women don't go
(03:57):
for mammograms is because their friends have seen that it's painful. Yeah,
so that that was a big big thing for MEA Yeah,
In terms.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Of the client howel that you see coming through for mimmography,
is it more at the older end of the scale,
given that we have free screening from a certain age.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Yeah, so definitely. In the breast screen alt or service,
everyone is eligible from the age of forty five, But
in the practice that I worked, and you could also
have a mammogram under the age of forty five if
you were symptomatic or if you you know, it was
private so you could pay for it. But I just
I imagined, Oh, you turn forty five, you go off
your mammogram. Everyone does it, but actually there are so
(04:39):
many women who don't go because they have been told
it's painful, and so I know how to word that.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
But I know that you're obviously not a doctor, But
do you know the signs that women should be looking
for for breast cancer.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I think it's just any changes, Like the key message
is just no, no yourself and no, no your normal.
So if there are any changes to the color of
your skin, if you feel anything that feels different on
the inside, if you're yeah, just that's probably.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
The main thing.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
It's just skin changes, or if you notice any lumps
or yeah, just know what's normal for you. Is the
take home message. I guess because every day in New Zealand,
nine women are diagnosed with breast cancer, so it's huge
and we have such an amazing robust screening program that
is so underutilized, and maldi Wahani more likely to be
(05:29):
diagnosed with breast cancer and more likely to have unfavorable
outcomes from their diagnosis. And Malti Wahani make up such
a huge part of ural communities, and yeah, it's a
huge problem.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah, And it's all about getting women to support women
and the people's friends to talk about it, normalize that
make it a really big part of what everybody does,
so that it just kind of becomes the new normal.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
SOAP have a job where I could just be like
a rural health champion, Like I don't even know if
they exact, but I just think that someone needs to
be like calling in on farmers and saying, hey, if
you had your health checks.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yes, we totally do do that. Ebbie. I'm gonna ask
sort of take a little bit of a tune here
and ask you a little bit about your beautiful photography business.
I know that it started when you were quite young,
and I also understand that there's a really lovely story
around the name of the business. I have a fantastic,
beautiful memory of you on the dance floor Grace and
(06:31):
Cleon jones Is wedding a few years ago, taking incredible
photos in and effectively joining in the funds. So I
think that sums you up as a photographer.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Okay, So when I was in high school, I would
always sort of been interested in the photography. But at
my school you couldn't do photography in year thirteen unless
you've done art in previous years. But I couldn't draw
to save myself. So I asked if I could join
the class and they said, well, no, you can't, just join.
And then I had a friend who was in the
class and in prep one night she was editor a
(07:00):
photo that she was entering in the New Zealand Secondary
School's photography competition, and I said, do you can I
could enter? She was like, yeah, why not? And so
I entered. Mainly I entered because the theme was science
and farming, and I thought, all that's easy, I can
do that. And anyway, I won, and the teacher then
said that I could join the class. I said, oh no, oh, okay,
(07:21):
don't worry. And people just started asking me from them
to photograph their families, and it's just kind of snowballed
into Yeah. It's always has just been something on the side.
I have been through periods where I thought that it
was that I'd only make it as a photographer if
I was like full time and so I've been through
periods of trying to be that person, but actually I
(07:44):
found it took away the took away my passion when
I tried to make it make me a millionaire, you know.
So I think that that's really important, is that not
everything you do has to be about the money.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
That is awesome and I love hearing about how you
kind of.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Gave the middle finger.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Really and in terms of getting into photography, there is
that is such a neat way. I think it just
shows resilience and how you can pevate if something doesn't
go right in the first time, you can just come
up with other ways.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Yeah, that's almost to my detriment. I feel like, as
you can probably hear, I'm very multi passionate and I'm
really equipped to give things a go, and I guess
I'm not afraid of failure. And for a lot of people,
they're like, so, I've got the sunflower field, right, I
haven't even put the sunflowers on the ground here, the
seeds in the ground. But I'm like telling social media
that I'm planting a sunflower field, and some of my
(08:39):
friends are like, but what if they don't grow? And
I'm like, well, then I just say I fail. Who cares?
Does anyone care? I don't think people actually care today.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
No, but I don't think so. People love people love
the story of it as well, And I think the
other thing about that is that might encourage someone else
to try to try the same thing. Or you can
share some of the stories about what you did and
how you did it.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And the final piece of the puzzle that we're missing here,
just in terms of the background to close that gap
is you have obviously got a successful photography business, but
the last time that we talked about your childhood you
had in early years you had been a mirmographer. So
can you just close that gap for us and explain
(09:23):
how you basically got to where you are right now?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
When I when I was working in the Hawks Bay,
I met Emil and I call him my good keen man,
and he lured me to pie Tour and we bought
a ninety hecta block here which we which nowadays is
my everyday thing as i'm as I sort of around
the farm and girl a lot of grass, so we're
pretty intensive.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I suppose.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
And he's a fensing contractor so. And then we had
May who's won tell.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Us a bit about you on the farm, Ebbie. I
think that would be amazing for our listeners to hear, like,
what is it what is it typical day look like.
I know that you haven't had the farm for a
long time, but what does a typical typical day look like?
And what type of things I able to do with
your girls? And how does that fit in with your
overall family life.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
I kind of wish that I had. As much as
I've loved my radiography career, I also wish that I
had have gone in, like god, a sheepening job, and
I hope that for my fortieth birthday in nine years
time that I could bear junior sheep. I'd just love
to learn from the bottom everything because there is just
so much to know. I'm farming, and even though I
(10:34):
grew up on the farm, I probably didn't really take
that much interest. I spent probably ten Maine years, I think,
working like rousing, and that taught me so much about
the world, But the actual day to day farming I
didn't really have that much interest in until we bought
our own firm, and then I was like, oh my gosh,
I just love this so because Emil is so busy
(10:55):
out fencing every day. Yeah, I kind of just I
call myself a stockmanage, so I decide everyone's rotations and
I do all the break fencing, and I've usually got
Mabe on my back every day, so she loves the farm,
which was really cool. And I try and I try
and have the girls on the farm with me as
much as possible, because yeah, I think we're all we're
(11:18):
all better if we're outside in the fresh air doing stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
So I want to talk to you about how you've
coped around your identity changes because you have had well
a couple it seems of major pivots in your life.
So you've gone from having what sounds like a career
that you are super passionate about on the radiography side
and specializing in mimmography to being a mum and then
(11:43):
leaving that career journey and that trajectory that you're on
and jumping into the farm. How have you managed that transition?
Like how did you cope with these huge life changes?
Speaker 3 (11:55):
I'm sure if you asked Emila this question he would
answer it differently. But I think I love change, and
I love the idea of new beginnings, and I love
being able to sink my teeth into a new project.
So it has been difficult, especially when you go from
you know, I was a single mum and I ran
my own household and I had my own money, to
(12:17):
not working and then having this business partnership where it's
you know, even though I don't leave the house every day,
that income that comes in a still mind and that
is a really difficult mindset shift, and one I only
think can be easily done if your business partner is
on board with that as well. So it's taken me
(12:37):
a while, but I've found my value in the business,
and I think that a lot of that comes from
finding inspiration, especially in podcasts, and I've watched every single
Beef and Lamb YouTube video that is there, and yeah,
I guess finding your place in the business and knowing
we you add value. And I think it's really important
for women to remember. And I heard this on a
(12:57):
podcast that the money is made on a farm in
the offer and you can't you can't forget that. So
whilst you know you're not the person who loads those
prime lamps on the track, you had a huge part.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
That's really interesting. Ian. I think it's part of a
wider conversation as well around and I know you and
I have touched on this before, so I'd love to
bring it into this podcast around women who may have
had an off farm career or had a career in
the past that might have even been an urban one.
They have then found their own good keen men and
(13:29):
they've either returned to a family farm or they might
do what you've done, which is buy something together, go
into partnership together, and the challenge is around establishing a
new identity and how how that actually feels for them
and what it looks like, both initially in the long term.
So I think you've beautifully described the partnership part of it.
(13:51):
And I've heard before other people talk about how important
it is to find your value and what you're good at,
and I just love to flesh out a little more
any other stories or thoughts you've got around around these
challenges that woman face and establishing kind of a bit
of a new normal, particularly sometimes in very isolated areas.
And just what you've seen across your friends, across pears
(14:15):
and social media because you've just traveled so widely with
your photography. So yeah, they've been wonderful to hear thoughts
on that.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Especially with my photography. I've seen even in my friend group,
I feel like I've seen it a lot where I'll
give an example, So Trudy Hale's so I did a
piece on for Sheerdtest magazine. She is an incredible woman.
I mean they've been on country Calendar, so everyone's seen
the story. And she said to me, when I came
to do the photos, you know, it was focused on
her for the Sheerest magazine And she said, Oh, it's
(14:44):
so interesting because usually it's Simon that's the one in
front of the camera and I'm just beside her. It's
not me that's the main voice. So that's really cool. Oh,
I don't know, I have lots of I feel like
I have lots of friends who have really struggled to
find the identity in their place and their farming business.
And I think every woman's development trust courses have done
(15:05):
a lot in that space, and I've done them myself
and that they are incredible.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah, I think you're right, though.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
There has been some wonderful work put in by some
organizations to help address what is obviously a really common
issue that women face when they come either back to
the farm from having a career or just moving from
urban to rural. But I do think it is obviously
an industry that is quite widespread, which is a cho which.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
I think that rural women in those situations are such
an untapped resource for farms because I think we know
a lot more about a lot more things than we realize.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
I totally agree with that. I want to just pick
up on something that you said around shepherd Ess. So
obviously you did some amazing work there and we are
a big, huge fan of Shepherdess here at Rural Women,
But can you tell us a little bit more about
how that opportunity came about.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
So when Christy began, she just put a call out
on social media for photographers, and actually at that point,
I thought no way would my work be good enough
for print, so I didn't actually put my name forward,
and then I don't know if someone else put my
name forward or she just found me back. So from
the first issue, actually i've worked with them and I
(16:21):
feel like I have such an amazing relationship with the
team there, and I'm so grateful for that because I
have met some incredible women and being to some awesome places,
and I think in my photography. That's been the best
part of it is that often I'll go to farms
to do family photos and people want to take you
to the special place on their farm. And there are
(16:43):
some incredible places out there, you know that people don't
know about, I guess really special special spots. Yeah, so
that's a real honor for people to invite you into
their farm see these places.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
That's amazing in front of the camera, totally, totally, and
you would also think that they're probably a little bit
more vulnerable when they're in their safe special place as well.
So that's when you get to capture those really raw
but kind of very emotion Felm type moments, which I
think are characteristic of your photography. To be honest, I
(17:15):
think that it's incredible. And it blows me away that
you thought your work might not be good enough for print,
because I've always just thought it's absolutely incredible. In terms
of the I suppose packing up a little bit on
the influence and inspiration kind of piece around how you
get to the work that you do. We'd be so
(17:38):
interested to hear about some stories that you might have.
You know, there's always, there's always everybody has their own
little story, and I'd love to hear a bit more
about what inspires and influences the work that you do
and you yourself, and if there's any little sort of
golden nuggets that you could share with our listeners.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
So the name photos for Gene actually comes from I
didn't want to just be Ebbie Hall Photography anymore. I
wanted to have like a slight point of difference. And
Jane is name in my family that yeah, has sort
of been passed down in my grandma and her mom
and my mom and then through to my daughter, Florence Jean. Yeah,
(18:19):
it's a real special special name to me. And so
I always feel inspired by the woman in my family,
even my wider family. I feel inspired by women that
I meet just in everyday life. I feel like I
can take a nugget of wisdom from everyone people Like
I mean, Julia Jones. I listened to a podcast and
I was just like, Oh, she's just the coolest. She's
(18:40):
so great, Like she has so much time for the
eggery sector, you know, and her job at INSIDETX, Like
she runs the cut of there. You know, she's a
big deal and she still has time for us. That's
so cool, She's amazing. I'd love to meet her one day.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Oh well, I love one that you listen to the
podcast and too, I think that people are going to
listen to your story and be equally as inspired as well.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
I want to know from you, how do you have
any tips for someone who would like to set up
business or get into photography, Like what would you what
kind of advice would you give to someone who's a
junior Abby Hall, who's sitting out there who might have
been rejected from photography class and is thinking, damn, I
want to get this, I want to do this. How
(19:31):
do they go about it?
Speaker 3 (19:32):
I think you just have to be gunny and you
just have to go for opportunities because I find opportunities
only present themselves to me if I am looking for them.
You have to be looking for opportunity. You have to
back yourself and just yeah, you just have to go
for it. And I think in the beginning as a
photographer you do have to unfortunately do a lot of
stuff for exposure. But it's amazing how even now I
(19:55):
still am asked to do things for exposure. And I
think you have to trust you've got that you know
when's the right time to say no, actually I really
fail you my time and my skills, and no, sorry,
I won't I won't be doing it, and don't be
afraid to say no.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
I have heard some great stories about the wonderful area
of part here to it and the Man War two
as a whole, so and I've met some fantastic women
who lived there. I was just wondering if you could
tell us a little bit about what you enjoy most
about living rurally, because I think everybody has a different
story about living in a rural community. Myself. I went
(20:35):
for a walk to my dog for a walk the
other day, and three of my neighbors asked me how
I was and insisted on talking to me and my
walk that normally takes twenty five minutes to an hour
and a half. So I think that's a good example
of a really lovely random rural road just out of Paybridge.
But I'm sure that Abbie has some stories about what
(20:58):
it means to be part of a rural community.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
I love that people would just show up at your door.
When I lived in town, you never speak to your neighbors.
You never you would never just turn up at your neighbors,
whereas when you live in the country, people will turn
up and I think that everyone is willing to lean
a hand, and people genuinely want to help because it
makes them feel good, feel as though in a real
(21:21):
community that there's more of that. It's almost like the
further apart you are, the closer you are. I do
love my community and I really want to be more involved,
and when you have little kids, it is really hard
to find the time. I'm trying to weasel my way
into the whole committee, but they are a pretty tight
knit group that are letting me in yet, but I'll
(21:42):
get there.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
That's goals right there.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
I love that heavy and you're so right though, it
is a real challenge trying to juggle everything when you've
got small humans to keep alive. You know, the pressures
around parenting and just general life. It doesn't leave a
lot of time for other specs. People always tell us
to fill up her cups, and it's really difficult to
actually do that and find the time to do that.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
I think, so don't feel guilty because you.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Are nailing live and you've got such a full plate.
I think it is an aging stage thing.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Perhaps, Yeah, totally.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Final question from us is what are you hoping to
achieve over the next twelve months. Now, you talked about
your sunflower fields.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Can you give us a bit of background.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
About that, But I also want to hear about what
you're looking to achieve, the goals that you're trying to
catch for the next twelve months.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
We're in an RMPP action Network group. Well what was
and now we just call it a discussion group. In
early On, that was about two years ago that we
began that early on, we had an awesome facilitator and
she said to us, you know, it's a big thing
for young people trying to get into farm ownership. Is
turning your threats into opportunities. And since then, I've thought
(22:56):
about that statement and how I can do that. And
we live on really busy road. It's a seventy k
zone and there's a railway crossing, but no one stops
and no one goes seventy k's so, and we have
equal amounts of land on either side of the road,
so we often have to navigate the road with stock.
Part of what I wanted to do is try and
slow the traffic down. That the traffic is our threat,
(23:19):
and so the opportunity was how can we slow the
traffic down? And everybody slows down at a sunflower field,
don't they. Everybody loves sunflowers. And I sort of like,
I'm really interested in regenerative agricultural practices, but also I
don't really know enough about traditional agricultural practices yet, so
I'm not really sure how to navigate that. But I
(23:39):
just I love the properties of sunflowers too. Like up
the road from us, some people wanted to build a
house such there was an old sheep dip right there,
and so they were a bit worried about the soil contamination.
And then I read that if you planted sunflowers in
a spot for five years in a row, the sunflowers
would completely clean up the soil contamination. And I just thought,
(24:01):
I have to be a part of sunflowers. They are
so cool. So yeah, I just thought, oh, I'll just
plant some fluff. Yeah, it'll be fine. And then when
I really thought about it, I thought, Okay, well, I
can turn this into an opportunity with my photography because
I can bring families to me and I can photograph
them here in the field, and then I can sell
Somemer's cut flowers. Because I love cut sunflowers. Yeah, so
(24:25):
that's the field. But look, I don't know if they'll
grow yet because it's not very tropical here, so we'll
see how that goes.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
This sounds like a beautiful merging of all things heavy.
In my opinion, everything I have seen of you is happy, sunny,
larger than life. And yes, it brings those passions that
you have together, right, growing things and photography making people happy.
(24:57):
So I think that's just it's just incredible. Yeah, for you.
Just to wrap up today, Ivy, I'd just like to
say thank you so much for your time today, for
actually being quite vulnerable with us or saying that you
don't have all the answers, but that you are a
real trailblazer for the Junior Abbyhorse, which I liked Emma's
(25:19):
comment via coming through and wanting to set up something
perhaps creative or business or wanting to be more involved
in on farm practices where they are. So I think
that's it's fantastic. We really appreciate your time and go
forth and conquer Rural Women. New Zealand is a community
of like minded women who are doing amazing things in
(25:41):
their respective regions and communities.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
This podcast celebrates the achievements, successes and stories of our
rural women, which are also the foundations for our organization's
rich history.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
We want you to be part of our future story,
so please join us by clicking on the link in
the show notes, and we look forward to work coming
into the fold.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Mm hmmm mmmmm
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Hm
Welcome to the Black Cales and Tractor Wheel's podcast, where
we are sharing stories from a range of women from
around New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
For nearly a century, Rural Women New Zealand has been
dedicated to strengthening and supporting women and children to become
empowered members of their communities.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
We hope that by hearing these stories from inspiring women
all around the country, you'll feel inspired yourself.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
We're your hosts, Emma Higgins and Claire Williamson, and we'd
love for you to join and subscribe to our podcast
so you don't miss our rural stories.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Today we are speaking with Abbie Harre, who is a
woman of many talents. She is farming and taking beautiful
snaps and the month or two with.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
A lifelong passion for photography. Abbie has spent some time
supporting rural women in health space before making the journey
to farming life with her good keen Man.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
In this podcast, we delve into the importance of backing yourself,
how to create and establish an identity in a changing environment,
and her amazing ambitious ideas that she is kick starting soon.
So Abbie, we would really love to hear from you
about your childhood So one of the themes that we've
(01:16):
been asking a lot of people is you know, have
they always lived really and wanting to hear some interesting
and anecdotal stories about their childhood. And I am sure
that you've got some gems out there as well, so
we're really keen to hear a little bit more about you.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I grew up on a she can bee farm in Moquity,
which is about halfway between Antiquity and termat Annoy. My
earliest memories are my dad on his horse and dogs
and being in the yards. I guess it's the sort
of most farm kids. Hey, I'm thin. And then my
mum was a hairdresser and so we used to have
people come to her house all the time to have
(01:52):
their haircut in her little cottage, which was so cool
because there was always kids around, which was really fun. Yeah,
and then we moved closer to Tiquity when I was ten.
So my dad had a cardiak career while he was
playing squash one day, and he was really fortunate that
he was playing another big burly farmer and a nurse
and so together they managed to revive him until the
ambulance got there. But in those days that was like
(02:14):
in the early nineties, the ambulances didn't have defibrillators, so
it was a really long way. It was sort of
two hour trek to the hospital from there. And so
those sort of early health interactions, I suppose of my
dad sort of encouraged me to get into the health sector.
So then I went to finish my schooling Antiquity and
then I went to Hamilton Girls boarded there and then
(02:35):
went on to do radiography, which is, yeah, something that
I really really loved. It was a very cool career
in time in my life that I hoped to go
back to one day.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
You became a radiographer and based yourself and the white
gutle somewhere or how did that kind of go from there?
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Yeah, So when I graduated, there weren't actually any radiography
jobs around, so I went to the out back in Australia,
which was so cool. It was such a cool experience. Yeah,
and then I went traveling in Europe and then came
home very broke and very pregnant, which was sort of
changed the course of my life. I guess that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
So tell us a little bit about the next few
years for you, Like from the air.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Yeah, I came back home for a bit and then
I sort of ended up finding my way to the
Hawk's Bay, and I feel like children are an amazing motivator.
You've really got to like get your stuff together, you know.
And so I ended up taking a job in the
Hawks Bay and I got into mimmography. And when I
was a radiographer, it wasn't really something that I had
(03:37):
thought of wanting to do, But once I started it,
I felt like I'd really found my calling, I guess,
and it was definitely the most fulfilling job I've ever had,
just trying to change the conversation around mammogram and encourage
women to think more positively about them, because I think
that that's a huge part of why women don't go
(03:57):
for mammograms is because their friends have seen that it's painful. Yeah,
so that that was a big big thing for MEA Yeah,
In terms.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Of the client howel that you see coming through for mimmography,
is it more at the older end of the scale,
given that we have free screening from a certain age.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Yeah, so definitely. In the breast screen alt or service,
everyone is eligible from the age of forty five, But
in the practice that I worked, and you could also
have a mammogram under the age of forty five if
you were symptomatic or if you you know, it was
private so you could pay for it. But I just
I imagined, Oh, you turn forty five, you go off
your mammogram. Everyone does it, but actually there are so
(04:39):
many women who don't go because they have been told
it's painful, and so I know how to word that.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
But I know that you're obviously not a doctor, But
do you know the signs that women should be looking
for for breast cancer.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I think it's just any changes, Like the key message
is just no, no yourself and no, no your normal.
So if there are any changes to the color of
your skin, if you feel anything that feels different on
the inside, if you're yeah, just that's probably.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
The main thing.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
It's just skin changes, or if you notice any lumps
or yeah, just know what's normal for you. Is the
take home message. I guess because every day in New Zealand,
nine women are diagnosed with breast cancer, so it's huge
and we have such an amazing robust screening program that
is so underutilized, and maldi Wahani more likely to be
(05:29):
diagnosed with breast cancer and more likely to have unfavorable
outcomes from their diagnosis. And Malti Wahani make up such
a huge part of ural communities, and yeah, it's a
huge problem.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah, And it's all about getting women to support women
and the people's friends to talk about it, normalize that
make it a really big part of what everybody does,
so that it just kind of becomes the new normal.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
SOAP have a job where I could just be like
a rural health champion, Like I don't even know if
they exact, but I just think that someone needs to
be like calling in on farmers and saying, hey, if
you had your health checks.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yes, we totally do do that. Ebbie. I'm gonna ask
sort of take a little bit of a tune here
and ask you a little bit about your beautiful photography business.
I know that it started when you were quite young,
and I also understand that there's a really lovely story
around the name of the business. I have a fantastic,
beautiful memory of you on the dance floor Grace and
(06:31):
Cleon jones Is wedding a few years ago, taking incredible
photos in and effectively joining in the funds. So I
think that sums you up as a photographer.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Okay, So when I was in high school, I would
always sort of been interested in the photography. But at
my school you couldn't do photography in year thirteen unless
you've done art in previous years. But I couldn't draw
to save myself. So I asked if I could join
the class and they said, well, no, you can't, just join.
And then I had a friend who was in the
class and in prep one night she was editor a
(07:00):
photo that she was entering in the New Zealand Secondary
School's photography competition, and I said, do you can I
could enter? She was like, yeah, why not? And so
I entered. Mainly I entered because the theme was science
and farming, and I thought, all that's easy, I can
do that. And anyway, I won, and the teacher then
said that I could join the class. I said, oh no, oh, okay,
(07:21):
don't worry. And people just started asking me from them
to photograph their families, and it's just kind of snowballed
into Yeah. It's always has just been something on the side.
I have been through periods where I thought that it
was that I'd only make it as a photographer if
I was like full time and so I've been through
periods of trying to be that person, but actually I
(07:44):
found it took away the took away my passion when
I tried to make it make me a millionaire, you know.
So I think that that's really important, is that not
everything you do has to be about the money.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
That is awesome and I love hearing about how you
kind of.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Gave the middle finger.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Really and in terms of getting into photography, there is
that is such a neat way. I think it just
shows resilience and how you can pevate if something doesn't
go right in the first time, you can just come
up with other ways.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Yeah, that's almost to my detriment. I feel like, as
you can probably hear, I'm very multi passionate and I'm
really equipped to give things a go, and I guess
I'm not afraid of failure. And for a lot of people,
they're like, so, I've got the sunflower field, right, I
haven't even put the sunflowers on the ground here, the
seeds in the ground. But I'm like telling social media
that I'm planting a sunflower field, and some of my
(08:39):
friends are like, but what if they don't grow? And
I'm like, well, then I just say I fail. Who cares?
Does anyone care? I don't think people actually care today.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
No, but I don't think so. People love people love
the story of it as well, And I think the
other thing about that is that might encourage someone else
to try to try the same thing. Or you can
share some of the stories about what you did and
how you did it.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And the final piece of the puzzle that we're missing here,
just in terms of the background to close that gap
is you have obviously got a successful photography business, but
the last time that we talked about your childhood you
had in early years you had been a mirmographer. So
can you just close that gap for us and explain
(09:23):
how you basically got to where you are right now?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
When I when I was working in the Hawks Bay,
I met Emil and I call him my good keen man,
and he lured me to pie Tour and we bought
a ninety hecta block here which we which nowadays is
my everyday thing as i'm as I sort of around
the farm and girl a lot of grass, so we're
pretty intensive.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I suppose.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
And he's a fensing contractor so. And then we had
May who's won tell.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Us a bit about you on the farm, Ebbie. I
think that would be amazing for our listeners to hear, like,
what is it what is it typical day look like.
I know that you haven't had the farm for a
long time, but what does a typical typical day look like?
And what type of things I able to do with
your girls? And how does that fit in with your
overall family life.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
I kind of wish that I had. As much as
I've loved my radiography career, I also wish that I
had have gone in, like god, a sheepening job, and
I hope that for my fortieth birthday in nine years
time that I could bear junior sheep. I'd just love
to learn from the bottom everything because there is just
so much to know. I'm farming, and even though I
(10:34):
grew up on the farm, I probably didn't really take
that much interest. I spent probably ten Maine years, I think,
working like rousing, and that taught me so much about
the world, But the actual day to day farming I
didn't really have that much interest in until we bought
our own firm, and then I was like, oh my gosh,
I just love this so because Emil is so busy
(10:55):
out fencing every day. Yeah, I kind of just I
call myself a stockmanage, so I decide everyone's rotations and
I do all the break fencing, and I've usually got
Mabe on my back every day, so she loves the farm,
which was really cool. And I try and I try
and have the girls on the farm with me as
much as possible, because yeah, I think we're all we're
(11:18):
all better if we're outside in the fresh air doing stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
So I want to talk to you about how you've
coped around your identity changes because you have had well
a couple it seems of major pivots in your life.
So you've gone from having what sounds like a career
that you are super passionate about on the radiography side
and specializing in mimmography to being a mum and then
(11:43):
leaving that career journey and that trajectory that you're on
and jumping into the farm. How have you managed that transition?
Like how did you cope with these huge life changes?
Speaker 3 (11:55):
I'm sure if you asked Emila this question he would
answer it differently. But I think I love change, and
I love the idea of new beginnings, and I love
being able to sink my teeth into a new project.
So it has been difficult, especially when you go from
you know, I was a single mum and I ran
my own household and I had my own money, to
(12:17):
not working and then having this business partnership where it's
you know, even though I don't leave the house every day,
that income that comes in a still mind and that
is a really difficult mindset shift, and one I only
think can be easily done if your business partner is
on board with that as well. So it's taken me
(12:37):
a while, but I've found my value in the business,
and I think that a lot of that comes from
finding inspiration, especially in podcasts, and I've watched every single
Beef and Lamb YouTube video that is there, and yeah,
I guess finding your place in the business and knowing
we you add value. And I think it's really important
for women to remember. And I heard this on a
(12:57):
podcast that the money is made on a farm in
the offer and you can't you can't forget that. So
whilst you know you're not the person who loads those
prime lamps on the track, you had a huge part.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
That's really interesting. Ian. I think it's part of a
wider conversation as well around and I know you and
I have touched on this before, so I'd love to
bring it into this podcast around women who may have
had an off farm career or had a career in
the past that might have even been an urban one.
They have then found their own good keen men and
(13:29):
they've either returned to a family farm or they might
do what you've done, which is buy something together, go
into partnership together, and the challenge is around establishing a
new identity and how how that actually feels for them
and what it looks like, both initially in the long term.
So I think you've beautifully described the partnership part of it.
(13:51):
And I've heard before other people talk about how important
it is to find your value and what you're good at,
and I just love to flesh out a little more
any other stories or thoughts you've got around around these
challenges that woman face and establishing kind of a bit
of a new normal, particularly sometimes in very isolated areas.
And just what you've seen across your friends, across pears
(14:15):
and social media because you've just traveled so widely with
your photography. So yeah, they've been wonderful to hear thoughts
on that.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Especially with my photography. I've seen even in my friend group,
I feel like I've seen it a lot where I'll
give an example, So Trudy Hale's so I did a
piece on for Sheerdtest magazine. She is an incredible woman.
I mean they've been on country Calendar, so everyone's seen
the story. And she said to me, when I came
to do the photos, you know, it was focused on
her for the Sheerest magazine And she said, Oh, it's
(14:44):
so interesting because usually it's Simon that's the one in
front of the camera and I'm just beside her. It's
not me that's the main voice. So that's really cool. Oh,
I don't know, I have lots of I feel like
I have lots of friends who have really struggled to
find the identity in their place and their farming business.
And I think every woman's development trust courses have done
(15:05):
a lot in that space, and I've done them myself
and that they are incredible.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah, I think you're right, though.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
There has been some wonderful work put in by some
organizations to help address what is obviously a really common
issue that women face when they come either back to
the farm from having a career or just moving from
urban to rural. But I do think it is obviously
an industry that is quite widespread, which is a cho which.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
I think that rural women in those situations are such
an untapped resource for farms because I think we know
a lot more about a lot more things than we realize.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
I totally agree with that. I want to just pick
up on something that you said around shepherd Ess. So
obviously you did some amazing work there and we are
a big, huge fan of Shepherdess here at Rural Women,
But can you tell us a little bit more about
how that opportunity came about.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
So when Christy began, she just put a call out
on social media for photographers, and actually at that point,
I thought no way would my work be good enough
for print, so I didn't actually put my name forward,
and then I don't know if someone else put my
name forward or she just found me back. So from
the first issue, actually i've worked with them and I
(16:21):
feel like I have such an amazing relationship with the
team there, and I'm so grateful for that because I
have met some incredible women and being to some awesome places,
and I think in my photography. That's been the best
part of it is that often I'll go to farms
to do family photos and people want to take you
to the special place on their farm. And there are
(16:43):
some incredible places out there, you know that people don't
know about, I guess really special special spots. Yeah, so
that's a real honor for people to invite you into
their farm see these places.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
That's amazing in front of the camera, totally, totally, and
you would also think that they're probably a little bit
more vulnerable when they're in their safe special place as well.
So that's when you get to capture those really raw
but kind of very emotion Felm type moments, which I
think are characteristic of your photography. To be honest, I
(17:15):
think that it's incredible. And it blows me away that
you thought your work might not be good enough for print,
because I've always just thought it's absolutely incredible. In terms
of the I suppose packing up a little bit on
the influence and inspiration kind of piece around how you
get to the work that you do. We'd be so
(17:38):
interested to hear about some stories that you might have.
You know, there's always, there's always everybody has their own
little story, and I'd love to hear a bit more
about what inspires and influences the work that you do
and you yourself, and if there's any little sort of
golden nuggets that you could share with our listeners.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
So the name photos for Gene actually comes from I
didn't want to just be Ebbie Hall Photography anymore. I
wanted to have like a slight point of difference. And
Jane is name in my family that yeah, has sort
of been passed down in my grandma and her mom
and my mom and then through to my daughter, Florence Jean. Yeah,
(18:19):
it's a real special special name to me. And so
I always feel inspired by the woman in my family,
even my wider family. I feel inspired by women that
I meet just in everyday life. I feel like I
can take a nugget of wisdom from everyone people Like
I mean, Julia Jones. I listened to a podcast and
I was just like, Oh, she's just the coolest. She's
(18:40):
so great, Like she has so much time for the
eggery sector, you know, and her job at INSIDETX, Like
she runs the cut of there. You know, she's a
big deal and she still has time for us. That's
so cool, She's amazing. I'd love to meet her one day.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Oh well, I love one that you listen to the
podcast and too, I think that people are going to
listen to your story and be equally as inspired as well.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
I want to know from you, how do you have
any tips for someone who would like to set up
business or get into photography, Like what would you what
kind of advice would you give to someone who's a
junior Abby Hall, who's sitting out there who might have
been rejected from photography class and is thinking, damn, I
want to get this, I want to do this. How
(19:31):
do they go about it?
Speaker 3 (19:32):
I think you just have to be gunny and you
just have to go for opportunities because I find opportunities
only present themselves to me if I am looking for them.
You have to be looking for opportunity. You have to
back yourself and just yeah, you just have to go
for it. And I think in the beginning as a
photographer you do have to unfortunately do a lot of
stuff for exposure. But it's amazing how even now I
(19:55):
still am asked to do things for exposure. And I
think you have to trust you've got that you know
when's the right time to say no, actually I really
fail you my time and my skills, and no, sorry,
I won't I won't be doing it, and don't be
afraid to say no.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
I have heard some great stories about the wonderful area
of part here to it and the Man War two
as a whole, so and I've met some fantastic women
who lived there. I was just wondering if you could
tell us a little bit about what you enjoy most
about living rurally, because I think everybody has a different
story about living in a rural community. Myself. I went
(20:35):
for a walk to my dog for a walk the
other day, and three of my neighbors asked me how
I was and insisted on talking to me and my
walk that normally takes twenty five minutes to an hour
and a half. So I think that's a good example
of a really lovely random rural road just out of Paybridge.
But I'm sure that Abbie has some stories about what
(20:58):
it means to be part of a rural community.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
I love that people would just show up at your door.
When I lived in town, you never speak to your neighbors.
You never you would never just turn up at your neighbors,
whereas when you live in the country, people will turn
up and I think that everyone is willing to lean
a hand, and people genuinely want to help because it
makes them feel good, feel as though in a real
(21:21):
community that there's more of that. It's almost like the
further apart you are, the closer you are. I do
love my community and I really want to be more involved,
and when you have little kids, it is really hard
to find the time. I'm trying to weasel my way
into the whole committee, but they are a pretty tight
knit group that are letting me in yet, but I'll
(21:42):
get there.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
That's goals right there.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
I love that heavy and you're so right though, it
is a real challenge trying to juggle everything when you've
got small humans to keep alive. You know, the pressures
around parenting and just general life. It doesn't leave a
lot of time for other specs. People always tell us
to fill up her cups, and it's really difficult to
actually do that and find the time to do that.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
I think, so don't feel guilty because you.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Are nailing live and you've got such a full plate.
I think it is an aging stage thing.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Perhaps, Yeah, totally.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Final question from us is what are you hoping to
achieve over the next twelve months. Now, you talked about
your sunflower fields.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Can you give us a bit of background.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
About that, But I also want to hear about what
you're looking to achieve, the goals that you're trying to
catch for the next twelve months.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
We're in an RMPP action Network group. Well what was
and now we just call it a discussion group. In
early On, that was about two years ago that we
began that early on, we had an awesome facilitator and
she said to us, you know, it's a big thing
for young people trying to get into farm ownership. Is
turning your threats into opportunities. And since then, I've thought
(22:56):
about that statement and how I can do that. And
we live on really busy road. It's a seventy k
zone and there's a railway crossing, but no one stops
and no one goes seventy k's so, and we have
equal amounts of land on either side of the road,
so we often have to navigate the road with stock.
Part of what I wanted to do is try and
slow the traffic down. That the traffic is our threat,
(23:19):
and so the opportunity was how can we slow the
traffic down? And everybody slows down at a sunflower field,
don't they. Everybody loves sunflowers. And I sort of like,
I'm really interested in regenerative agricultural practices, but also I
don't really know enough about traditional agricultural practices yet, so
I'm not really sure how to navigate that. But I
(23:39):
just I love the properties of sunflowers too. Like up
the road from us, some people wanted to build a
house such there was an old sheep dip right there,
and so they were a bit worried about the soil contamination.
And then I read that if you planted sunflowers in
a spot for five years in a row, the sunflowers
would completely clean up the soil contamination. And I just thought,
(24:01):
I have to be a part of sunflowers. They are
so cool. So yeah, I just thought, oh, I'll just
plant some fluff. Yeah, it'll be fine. And then when
I really thought about it, I thought, Okay, well, I
can turn this into an opportunity with my photography because
I can bring families to me and I can photograph
them here in the field, and then I can sell
Somemer's cut flowers. Because I love cut sunflowers. Yeah, so
(24:25):
that's the field. But look, I don't know if they'll
grow yet because it's not very tropical here, so we'll
see how that goes.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
This sounds like a beautiful merging of all things heavy.
In my opinion, everything I have seen of you is happy, sunny,
larger than life. And yes, it brings those passions that
you have together, right, growing things and photography making people happy.
(24:57):
So I think that's just it's just incredible. Yeah, for you.
Just to wrap up today, Ivy, I'd just like to
say thank you so much for your time today, for
actually being quite vulnerable with us or saying that you
don't have all the answers, but that you are a
real trailblazer for the Junior Abbyhorse, which I liked Emma's
(25:19):
comment via coming through and wanting to set up something
perhaps creative or business or wanting to be more involved
in on farm practices where they are. So I think
that's it's fantastic. We really appreciate your time and go
forth and conquer Rural Women. New Zealand is a community
of like minded women who are doing amazing things in
(25:41):
their respective regions and communities.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
This podcast celebrates the achievements, successes and stories of our
rural women, which are also the foundations for our organization's
rich history.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
We want you to be part of our future story,
so please join us by clicking on the link in
the show notes, and we look forward to work coming
into the fold.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Mm hmmm mmmmm
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Hm
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