In the first few months of his new career, one of our Canterbury based trainees, originally from the Central North Island, shares his impressions of the role.

Meeting new people, going new places, and learning new ideas sums up Lachie Crafar’s experience of life as a livestock representative.

Raised on a 560-hectare central North Island family sheep and beef farm, Lachie started as a Canterbury based PGG Wrightson trainee livestock rep in January this year.

“Every day is different. I enjoy the variation. While there is a seasonal cycle to it, no two days are the same: there’s always something new to look forward to. Right now, we are focused on selling calves, previously we were selling lambs, next up it will be bulls. Although there is a seasonal pattern, each day, each farmer and each sale comes with a new challenge,” he says.

Having grown up on his parents’ 4000 stock unit farm between Fielding and Taihape, shifting south to study at Lincoln in 2021 was an eye-opener for Lachie.

“Here the range of different farm types is so much more diverse. Working with high country farmers focused on breeding, through to those on irrigated finishing farms, alongside dairy or arable units, and everything in between, Canterbury has the full cycle, not to mention plenty of farms with good scale. Being ready to meet the particular challenges that come with each different type of farm, while also staying alert to the opportunities, requires plenty of experience, a deep understanding of local agriculture systems and access to broad networks. I enjoy the diversity of the role. It certainly makes life interesting,” says Lachie.

Although generally drought prone, which is not a situation Lachie was accustomed to on his parents’ home farm, this has been an unusual season in Canterbury: really green, with plenty of grass to go around.

“Canterbury farmers need to be aware of the worst that can happen, with no feed. When the conditions are right, they also need to be ready to take full advantage. That is a little different to where I grew up, where the climatic conditions are more consistent,” he says.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture), Lachie worked for several months for a fencing contractor, before his present role came up. Since then, with his selection as one of 20 recently appointed staff members on the PGG Wrightson Academy programme for 2025, his head has been back in a book.

“I’m back into uni mode, writing plenty of reports and assignments. As well as covering a broader range of different activities within the primary production sector, the Academy programme provides plenty of opportunities to meet people from different backgrounds, facing up to different professional challenges throughout the country, while also building a network of high-quality trusted contacts,” says Lachie.

At the start of what he expects will be a long career in agriculture, Lachie has a keen eye on the future challenges the sector is likely to face.

“Uncertainty around environmental issues, how that progresses, and how farmers change their systems to meet market expectations relating to the environment will define how my generation of farmers fares. I see plenty of farmers who are expert in their approach to becoming environmentally friendly, and in the end, somebody has to feed the world, so there is a high premium on getting it right.

“For myself, ultimately I’d like to have a wee farm of my own on the side of my livestock career,” he says.

Outside of work, Lachie most enjoys getting outdoors: fishing, diving and hunting, particularly in the Southern Alps, with deer, tahr and chamois in his sights.

“I treat it as my chance to unwind and live in the moment,” he says.
 

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