On The Road with George Shannon
George Shannon – Livestock Representative (Western North Island)
George Shannon’s passion for livestock started when he tagged along on the road with his grandfather, who was also a Livestock Buyer. George is continuing that passion now covering the Western North Island region as a Livestock Representative for Silver Fern Farms.
“After leaving school I went to a training farm, Smedley Station. Following that, I gained experience shepherding on a variety of farms across the country.”
George started at Silver Fern Farms in 2011 and takes care of farmer partners on sheep and beef breeding and finishing farms in Rangitikei, where he lives with his wife and three children in Marton.
Having spent years working on farms before becoming a rep, George understands the seasonal pressures farmers face.
“As a rep you help farmers to make decisions around the right time for their livestock to leave their farm, sharing with them what the markets are doing to the best of our knowledge. We do the same for farmers who are buying stock too, helping them to decide the right time to buy and supporting them through that process as well."
“My main focus is making things easy for farmers and helping them achieve the best possible outcome from their stock. The real value of the role is making sure everything runs smoothly and as efficiently as possible.”
George loves being out on farm drafting stock, especially the weaning drafts, “But the most important part of my job is working to ensure everything is ticking along for the farmer; arranging stock to go on a day that suits them to the best of our ability, ensuring everything is priced correctly, working with sites to book space and transport is all lined up and ready to go.”
Building trust is a key part of the job, and honesty, integrity, and communication skills are a must.
“We are the face of Silver Fern Farms to our farmers, but we also represent our farmers back into the business."
“We must have strong relationships with farmers and over the years build confidence as business partners, as well as with our sites. They are all trusting us to make it all work, so it’s important to be up front when we can’t make it work too. Whether the news is good or bad, you've got to front it.”
Reps play an important role in keeping farmers connected to what is happening in the markets. Sharing industry insights and news is key to these relationships.
"Farmers want to know what's happening in the market. I know many value our Farmer Market Reports because they keep them up to date with both our business and wider industry trends."
Spending time on farm also gives George a good sense of how seasons are tracking across the region.
"It's been a kind winter. Moisture was needed in some areas, and that has now arrived. We are seeing good grass growth on the lower country and great survival of lambs in the hill country to date."
After several challenging years, George is encouraged by the progress he is seeing across the sector.
"Things have improved over the last few years, and it's good to see real change, with farmers gaining confidence again and seeing their businesses as viable. I've always been passionate about sheep and cattle, and it's rewarding to see people invest in stock and get good results out the other side, especially when the industry is performing well."
Spring is one of George's favourite times of the year.
"It's an exciting part of the season for me. I work alongside farmers drafting the first milk lambs and fat cattle, then monitoring weight and yield results as they come through. It helps set the tone for the rest of the season."
When asked about his best day at work, the answer is easy.
"Driving past a truckload of stock that you've helped get from farm to processing is a great feeling.
Knowing you've played a part in delivering a good result for the farmer is the best part of the job."
And if you're ever passing through Marton, don't miss a visit to George's family café, Moomaa.
