“I was always going to go straight from school into a job and I started working for Richard at LKL at weekends. I wanted to get out there and earn money. I was interested in farming and started full time in June 2000.
"I don’t come from a farming family, my dad was a miner for 30 years, but my older brother Paul was working for LKL - now he’s my assistant manager.
"Between the ages of 16 and 19 I learned an awful lot through changes in the industry and on the farm. I was receiving training from the off and about a year into the job I signed up for the NVQ Level 2 in agriculture and livestock, then went straight onto the NVQ Level 3 with Agskills.
"Richard is very strong on training, for all the lads that come here. It’s something to work for. The NVQ was totally work based with practical assessments, which suited me because of the hands on structure. Then in 2003 when I was doing the NVQ Level 3 I won an award as Trainee of the Year for Agskills. I was re-entered in 2004 too and came second. As a result of the first prize I was invited to the European Pig Producers congress in Barcelona and I became a member of the Young National Pig Association. Now I am also a member of the Pig Industry Professional Register.
"I always had the ambition that if I was going to do something, I was going to get to the top. I’ve gone places because I wanted to. Early on, Richard would ask me where I wanted to be in five years’ time and I said managing one of his units. I have to admit I thought at the time being a manager was cushtie. It has its perks but it is also hard work! A big push for me was the financial gain of moving into a management role, but it’s not just that - I love what I’m doing.
"When I became an under manager I ran a team of four or five men, usually older than me though Richard runs a fairly young team. Then we moved the unit to Retford, running up to 1300 sows outdoors. Today we still have more than 1000."
"I admit over the years I have had a few ups and downs managing staff because they were young and I was inexperienced. But Malcolm Knowles, the production manager, has always been my mentor. He persuaded me to do more training and I started with the Leadership Development Group with Cedar Associates in Warwickshire in January.
"We have already had a week away in the Lake District doing team building exercises and been in the classroom looking at health and safety, delegation and leadership styles. I always come away with new ideas and we re-evaluate every time we get together, so it’s really making a difference. This training is a learning experience and a social gathering. I’ve learned a lot from others about where they have failed. I also know more about the leadership style that got me to where I am today. I’ve had two very good managers in front of me, including Malcolm especially. The course has made me more rounded and capable in a management role, working to standard operating procedures.
"Paul is also back with me. He left the farm and went into arable but he missed the pigs. Now he leads from behind!
We both work with the lads in our team on their NVQs. I derive a lot from showing other people what to do. Some people think knowledge is power and don’t like to share, but I love to. I get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing a lad with no experience becoming a fully fledged stockman. There’s a lot more involved in pig farming than many people understand, including plenty of paperwork recording performance.
"I’m one of the youngest pig unit managers in the country."
"There aren’t many others of 24 unless they were born into farming. People often ask me how I got started and they’re surprised I don’t come from a farming family. It’s not just happened through training, it’s about seizing opportunities when other people moved on. I’ve been happy to step forward and have a go. It’s been a very steep learning curve though.
"If you asked me today where I would like to be in five years, I’d say I want to be a contender for Malcolm’s job as production manager. But that role won’t come as fast as moving from senior stockman to assistant then manager. That’s more like 10-plus years away.
"I would always recommend people go into training. If you want more money, make yourself worth more money and there will be recognition. And you get personal satisfaction that you’re doing well. If you want success it’s there, but you have to have the drive to go after it.”
