The first season has started well for new sharemilker Andrew Pritchard. Management of the 460-cow herd started in March, but he believes this helped him prepare well for the new season. He was able to plan for extra feed and supplements making sure the herd were in top condition right from the start.
Andrew, along with wife Sarah, were working on a Midhirst farm before starting management of Sarah's family farm. The couple have now taken the next step by taking on the role of sharemilker on the farm. While he feels confident about the on-farm decisions Andrew says that it is the business side where he has had the rude awakening. He discovered there are "lots of small expenses - the little things - under $1000", that need to be taken into account.
Andrew used to be a commercial builder but the nature of the job meant he was missing out on seeing his family grow up. So he and Sarah decided to change careers.
"Coming from commercial building I was used to the long work hours but now I also get to spend more time with the family," he says.
As a builder Andrew had managed teams so has settled into this aspect of farming well. However, to build up his on-farm knowledge he enrolled in Primary ITO training. Completing a National Certificate in Agriculture Level 4 and National Certificate in Agriculture Production Management have helped him round out his knowledge.