The Co-op’s Technical Agriculture Specialists (TAS) work nationwide, supporting our team of Technical Sales Representatives (TSR). We speak with Waikato-based Jarno Sammet about the role and importance of planning which crops to grow for a great season ahead.
I was born and raised on a small sheep farm in Germany. Farming in Germany contributes less than 1% to the country’s gross domestic product and is mainly focused on maximising subsidies. When I was growing up, there were 10 farms in the village. By the time I left for New Zealand, there was just one big farm left. After leaving school at 16, I worked in the forestry industry for five years before getting a degree in agriculture. Working as a farm advisor for the only Animal Welfare Trust-endorsed meat company at the time, which produced eggs, poultry, pork, beef, and lamb, gave me a broad knowledge of the agricultural sector, especially with all the feed being homegrown and non-GMO.
I’ve been in New Zealand for 17 years now, working in the rural sector. After working for a contracting business, I joined Farm Source about 15 years ago, starting in sales in the Otorohanga store, working my way up from 2IC into a Technical Sales Representative (TSR) position in Te Awamutu. Four years ago, I became a Technical Agriculture Specialist and now assist our team of 16 TSRs in the Waikato, providing support and training, and working alongside the other Co-op departments supporting farmers on-farm.
Farming is no longer “just” farming anymore. Accounting, Health and Safety, staffing, new technology, changing regulations, compliance, and so many other things are on a farmer’s mind now and require continuous attention. That is where the Farm Source team comes in, helping our farmers to be the most sustainable (financially and environmentally), efficient, successful and profitable they can be.
While TSRs will be a farmer’s first point of contact, there is a small team of Technical Agriculture Specialists working alongside them in the background. We provide unbiased big picture advice, help with system changes, long-term strategy, and slightly more complex matters across milk quality, dairy hygiene, animal nutrition, and agronomy.
Prepare now for a great season
Spring is the time to be proactive on-farm – it’s my favourite part of the year, to be honest. Big decisions need to be made that will have an impact on the next 12 months and beyond. Maize, turnips, chicory, beet, kale and new pasture for the South Island and lower parts of the North Island – it’s all happening.
Right now, I’m working with farmers, TSRs and Sustainable Dairy Advisors to gear up for the cropping season and set up plans for cropping and pasture management. It’s a cross-departmental approach, and Co-op farmers can have all the experts at the table with them if they wish.
The rest of the year, if I’m called upon, it tends to be more reactive due to something that hasn’t worked out with a crop or other area of the farm, and I come up with solutions to mitigate the effects. This keeps me on my toes and makes the role so interesting to me, with every day being different, and there’s never a dull moment.
