Name: Hamish
Role Title: Farmer: Hamish is managing his parents' property, predominantly cropping (70%), and prime lamb production (30%)
Location: Devenish in Northern Victoria

Description of work undertaken: Hamish explains that no two days are the same in his job. Tasks include day-to-day management and planning, hands-on work with whatever is going on at the time, marketing, and maintenance. Team and / or individual role / responsibilities: Hamish is in charge of a cropping program and developing the rotations and mix of crops. This is of particular interest to him as he studied Agronomy and it is his area of expertise.

Hamish finds Agriculture a challenging field that is also very rewarding and constantly changing

Future?
Hamish's expectations for the future include expanding the farm business and branching into consultancy by giving Agronomy advice. He would really like to develop ways of value-adding the farms' products and finding a market niche to capture their value.

BACKGROUND:
Grew up where?
Hamish grew up in Devenish and spent twelve months at LaTrobe Uni. studying Economics. He later worked for the Department of Agriculture and transferred to Dookie College where he finished a Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture).

Course(s) studied:
Tertiary /post secondary:
Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture). Hamish has also completed an Agricultural Commodity Price Risk Management Course and he has his wool classing ticket.

Secondary:
Hamish says there were no specific subjects, which prepared him for this type of work.

Work experience:
While at secondary school Hamish attended work experience with the Conservation, Forest and Lands (now DNRE), spent some time with a Salinity Officer and at State Park Mt. Samaria State Park.

OPPORTUNITIES:
Further study:
Hamish could go on to further his study but he currently has time constraints due to the farm.

Learning on job, new skills, etc.
Hamish is involved with the local TopCrop Group and learns a lot about marketing and what's happening overseas in grain markets by reading magazines, newspapers and the surfing the Internet.

Travel, etc.
Part of the farm's operation is contract wind rowing of canola crops and Hamish travels quite far to do that. The TopCrop Group usually organises an annual interstate trip to look at agricultural practices. Hamish recently travelled to Canada on a Young Rural Ambassador study tour looking at agriculture there. He really loved Canada and would like to do more international travel with an agricultural/learning focus in the future.

ADVICE TO STUDENTS NOW:
Hamish's advises do what you enjoy. Agriculture is a challenging field but it is also very rewarding and constantly changing. It is always developing and new technological advances help farmers improve their product.

OTHER:
Comments, thoughts, suggestions.
Hamish is a member of the Riverine Plains Farming Group, which is a broad-acre cropping group with representatives from as far as Euroa and Barumbardock.