A territory sales manager for Elders and now based in Goulburn, Ben “did a couple of odd jobs here and there” when he left high school.

He started a heavy diesel mechanic’s course, took up jackarooing, even detailed cars on weekend “just to make money”, he said with a laugh.

“But I always wanted to go back to the country,” Ben said. “It always interested me, the rural side of things.”

He was shearing in Boorowa for about a year when his brother, who works for Elders in Young, suggested Ben check out a job in Goulburn.

Life’s come full circle as he now sells sheep (and cattle) and calls on his home farm experience to back up his Elders training and development.

“It’s a helping hand to have been brought up on a farm, to know a few bits and pieces, as well as the new technologies of the sector,” Ben said.

On Mondays he’s “out and about”, Tuesdays/Wednesdays at the cattle and sheepsales, and Thursday/Friday, working with clients and colleagues.

Because the sector is subject to seasonal conditions and variations, “you take every week as it goes; you take each day as it comes,” he said.

“Forecasters can’t predict the weather in two days’ time, let alone how we’re going to go. 

The market is such a varying thing, you just ride it out.”

His focus is to “always work for the vendor, no two ways about it, to get the best price possible for them”.

He was just 20 when he began with Elders four years ago. 

They gave him a “little client base to start and that helped me out, to get a walk-on”.

Now his approach with new clients is to just “put your best foot forward ... there are a fair few people out there who’ll give a young feller a go.”

He sees a good future with the firm.

“I love it here and I love Goulburn,” close as it is to his home town as well as the bright lights of big cities.