Dreams do come true

Irishman William Judge of Edenberry’s earliest memory is of sitting with his father on a Massey Ferguson 178. Little did he know at the time that he would go on to become manager of national sales of Massey Ferguson for the UK and Ireland.

That early exposure to the brand, he recalled, led to the building up, with his brother, of a healthy collection of Britain’s toys including the MF2680 and MF760 combined harvesters which now hold pride of place in his home office.

Spending time during his youth on the farm of a family friend, also left a lasting impression.

“Having that experience in my life is something that I will always be grateful for. It mainly involved dealing with livestock. I spent my time after school milking cows, and during the summer, helping out in the usual ways.

“Working on a farm and being outdoors always appealed to me. One of the great benefits of being around a farm is the many skills you learn daily, from dealing with animals to operating and repairing equipment.”

After leaving school, he studied agriculture locally and in Edinburgh, with the intention of becoming a farm manager.

“My interest in machinery really came from an interest in engineering at school. And I guess the agricultural machinery business brings those two interests together quite nicely.

“While studying at Edinburgh, I got a different view of agriculture, and indeed business, which set my career goals on a different path, and into farm machinery.”

He then worked with merchants in Tullamore for six years.

“This was very hands-on, and the dealer principal, Ronnie Colton, did a lot to steer me in the right direction, and help to form a sound foundation for my understanding of the industry.

One of the keys to the future viability of this industry will be the types and calibre of young people that we can get into the industry at all levels, from sales to after-sales, dealers to distributors and manufacturers. Having businesses that will train young people and keep them in the industry is crucial.

While working at Tullamore, he could see that more than an agricultural qualification was required to move through the industry.

“I saw that a business degree would help give me a broader view of not just the agriculture industry, but also other industries.

“It was then I decided to pursue a business degree -part-time, in the evening, three days a week, and lots of weekends doing project work, so it did eat into my social life, but it was definitely worth the time invested.”

Between his studies he relished the opportunity to roll up his sleeves and work on a harvest crew in the US.

“The idea of driving big equipment appealed massively, as it has done to others who have done similar work. I was a combine operator, and also did some truck driving. The experience was amazing. I was 18-years-old and in the US for eight months. Big equipment, and a huge culture shock - what was there not to like!

A career with AGCO, which specialises in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural equipment then beckoned. In September 2007, he took up a job as area sales manager, Fendt and Challenger, Ireland, and with AGCO at Stoneleigh - a position he held until October 2012.

He then became national sales and business manager, AGCO Harvesting, UK and Ireland. In March 2015, took on his current role as manager of national sales for Massey Ferguson, UK and Ireland.

Working with a world leader that most recently had a turnover of $7.4 billion, puts him at the cutting edge.

“Massey Ferguson, as AGCO’s global brand, accounts for 2.1 billion euros of this, which is about 200,000 ‘MF’ branded tractors globally,” he said.

The 37-year-old revels in working for such a major international brand.

“There is always something new, and lots of different people,” he said.

My favourite part is still dealing with farmers and the agricultural community although I do seem to spend less time doing that.

The biggest challenges, Judge said, are trying to stay on top of an ever-changing agricultural industry.

“But that is also what makes it exciting, and we all need to move with the times.”

For anyone interested in following in his footsteps, he has this advice: “It’s hard work. Take the opportunities as they come. Training and skills development will be ongoing. It can be a great industry for anyone who wants to travel and broaden their horizons.”

Judge, who enjoys travelling and country pursuits, gets home regularly to visit family and often drops in on businesses. He also relaxes watching rugby and coaching his son’s team.

As they say: love what you do and you will never work a day in your life.

Inaugural session

Three weeks ago, a Wales YFC rural affairs evening was held between Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire Federations at Windsor Farm, Lamphey, hosted by Andrew Phillips and family. This was the first event of its kind organised by Wales YFC and it was a very successful evening with 72 members attending.

Windsor Farm is now in its third generation of farming, where 2,500 Suffolk ewes, 500 replacements and 200 store cattle are kept on 1,000 acres of land, including 160 acres of arable crops grown annually.

Dafydd Jones, vice-chair of rural affairs, led the evening and remarked afterwards: “It was great to see that so many members had attended the evening at Windsor Farm. To think that this was the first such event and it was a huge success.

“Visiting the farm was a great experience for members to see Andrew Philips’s sustainable agricultural system in place before taking advantage of the opportunity to receive information and updates regarding both the YFC lamb and beef scheme.

“We would like to thank Alison Harvey from Dunbia who was invited to report on the Wales YFC lamb scheme, Luned Evans from Menter a Busnes who gave an update the YFC Integrated Biff Scheme, John Brocklehurst who represented Sainsbury’s and many thanks again to Andrew.”

Solving a problem!

A lobbyist on his way home from Parliament after a Parliamentary Enquiry into Trading Practices by Britain’s leading bank executives is stuck in traffic. Several of the former bank executives and CEOs have agreed to return their extravagant pensions.

Noticing a police officer, he winds down his window and asks: “What’s the hold up officer?” The policeman replies: “The chief executive of the UK’s largest bank has become so depressed he’s stopped his motorcade and is threatening to douse himself with petrol and set himself on fire because of the shame of what he has done. Myself and all the other motorcade police officers are taking up a collection because we feel sorry for him.”

The lobbyist asks: “How much have you got so far?”

The officer replies: “About 40 gallons, but a lot of officers are still siphoning.”

Problem solved

It is a slow day in a little Greek village. The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit.

On this particular day, a rich German tourist is driving through the village, stops at the local hotel and lays a 100 euro note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.

The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the 100 euro note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.

The butcher takes the 100 euro note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer. The pig farmer takes the 100 euro note and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel. The guy at the Farmers’ Co-op takes the 100 euro note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the taverna. The publican slips the money along to a salesman drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him goods on credit. The salesman then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the 100 euro note.

The hotel proprietor then places the 100 euro note back on the counter so the rich traveller will not suspect anything.

At that moment, the traveller comes down the stairs, picks up the 100 euro note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money, and leaves town.

No one produced anything - No one earned anything -However, the whole village is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.

That’s how the European bailout package seems to work!.

Quote

Rachel Carson, the American marine biologist, conservationist and author of Silent Spring, who opposed the use of commercial pesticides and helped launch the modern environmental movement claimed: “The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”

Folklore

The story goes that in British folklore, Old Michaelmas Day, October 10, was the last day that blackberries should be picked.

It was said that on this day, when Lucifer was expelled from heaven, he fell from the skies, straight onto a blackberry bush. He then cursed the fruit, scorched them with his fiery breath, spat and stamped on them and made them unfit for consumption! And so the Irish proverb goes: “On Michaelmas Day, the devil puts his foot on blackberries.”