David Eckhoff, a senior technical field officer based in Farmlands’ Mosgiel office, treats each farming client’s business like it his his own, something which is appreciated by his clients.
"He is constantly looking for ways to help improve our farming practices and look for new opportunities to grow our farming business," one grateful farmer said.
David tried never to tell or suggest anything to his farmers that he would not do to his own farm.
"I think if this was my paddock, or my sheep or cows, what would I do?"
He was raised in Balfour until he was 10 when the family moved to Roxburgh. After working for Ravensdown for seven years, initially in Southland and then North Canterbury, and a stint in rural banking, he returned home to manage the family farm at Coal Creek.
That property was later sold to enable succession and he and his wife Pip spent time in both Wānaka and at Berwick before moving to Dunedin.
At Farmlands, his role was all about helping farmers grow; the main aspects were around agronomy, nutrition and animal health and he also dealt with infrastructure like fencing and water schemes.
"I spend a lot a bit of time preparing for visits and finding the best possible solution no matter what the subject may be — crop protection, dairy detergents, stock water systems, seed varieties, fencing systems and so on.
"I take the time to find the best pricing from suppliers and within the Farmlands network of stores which involves lots of phone work.
"We want the same thing which is what’s best for the farmer.
"I want to be part of their business for the next 20 years, not just a sneaky cheap deal today," he said.
David spent a lot of time challenging his farmers around what they were doing, particularly around animal health programmes to make sure they were "getting the best bang for their buck" and using the right products.
With clients ranging from large-scale to much smaller holdings, and from dairy farmers on the Taieri to dryland blocks out the back of Middlemarch, it was about helping them grow the best crop for whatever suited their farming situation.
Many clients placed "free-range" trust in him. It was an important role and one that could be quite stressful at times.
"Everyone relies on you to do your job and you want to do the best job for them. I want to grow a crop I’m proud of," he said.
While David missed the physicality of farming, he had been known to jump on a handpiece and help crutch lambs and he was a regular fixture in the tailing pen.
"It’s a great way to have some fun with your farmers. You’re not just there talking to them about grass seed or chemicals, you’re out there helping them and doing it with them. I’m quite capable of doing anything they are doing."
He enjoyed helping train new reps, saying the hard thing about on-farm was that everything only happened once a year and it had to be "right that once and everything will flow from there".
"I love what I do, it’s the closest thing I could get to farming," he said.
