North Taieri livestock manager of many talents

Stock agent and auctioneer Rob Fowler at his property in North Taieri. Mr Fowler said his job involved a lot of thinking on your feet. Photo: Ella Stokes

Helping others learn the art of buying and selling livestock gives one agent a real buzz.

Rob Fowler is a livestock agent and auctioneer for Rural Livestock and covers the Otago area.

He had been on the road for almost 35 years and was still incredibly passionate about what he does.

He enjoyed passing his knowledge on to others.

''I enjoy my job and every day's different. . . and it's good to help the younger ones get their foot in the door.''

''I've learned a lot over the years, but you're still learning and sharing knowledge all the time.''

Mr Fowler grew up on the Taieri and first started working as an ''office boy'' for Reid Farmers when he was 17.

He has since worked as a livestock agent, manager and auctioneer for PGG, before moving to Rural Livestock in 2006 when the company started in the Otago area.

Mr Fowler knows the Otago area like the back of his hand and hasn't strayed far, and he and wife Jo now have a 120-acre cattle block in North Taieri.

Although as an auctioneer Mr Fowler has got pretty good at thinking and talking at speed, in 2016 he had open heart surgery and has taken a bit of step back since then.

''It was a pretty big deal but, didn't take long to recover and you get better all the time.''

Mr Fowler said even after years of being an auctioneer he still got a bit nervous before an auction.

''It's much more than talking fast, you have to entertain a crowd [that] knows what you're talking about and talk clearly with style and sense, extract the dollar value of an animal ... a farmer's livelihood is in your hands.''

''It's good to get a bit nervous though. If you don't you're not trying hard enough.''

Over time, Mr Fowler said, from his perspective he has seen farming go from family-orientated to more business-orientated operations.

''The cost of farming is higher than it used to be which means there's also a higher expectation on us, but that's just part of it.''

''It's our role to help add value, more so now than ever.'

When he wasn't selling livestock Mr Fowler coached a bit of junior rugby and also did work at charity auctions, ''that's when you really have to entertain.''

''Farmers see auctions all the time ... it's fun to see people get a bit of a surprise and get excited when they haven't been to an auction before.''

In mid-November Mr Fowler will head to Christchurch to judge the young auctioneer's competition at the New Zealand Agricultural Show.

''I'll keep doing what I'm doing for as long as I can ... you get to work with great people every day.''

Southern Rural Life