PGG Wrightson agent Mike Broomhall, of Otautau. Photo / Shawn McAvinue
A Southern livestock agent is calling time on a career of more than 50 years.
PGG Wrightson agent Mike Broomhall, of Otautau, celebrated with a ginger beer on his final day last Friday.
Broomhall said he chose the retirement date because it allowed him to work at Rodney and Jocelyn Dobson's annual Jersey bull sale in Western Southland the previous week.
"I was with Rodney for his first sale."
Broomhall was born in Kaikoura and raised in Christchurch.
Despite his lack of agricultural experience, he always knew he wanted to work in the sector, becoming a junior agent for Dalgety's after leaving school, aged 19.
"I've been one ever since."
He had worked as an agent for different companies around the South Island including in Omakau and Palmerston.
His career includes working for himself for more than a decade.
He moved to Southland to work for PGG Wrightson about 16 years ago.
"I enjoy the job and the people."
The worst parts of the job were the long hours and being on call.
One client had regularly called him at 11 pm, despite being asked to call earlier.
In summer, Broomhall drafted lambs from 4 am to get the work done before the hottest part of the day.
Before leaving his house one morning, he called the client and made a deal: he would never call at the early hour again if the client only called him before 9 pm.
"We never had a problem after that."
When he started working as an agent, he made a vow to never drink alcohol again and had stood by it.
By abstaining, he never needed to worry about losing his driver's licence or forgetting the finer details of a conversation in a pub.
"In those days, it was very unusual for an agent not to drink - it probably still is - but it never lost me any business.
"I could still go to the pub, drink an orange juice or a ginger beer, and remember what I've done."
'It is a much more efficient way of getting twice as many apples using a lot less water.'