In this article we speak to Sal McCauley who recently joined the Dairy team as a Dairy Technical Specialist. Sal talks us through some of the highs and lows of the role and her best advice for anyone looking to start a career in the same field.
Tell us about yourself
I was born and raised in Liverpool and after graduating from Aberystwyth university in 2015 with a BSc (Hons) I now live in West Wales with my partner and my two German Shorthaired Pointers called Sienna and Mambo.
I first started in the dairy industry by getting a milking job, which turned into working on the farm full-time taking on all different jobs (DIY AI, calving, machinery work, grass/grazing management etc) and just finding out that I really enjoyed it and was good at it.
I became interested because there was so much more to do and think about and consider and achieve in dairy compared to sheep or beef. A few years ago I had a car accident and afterwards couldn’t work in a physically demanding job, I had to leave the farm labour behind and try and work in the industry by working for companies like Wynnstay who still work on farms making a difference instead of labouring – I couldn’t go on and do it myself because I don’t come from a farming background so I don’t have my own farm to work on.
Tell us about the role
A Dairy Technical Specialist works with customers on farm, advising on aspects of nutrition, milk records and contracts, dairy business costings, cow welfare, cow performance, and increasing sustainability.
My role has allowed me to return to university at Harper Adams, as a postgraduate to study Ruminant Nutrition. Alongside my post-graduate studies, I am also a qualified R-SQP/RAMA. I have a RoMS (Register of Mobility Scorers) licence and I am currently undertaking Cow Signals Advisor and FAR (Feed Advisor Register) qualifications.
What aspects of your role do you enjoy the most?
Through my role, I really enjoy farm visits with Wynnstay customers. I particularly enjoy working with farms using a grass grazing platform for their dairy cows throughout most of the year and I learn something new from our customers each time I step on a farm. I think utilising homegrown forage as much as possible is a fantastic step towards the dairy industry’s sustainability goals, and fresh grass is a very underrated crop that makes an amazing diet when balanced correctly.
What are the challenges you face in your role and how do you overcome them?
The biggest obstacle in my career would be my Welsh language skills. I work across North and Mid Wales and a lot of my customers are native Welsh speakers.
I didn't grow up in Wales, I didn’t know much at all when I first moved here, but I am currently attending an evening Welsh language class at Aberystwyth University and speaking as much Welsh as much as I can with my customers, and friends and family.
What is your key advice for anyone wanting to become a Dairy Specialist?
My advice to anyone wanting to become a dairy specialist would be to work on different dairy farms, using different systems and techniques and learn something from each of them. Get some practical experience that you can back up with academic learning. I believe that understanding the farmers and their farms is essential and that you can never know enough – so keep learning!
