Andrew Torrens, Ruminant Executive Manager

Tell us a little bit about your career so far?

I grew up in a family who have always been involved in agriculture. My father was a vet and he and my mother grew up on dairy farms. I spent much of my younger life working for my uncles on their dairy, beef and sheep farms. I then went to Harper Adams to study agriculture and after graduating I spent eight months in Tasmania milking cows. After returning from Australia, I joined ForFarmers in November 2013 as a trainee Account Manager and I’ve been here ever since.

What does your role involve?

Afbeelding: Andrew Torrens & Ben Haines 1- cropped

My main role is to provide nutritional solutions to our farmers to ensure that they are achieving their aims. I spend a lot of time working with our customers to establish what their goals and needs are, and establishing how we can help their farm reach its potential. Problem solving is something I really enjoy, and so I get a lot of satisfaction from finding the right solutions for our customers.

I predominantly work with dairy farms of all sizes across Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire and a bit of Cambridgeshire. However, I also look after several beef and sheep farms, and work with a number of robotic dairy herds.

What do you like about working with robotic herds?

At home, my uncle has a robotic herd so it’s always something I’ve been interested in. I’ve always enjoyed learning how to get the most out of these systems. With the volume of data produced by milking robots, there are lots of opportunities for precision and to target the specific needs of individual animals.

How have you continued to develop your career?

Afbeelding: Andrew Torrens and Sam Wall Graduation cropped

I recently completed a Master’s in Ruminant Nutrition at Harper Adams. Having been out of education for nearly ten years, going back to university was definitely a bit of a shock to the system! However, I was really keen to enhance my knowledge and build on the skills I had already developed in my career. It was a great opportunity to reinforce the basic principles and learn about some of the latest research in nutrition.

What do you like about working at ForFarmers?

For me, it’s all about the people. Some of my colleagues are like my family, who see me at both my best and my worst. Having a really strong sense of community within the team is something that makes the job that bit better. There is also such a wide range of experience within the team which makes it a really supportive and engaging environment.

How do you spend your time outside work?

I’m an assistant referee for the RFU, so I spend most Saturdays driving around the country refereeing rugby matches at national level. I’ve been a referee since I was 16, and while I also used to play rugby, several injuries in recent seasons have led me to focus more on refereeing at a higher level. It can be both physically and mentally challenging, but I really enjoy it. I am also involved in the choir and managing the sound and PA system at my local church.