| EAST GIPPSLAND NEWSPAPERS 2 BEEF WEEK 2025 THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2025 Keeping steaks on our plates Young local Elders livestock agent, Chris Wilson, is the tall guy with the big smile you'll see anytime you're at the saleyards in Bairnsdale. Chris, 23, has recently taken up a full-time position with the pink shirts and is looking forward to the future. "I'd like to get a good clientele around myself, I aim to get everyone the best price for their cattle," Chris said. "It's a hard job to please everyone but I want to be able to keep everything moving forward and keep the steaks on the plates. "A long-term goal would be to become the Elders livestock manager, but also to get a lot of clients and put good cattle through the saleyards." Chris' father, Matt Wilson has EHHQ D ȴ[WXUH DW WKH VDOH\DUGV with Elders for the past 12 years, and Chris admires the relationVKLSV KH KDV ZLWK DOO GLHUHQW types of people. "I like the presence he has at the yards, he's friends with everyone," Chris said. "Being a good bloke will get you business and get you through. "I always like to give everyone a hand, no matter what colour shirt they're wearing." Chris grew up on his family property out at Tambo Upper, proudly stating he's the seventh generation on the same land, where the family started out with a big holding which has "dwindled down to not much". He attended Tambo Upper Primary School, just across the road from the farm, then Nagle and then Bairnsdale Secondary College. After a gap year spent in Melbourne, Chirs came home and began contracting for local farmers and Elders around East Gippsland, also working as a yardman at the saleyards. Despite his father working in the industry, Chris said as a kid he had no aspirations to become a stock agent, and didn't really know about it as a career until he gained the yardman role. "I guess I didn't think about it as an option," he said. "Unless you purposely choose ag at school, you're not told about anything rural jobs or farming, and even then school ag is about trees not livestock. "The don't tell you people will let you work on their farm, drive their vehicles, do their stockwork and pay you for it. "I feel like the livestock industry needs to get amongst the year eight and nine students so kids can see there are those sorts of jobs available." For Chris the livestock agent job suits him "to a T", including the part where being quick at maths is a bonus. "It's a great role, I love leaving before the sun gets up and getting home after it sets, it keeps me busy and entertained. "Being good at quick maths in this job works really well, and it's VXFK D GLHUHQW YLEH IURP P\ generation. "We're used to sending snapFKDWV DQG WH[WV EXW LQ WKLV MRE \RX have to make a lot of phone calls, have face-to-face interactions and also navigate people's feelings and beliefs." Chris has been auctioneering for DERXW D \HDU DQG LV FRQȴGHQW KH V on track to become the lead auctioneer in Bairnsdale for Elders. Chris works several days a week in the saleyards, including running the bobby calf market at Sale's Gippsland Regional LiveVWRFN ([FKDQJH RQ :HGQHVGD\V In Bairnsdale he works at the sheep sales, drafts prime cattle on Tuesdays and store cattle on Thursdays for selling on Friday. The East Gippsland Livestock ([FKDQJH VWRUH FDWWOH VDOHV DW Bairnsdale are every second and fourth Friday of the month, while the sheep sales run every second Monday and the prime sales weekly on Wednesdays. Chris Wilson, of Tambo Upper, has started full time with Elders as a livestock agent and is looking forward to a bright future.
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