Primaries trainee brings ag experience

At age 42 he has joined Primaries of WA as a mature-age livestock trainee and can talk to Great Southern farmers on most animal husbandry topics with a background of some personal experience.

Finding better secondary education options for his children - Mr Cale has four, aged 16, 13, 10 and 3 - was the primary motivation for his wife, Natasha, and him moving to Albany from Ravensthorpe a month ago.

They had lived in Ravensthorpe for 20 years, still own a house there, and Mr Cale had been involved with Ravensthorpe Tigers Football Club for most of that time as a player and six seasons as coach.

He even pulled on the boots for a couple of games last season, when the Tigers dominated as worthy premiers, but had not been called on so far this season.

By coincidence, on joining Primaries of WA he discovered Primaries' wool manager Greg Tilbrook had played some football for Lakes against him more years ago than either care to remember.

For the past nine years Mr Cale had worked for Glen Belli, Phillips River Grazing Pty Ltd, just north of Ravensthorpe, so moving to Albany was a wrench not only from a comfortable social and sporting life, but a secure job.

But he believes he has found his niche as a Primaries livestock trainee in the Mt Barker region.

He is being mentored by Mt Barker livestock agent Terry Zambonetti and looking forward to the challenge.

"I've done a bit of everything over the years, but most of my livestock work has been with sheep," the former shearer and shearing contractor said.

"I haven't done as much with cattle, so it's a bit of a learning curve for me.

"I've been to the Mt Barker saleyards with Terry for the cattle, and up to Muchea too, and I know the Katanning sales from my work with sheep.

"Primaries also has a merchandising store here at Mt Barker so I'll be helping out in there, so I think I'm going to be pretty busy.

"I've learned a bit over the years so I can talk to farmers about their animals.

"I wanted to stay in agriculture when we moved to Albany and this position came up and I'm excited about it."

Born in Victoria, Mr Cale worked with pigs in South Australia on his way west and on settling here in 1995 worked for CBH Group at receival sites in the Esperance zone.

He went shearing for 10 years and was a shearing contractor for several more, but during the mining boom he could no longer find shearers in the Ravensthorpe area to put a team together.

Primaries of WA general manager Andrew Lindsay welcomed Mr Cale and said his knowledge would be a valuable asset and make him stand out as a trainee addition to the team.

He said Mr Cale would help service the Albany, Mt Barker and Katanning region.