Ryan Medlin

Ryan’s start in the industry came through a chance encounter - after he sold a pig dog to a local dairy farmer. They got talking about farming, the lifestyle and the industry and Ryan was hooked. That led to him dairy farming in the Wairarapa for 7 years. There he soaked up as much knowledge as he could, while completing a Certificate in Agriculture at Taratahi Agriculture School.

Now servicing Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay, Ryan says that “the area is huge and has many extremes”. From the drought prone Gisborne region right down to southern Wairarapa, “that can often be hit with flooding” he really appreciates the variety and challenges the eastern area brings.

He says that the best part of his job is that he is “part of the solution” and likes the fact that he gets to meet lots of “different people and personalities”. Mastitis and plant hygiene are two areas that he has a real interest in and reckons that FIL provides a holistic approach to controlling mastitis. “Mastitis is really a technical issue and having the knowledge to reduce the burden it has on farmers and help reduce costs is a bonus” he says.

Keen on the outdoors, Ryan spends much of his spare time playing sports, hunting or at motocross with his kids. Needless to say, he’s pretty good at servicing and rebuilding motorbikes now!