Nick Reid said the involvement of Reid Stockfeeds in Cows Create Careers, initiated by his parents, continued because he was passionate about the program’s objectives.
Reid Stockfeeds is a founding supporter of Cows Create Careers, and what Ian and Rosli Reid began, their son, Nick, continues today.
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Reid Stockfeeds began as a business when Ian and Rosli Reid recognised dairy farmers wanted to improve milk production in their herds, while maintaining animal health.
Reid Stockfeeds’ involvement with the Cows Create Careers pilot program began from their relationship as a sponsor of the South Gippsland Dairy Expo.
Both the expo and Cows Create Careers were founded by members of the Strzelecki Lions Club. Reid Stockfeeds is a long-term major sponsor of the expo.
“The relationship between the Lions Club’s programs and Reid Stockfeeds was a natural fit,” Reid Stockfeeds CEO Nick Reid said.
“Ian, my Dad, initiated our involvement with Cows Create Careers, and we’ve continued to sponsor the program throughout the 21 years.
“Personally, it’s a passion of mine.
“We supply calf feed to the program, for the calves that are supplied to the schools across Victoria.”
Staff from Reid Stockfeeds go into the schools to explain the importance of good nutrition for the calves, and talk about their roles in the dairy industry.
“We talk about how livestock welfare and production results from good management,” Nick said.
“We talk about elements of quality control and how, with the best of intentions, we are dependent on the weather, and how byproducts of food production are livestock feed.
“Many of our account managers have been involved with going into schools and talking about the stockfeed and how and why it’s fed to calves and cows.
“They also talk about opportunities for employment, whether it’s about chemistry or nutrition. My team members have loved doing that, because it’s a bit of fun and the students ask good, direct questions.
“I’ve always loved the idea of educating our young generations, and that the dairy industry is about more than milking cows — there’s a whole ecosystem of suppliers who are involved in the industry.”
Nick Reid in costume for the end-of-year presentations by school students involved in the Cows Create Careers program.
In 2023, Reid Stockfeeds celebrated the 19th year of Cows Create Careers by creating digital content around the program. Students at Aitken College, at Greenvale (in Victoria), were involved.
The students explained how they were involved with caring for the calves over several weeks, and what they understood about the dairy industry and milk products.
Aitken College supplies a broad agricultural experience for students, involving horticulture, growing vegetable seedlings, calf raising, and managing a sheep flock, chickens, bees and an alpaca herd.
“When you live around populous metropolitan and regional urban areas, you get a real understanding of people’s disconnect about where our food comes from, and how livestock are bred and raised and managed,” Nick said.
“One of our business’s focus areas is to help contribute to the wider public’s appreciation and understanding of livestock agriculture, so Cows Create Careers is a perfect fit for this, especially with engaging our younger generations.”
Staff from Reid Stockfeeds, including Nick, are also involved in the end-of-year presentations from schools.
“We get involved with the fun activities and games the program leaders put on for the kids,” Nick said.
“Congratulations to the team at Jaydee Events and the many supporters of the Cows Create Careers program over the journey, particularly those farmers who have contributed their calves or time to the program, educating people about how much care goes into animal husbandry.”
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