Our Members:

Area Managers

First Milk’s team of eleven Area Managers provide a support network for our members which stretches across the country. They play a pivotal role in two-way communications and the majority of their time will be spent on farm, supporting and assisting our members.

Area Managers’ responsibilities are extremely varied but are crucial to the smooth-running of both our members’ operations and First Milk’s business. Activities such as checking on milk quality, resolving haulage issues, recruiting new members and Farm Assurance visits are ‘bread and butter’ to the job. Maintaining contact with members, be that at shows, discussion groups, visits to the farm or – as happens in these technological days – via mobile phone and email – is crucial to keeping in touch. Facilitating and supporting First Milk initiatives such as First Milk Academy and First Milk Direct are also key to the role.

Peter Llewellin has been a First Milk Area Manager for the South Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan and Monmouthshire area for the past three years. Peter's mum, dad and brother are First Milk members in Pembrokeshire where they farm 160 cows. Peter has an agricultural degree and has spent a year in New Zealand managing and milking on farms ranging in size from 300 to 3000 cows.

“I wanted to be involved in a role in dairying which enabled me to understand the business as well as have a direct connection with farmers and being a First Milk Area Manager is a great combination. I believe our role is crucial in creating that connection and relationship between our members and our business. Being a farmer can often be an isolating job so going on farm to visit members gives us first-hand experience of the challenges and issues facing producers today.

“I get a huge deal of satisfaction from helping members, particularly when we resolve issues in milk quality, which enables the farmer to produce the highest quality milk once again.

“While we can often be a farmer’s first point of contact, we do work closely with our area Local Representatives to ensure our members benefit from the full team’s expertise.”