As Alan Jackson pulls to the side of the road to take a call from a cattle producer, he knows it’s part of being responsive to clients’ needs. Alan is a Cattle Buyer with JGL Cattle and gets calls from across Canada and the United States from ranchers and feedlots seeking to buy and sell cattle. 

Alan spends most of his days talking with cattle producers either on the ranch or over the phone. These conversations focus on co-ordinating the logistics for moving cattle from producers to buyers, establishing contracts and arranging financial analysis. It’s complex and demanding work, but Alan still manages to find time to manage his own herd of cattle and spend time with his young family. Alan has found a career with great opportunity, which offers him a great blend of hands-on outside work and time in the office with his co-workers, mentors and friends.

On the job training prepared Alan for this exciting and fast-paced life, although he admits some schooling in Agribusiness or inventory management would have been a great asset. Instead, he learned from some of the industry’s best by showing a strong work ethic, keeping his ears open and being an enthusiastic student of the experienced in this niche area.

Although the skills required to become a Cattle Buyer may be somewhat specialized, there are uncharted opportunities for a career in the livestock sector, as Alan has seen JGL Cattle grow exponentially in just a few short years.