![This year (clockwise, from left) I went along to The Night of the Horse, attended my first bull sale at Tycolah Poll Herefords stud, got out to a Peel Valley Bush Cricket game and cut off my hair. Pictures by Ben Jaffrey This year (clockwise, from left) I went along to The Night of the Horse, attended my first bull sale at Tycolah Poll Herefords stud, got out to a Peel Valley Bush Cricket game and cut off my hair. Pictures by Ben Jaffrey](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/JJAXMCtTuAnFPeUKCfF8jc/350af160-8026-4752-a306-fa782675eee8.png/r0_0_3600_2024_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Bloody hell, I've sure learnt a lot this year and I haven't even scratched the surface.
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You may have seen my name pop up - intermittently is probably the best way to put it - in the paper and on our website.
I'm fairly new on The Land scene.
Well, the agriculture scene, actually.
So forgive me, while I know this is a year in review, to continue on the same track I started on I have to backtrack some 20 months or so.
It was then that I first started working for ACM Agri with the national team as a digital journalist.
I took the leap following some encouragement from friend and former colleague Billy Jupp, who I'm sure some of you know well, to make the move over from The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth.
With my past predominantly in sport, but also a range of other areas in regional newsrooms, I combined with Kelly Butterworth to make up the digital team.
I was still based in Tamworth but like any new job, it was daunting.
However, I couldn't have asked for a better guide into the world of agriculture.
Kel was there to answer any of my questions - which there was (and still are) many - and helped me immensely.
I didn't envision a job switch so quickly but when the role at The Land, as a content curator and journalist came up, I at least had to give it a crack.
It meant I'd back to writing a bit more and still be in a role where I could lend a hand to my colleagues.
So, I applied, interviewed, got the job and what awaited me was nothing short of eye-opening.
Firstly, I knew part of the role included helping livestock editor Rebecca Nadge in that section of the paper.
I also knew most of that help would be required during sale season.
What I didn't know, was how hectic the season was.
My first week on deck with The Land was right when it was kicking off and I was down to attend a sale.
What I said to this was: "Okay, yep. No dramas."
What I was thinking was: "Oh no. I know nothing about bull sales."
At the time it felt like a trial by fire. I thought I was being told to sink or swim. It wasn't and I wasn't - I was just being internally dramatic.
I mean, I had Bec there alongside me the whole time - answering every question I had on the hour-plus-long trip out to the property and then right throughout the sale.
I'd found another incredible guide, this time in the livestock world in Bec.
It was the best thing for me as I then knew what needed to be done as a journalist at a sale.
The sale was the Tycolah Poll Herefords annual on-property sale at Cobbadah, about an hour and 20 from Tamworth.
There I witnessed a full clearance and a top price of $30,000 before having a good chat with Tycolah co-stud principal Ben Crowley.
It was a great day and a great way to start my venture into livestock. It was incredibly enjoyable but from there things got busier and busier for the news team.
But we survived and now I'm allowed to roam outside the livestock section - until next sale season that is.
And this journalist has been able to roam to a handful of places.
I'd like to think the saying 'jack of all trades, master of none' applies to me, but stop-gap may be a better definition as I continue to learn about the agricultural world.
I don't mind getting out the camera to take some snaps whenever I can and that's led me to cover a couple of events.
The highlights stretch out over the year, the most recent being featured in the December 21 edition of The Land.
I got out to do a story on the Peel Valley Bush Cricket competition and got some background on how the competition started and how it's going - very well, if you missed the story last week.
There was also a couple trips out to the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC).
It's a trip I've made a fair few times during my time here in Tamworth so it was good to be able to get out there again.
I went along to The Night of the Horse to see some incredible performers and talented animals put on a spectacular show.
There's also plenty been going on personally this year which overflowed into my working world.
I had to explain one day why my long hair, having previously been tied up in a messy bun, was draped over my shoulders in a morning meeting with the national team.
The answer was I was lopping it all off to be made into a wig for Variety.
My hairstyles progressively got shorter and shorter until I had a number zero haircut at home when I forgot to put my regular number two guard back on the hair clippers.
It took some time for the kids to get used to it before my four-year-old asked for a haircut like Daddy's - much to the dismay of my wife.
On the family, we will be going from a family of four to five next year.
We decided a couple more years of no sleep would be worth it to be able to have another little one running around.
So, I think it's fair to say 2024 will be exciting at the very least. Hectic or full-on will probably be more apt but we will wait and see.
Either way, I know there is going to be a bunch of the nappies I'll have to change and I'll be continuing my barrage of questions towards my colleagues as I learn more about all things ag.