I am Andrew Mear, I’m 36 years old and being a farmer, born and bred, I have literally a lifetime’s experience of livestock!

I am passionate about cows! I grew up on the family farm near Caerleon, South Wales. The farm was sold in 1986 but I went to work for farmers in the local area in my spare time. I graduated from Seale Hayne in 1994 and then my career in agriculture took me all over the UK. I worked my way up to being Herd Manager for a pedigree Holstein herd in Hampshire from 2003.

In 2008 we decided to move back home to be closer to our families and settled in Raglan with our children now aged 10 and 7. I have been working contract relief milking and farm work for the last year for several local farmers and while doing this I had my ‘Eureka’ moment!

I had spent a lifetime of working with cattle using old antiquated handling systems that were at best inadequate, at worst dangerous. As I helped a farmer do Blue Tongue vaccinations running cattle behind gates tied with bailer twine and the pitched strength of the 3 guys he had had to round together for the day I couldn’t help thinking there must be a better way.

And so I came up with this idea – a fully portable system of corral and race running into a top-notch squeeze crush. I have designed this system to be safe and practical and portable so that I can share my innovation with as many farmers as possible.