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29/05/2024
Like many early career professionals, Ben Allen’s plan was to spend a couple of years in regional Australia before heading back to the city.
Twenty four years later, and this Rabobank Area Manager never did make it back to Adelaide - the lure of Kadina’s rural lifestyle and vibrant agricultural industry proved too great, and today Ben and his family are proud Yorke Peninsula locals.
Having opened the inaugural Yorke Peninsula Rabobank Branch in Kadina 20 years ago, Ben has undoubtedly been instrumental to its impressive growth and generous community footprint within the region.
He has grown staffing numbers from three to six, and welcomed a large range of exciting farmers as clients during his tenure, and reflects that there’s no greater job satisfaction than helping grow a strong branch – and consequentially, a strong industry and community.
“Twenty years has gone quickly, it only feels like yesterday that we opened the branch, and here I am now two decades in, and still learning and challenging myself – it’s hard to believe, and I’ve genuinely loved every step of the way.”
“It’s been really rewarding to help build this branch and support our local farmers and community – and there’s nothing better than working for an organisation looking to grow in the regions, rather than withdraw services.”
Dependable, from day one
Born and raised in Adelaide, holidays and weekends spent on family and friends’ farms sparked his initial love of agriculture, to the point Ben continued to study agriculture during his high school years.
After gaining a commerce degree from the University of South Australia, Ben worked in the business banking sector in Adelaide, and spent 15 years with a major bank, four of them in Kadina.
“When I saw the opportunity to be part of the new Rabobank branch it was extremely compelling,” he recalls fondly. “And those initial values that enticed me – the fact it’s a bank solely focussed on agriculture, plus a co-operative structure – not shareholder driven – remain appealing to this day.”
His Rabobank career has also afforded his family the unique lifestyle Ben dreamed of in his youth.
“Our now-adult children, Chelsea, 28, and Zac, 26 were young when we moved to Kadina, and it was a terrific childhood which I’m proud my wife Tania and I were able to provide them.”
“They’ve learned to appreciate community, agriculture, and resilience that often stems from growing up in a rural landscape.”
Sharing in his clients’ journey over the past two decades is also a great source of pride, particularly now that many clients are seeing the next generation return to the family farm.
Regional Manager Roger Matthews congratulates Ben on his 20 years with Rabobank.
“There’s been a shift in the attitude towards farming over the past 20 years,” he says. “There’s a passion and genuine desire for continual improvement and progression, and farming represents opportunity for a lot of our young farmers, which is really exciting.”
The innovative adoption of technology, and a focus on soil health and productivity, has changed the cropping landscape dramatically – and where once there was real concern as to whether young ones would want a future in farming, today the Yorke Peninsula enjoys a vibrant and youthful industry, full of promise.
However, that’s not to diminish the challenges of the industry, and Ben said weather conditions were always front-of-mind for any farm business.
“Our region had a very challenging 2006 through to 2008, likewise 2019 was a poor year, yet this is where Rabobank’s long-term view comes to the fore – where others may tap in and out of Agri banking depending on the season, it’s all we do, and I think our clients take comfort in the fact we’re with them through the good times, and the bad.”
Growing the confidence of the next generation is another aspect of his role that Ben holds dear, particularly when it comes to sharing knowledge and creating networks to support strong farm businesses.
“I’ve watched many of my client’s children grow into capable young farmers, and real business leaders in the industry, and it’s awesome to see.”
Taking every Rabo opportunity
As a participant of Rabobank’s Farm Management Program (FMP) in 2014, Ben gained a first-hand insight into how Rabobank’s contribution and client relationship extended well beyond expectation.
“The FMP was only a week long, but the experience and learnings have stayed with me, and the value it presented to the young farmers in the room was genuine.”
It’s just one of many Rabo initiatives, he believes, that facilitates boundless opportunity.
“I happened to strike up a friendship with a New Zealand farmer during the FMP, and have since visited his farm a number of times, and I’ve reconnected with my fellow FMP participants on an alumni tour in New Zealand – these are unique experiences that I don’t think you get with any other bank.”
Over the past 20 years, Ben said he’s seen many of his clients enjoy the additional value Rabobank offers, “from local and global grains tours, Farm2Fork Summits, Innovation Generation – the list goes on, and it’s all for the sole purpose of providing our clients with the tools and confidence to run a strong farm business.”
Ben with Arthurton’s Correll family.
“The real beauty of working for Rabobank is that it’s so much more than just writing a loan, we genuinely encourage our farmers to succeed, and of course networking with like-minded farmers is a lot of fun.”
Rabo Client Council support from the ground up
The Rabo Client Council is another aspect of the bank that Ben is heavily engaged in, and encourages clients to become a part of.
“Our Rabo Client Council is made up of regional groups of client volunteers guiding the bank on where funding and support is best directed,” he explains.
“It’s a genuine grassroots approach, whereby the bank can make sure support is delivered exactly where it can serve the best purpose – and no one can advise on this better than the community itself.”
As her manager at the time, Ben nominated Balaklava’s Claire Catford onto the Council, and her contribution has been inspiring.
“I’m thrilled that Claire has embraced the Rabo Client Council, and has enjoyed enormous personal and professional development as a result.”
“She has retained a long-serving position as Chair of the South Australia and North West Victoria Regional Rabo Client Council, and her experience culminated at last year’s Rabobank Grow2gether event, where she participated in a live panel discussion before 1,500 Rabobank staff.”
“Not to mention the Rabo Client Council initiatives she has helped drive within the region, such as Financial Skills Workshops, rural well-being workshops with Mary O’Brien of ‘Are you bogged mate?‘, and educating teachers in the paddock through the Teacher Farm Experience Program, to name just a few.”
“I’m really proud of Claire, and the handful of other clients who have represented the region on the Rabo Client Council over the years, and it’s something so unique, with genuine outcomes, that we can all celebrate.”
More than a manager
The rare privilege of supporting clients over such a long period also affords Ben unique insight into their business, and their lives.
With his friendly and generous nature, it’s little surprise Ben has been embraced by his clients, often included in weddings, funerals, and birthday celebrations, and he believes there’s nothing more humbling than being privy to someone’s family farming journey.
Out of the paddock and onto the stage, Ben in a local “Singing with the Stars” charity event for the Make a Wish Foundation.
“I learned very quickly that the best way to do business in regional Australia is to get out into the paddock, and into the community. As soon as the branch opened we signed up for crop walks, field days, and industry events – getting out on farm is our bread and butter, it’s what everyone at Rabobank enjoys, and it’s been a terrific platform to build genuine client relationships – and friendships.”
Having held positions such as a rural manager and branch manager over the years, Ben is currently the Area Manager for the Yorke Peninsula and Mid North regions, and it’s a role that aligns with his passion for knowledge sharing and supporting the next generation.
“We tend to get a lot of young ones start here in our branch, and I love seeing staff develop and grow,” he explains. “I now get to work with teams across the region, mentoring and coaching them, and I hope they too will enjoy the same career satisfaction with Rabobank that I have.”
While he may be far more comfortable supporting farmers in the paddock, this good sport is equally obliging when it comes to community contribution – even taking to the stage in a local “Singing with the Stars” charity event for the Make a Wish Foundation.
“This is the beauty of regional living, everyone chips in for a common goal, and that’s to ensure our towns are vibrant and happy places you want to work in and raise a family – and it’s a lot of fun in the meantime.”
“We love the Yorke Peninsula community, the people, the lifestyle and the fact we’re only a few hours from Adelaide makes everything feel very accessible. I really did think we’d only be here for a few years, and I’m very grateful to still be here, in a role that continues to challenge and inspire me 20 years later.”