This page contains a biography of the wide range range of farming and agricultural experience that has led Peter to select the products on this site to market to other farmers and livestock owners.

Farming from a young age
My father was a farmer, but was killed in a farming accident when I was young, necessitating that I participate more fully in the farming business so my mother could continue. I was thus able only to obtain non-resident acedemic qualifications.

I spent 10 years between 1960 and 1970 supporting my mother, herself disabled, on the farm in Cheriton Fitzpaine, Devon, until she retired. At this point we sold a herd of 95 Friesians which produced an NMR average of 1300 gallons at 4.00 BF. One cow was giving 11 gallons a day, and made 300 guineas.

A change of perspective......
Next, I decided to join the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) programme. In 1970, I left to spend a year in India as Farm Advisor to Grammsvaaks (Civil Servants).

When I returned to the UK, I took up employment in Express Dairies laboratory in Crediton, Devon, as a Bacteriologist. This role involved culturing and monitoring bacteria, and calculating formula, both for manufacture of milk and other food products. This rekindled an interest the milk industry, which has remained with me to this day.

I got married in 1972 and the pull of the soil and cattle made me return to farming. I bought a run-down farm and developed it, building a bungalow on it mostly myself for my family, such that I was able to earn a good living from farming it for the next 11 years. I sold the pedigree Holstein herd I had bred in 1983, which had held the top average in the Southwest in 1979 (7500kg and 4.5BF for yield), at an average price of £1200 each for 120 animals.

I then turned to farming arable, sheep and beef. Making a living income from 100 acres, with rent and interest to pay, was however difficult.

Needs must, as long as it's connected with farming!
I continued with farming, and still do to some extent to this day, but sought additional means of income in 1989 by becoming a cattle breeding consultant. I continued working in this field for 10 years, for companies such as Genus, Black and White Sires and eventually ending up as Marketing Manager for Genes Diffusion, a worldwide cattle breeding company, until they stopped direct marketing in the UK in 1999.

I travelled throughout the West Country and, occasionally, other parts of the country through this work, meeting many farmers and gaining knowledge of their circumstances to add to my own experience of farming. I also visited the USA, Holland, France and Belgium during this period to compare production and manufacture of milk.

To the here and now....
I discovered the mastitis detector whilst on a farm visit near Blackpool in Lancashire. It was being sold by a salesman who had no dairy exprience, and for the wrong purpose! I bought the detector off him and took it back to Devon. I realised, after testing it on 3000 cows plus, that it would very beneficial to all dairy farmers, so I decided to start my own marketing company (PBM) to sell it.

The catalogue of products has grown since then and I now spend most of my time running and maintaining the business. The focus has remained on agricultural devices, but I am constantly on the lookout for new and innovative devices of any nature to add to the products I market.

There is life beyond farming.....
My main interest is in all kinds of sport, many of which I have played, but my primary sport is cricket. I was offered a contract with Somerset County Cricket Club some years ago, but supporting my mother in the farming business had to take preference. In 1968 I obtained a coaching certificate for cricket and am a qualified umpire for Devon Cricket Umpire Society. Since January 1999, I have had a freelance contract to report on local cricket results for the local newspapers.

Other interests include writing poetry and short stories, listening to all kinds of music and I regularly play cards - mainly Bridge and Whist. I am also actively involved in a number of sports and recreation clubs and organisations in Devon. I have a deep seated love of my county, Devon; whilst I have travelled a dozen or so countries, I love to return to the special county that has been my lifelong home, with its abundance of hedgerows, beautiful moors and superb wildlife.