Bortnikovo dairy farm in Moscow region is among the latest built by the EkoNiva Group. Despite that, it’s been consistently delivering high milk yields for several years, which is a testament to the co-workers’ professionalism and the team’s cohesion. Sergey Pekhteryev, chief herd manager, has been working at Bortnikovo since the very first day of its existence. He told us about how he came to this profession and how he began working at EkoNiva.

Sergey was born in a small village in Volgograd region, Mokraya Olkhovka. Since his childhood. he found out firsthand what agriculture is and how hard it is. His grandfather used to work as a chief herd manager in a local collective farm (kolkhoz), while his father and aunt were veterinarians. Sergey’s family ran a big private subsidiary farm as well: cows, sheep, pigs, poultry and rabbits were kept there. The boy helped his parents from a young age, gradually getting to know the job.

‘It felt like some kind of game at first’, says Sergey. ‘My father would teach me to drive a tractor, feed the animals and take care of them. But the older I got, the more serious I became, the more responsible tasks I received. For example, when I was 15 years old, I was involved in our cow’s calving. At that point in time, I wasn’t really thinking about an agricultural future, but my father insisted that I consider this career path, persuading me that I was good at it. He achieved his goal in the end: he taught me a lot, gave me necessary knowledge that turned out to be of great use. So, having finished 11th grade, I heeded his advice and entered the Volgograd State Agricultural University with a major in at the Veterinary Medicine.

During his third year, Sergey had an internship at a pig-breeding farm. He understood there that he had chosen the right profession: he was not afraid of work, be it mental or physical, was able to correctly handle the animals and establish communication with his colleagues. Having finished his internship, Sergey was offered to stay at the farm. He agreed and managed to successfully juggle work and studying.

‘When I got my diploma, I was dead-set on continuing to work in my profession, but wanted to switch my work’s direction and try my hand at a different place’, says Sergey. ‘I wrote a CV, got response from EkoNiva’s HR managers, and they offered me work as a veterinarian in Voronezh region. I agreed, since I the prospect of deal with cattle was exciting, not to mention going to another region, which was quite interesting as well! This is how I ended up at Vysokoe dairy farm.’

Sergey became a participant in the 23rd cohort of the Zoovet internship, aimed at upskilling young employees. He admits that he needed this experience.

‘Although I have been familiar with cows since childhood, I certainly had no experience of working at such large modern enterprises’, he says. ‘We had excellent mentors who quickly brought us up to speed, and we did a good job of our duties from the very first days of work. I remember a particular moment during my internship: I stopped in the centre of one of the cowsheds and saw how clearly and harmoniously all the employees were working, how competently, strictly and to minute detail all their actions were planned. The whole farm operated like clockwork. And the result is high milk yields and excellent quality milk. And what a kind and careful attitude to animals! After all, all the processes in our dairies are adjusted to their biorhythms so that cows can live as comfortably as possible. And that's when I realized that I got into the company where I want to work and develop.’

Sergey has performed well in his work. After the internship, he remained as a veterinarian at the Korshevo dairy unit in Voronezh region, establishing himself as a true professional in his field. When the construction of the Bortnikovo facility in Stupino district of Moscow region began, Sergey was offered the position of senior veterinarian there. The young man’s decision was swift: moving to another region did not frighten him, and working at a new farm, where everything had to be created from scratch, only inspired him.

‘I had worked on two excellent dairy farms in Voronezh Region and knew exactly what needed to be done in a new location and how to turn the facility into a modern agricultural enterprise. In my opinion, Bortnikovo dairy unit managed to assemble an excellent team of like-minded people who were interested in creating a new farm. We all wanted our operation to be the best, and we spared neither effort nor time to fine-tune all production processes. When I arrived, the heifers had just been delivered, and only seven of them had calved before my arrival. The rest of the calves were born in my presence. You could say that I know the whole herd individually’, smiles Sergey.

When the dairy farm first came into operation, the staff really had a lot of work: they installed and launched the rotary milking parlour, actively interacted with the farm's plant breeders during forage harvesting, and, of course, they were engaged in insemination and rearing of young stock, whose number kept growing daily.

‘In the first months, the majority of work was in the calving pen’, says Sergey. ‘Specialists and workers hardly left it. We even set a personal record: once, we had 137 cows calve in a day! And most importantly, all the calves were strong and healthy. And in two months we had 1,400 calvings! Mass insemination took place as well – as many as 400 heads per day got inseminated. In general, work was in full swing in all departments of the dairy and despite our fatigue, we were all united by a sense of pride in the fact that the history of this facility began with us.

Soon, Sergey's work was highly appreciated by the management of the dairy. He was offered the position of chief herd manager. Sergey accepted, and now his responsibilities include monitoring all herd management processes at the facility. His task is to ensure the development and implementation of scientifically based livestock farming systems, which will determine the quality of products and the comfort of cows on the farm.

‘When students come to practice with us, I often teach them the theory about the profession first and then show them how to apply knowledge in practice. I think it's my duty to evoke the interest in future veterinarians and herd managers, make them fall in love with the profession, just as my mentors once did during my internship at EkoNiva. I am very glad when the youth come back to us, even more so when they stay to work. Like, for example, our veterinarian Vladimir Kritsky. A few years ago, I was his mentor, and now we work shoulder to shoulder, which is worth a lot.’

EkoNiva has become a place where Sergey not only found his calling and dream profession, but also the love of his life, who he started a family with. While still at Korshevo dairy, he met Yelena, a veterinarian. When Sergey was invited to the Moscow region, Yelena joined him and also got a job at Bortnikovo dairy as a veterinarian. The young people got married, started a family and are now raising their son Nikolay.

Sergey has been given professional awards for his hard work and contribution to the development of agriculture in Moscow region. The herd manager holds each of them dear. For him, this is a telltale sign that he is moving in the right direction.

‘I am grateful to my parents for mentoring me and helping me find my calling in life’, says Sergey. ‘And I am also grateful to every supervisor, starting from the training centre and ending with the chief herd manager who was there before me, for every lesson and for all the time invested in me, without which I would not have developed and grown in the profession. I am now looking to the future with confidence. With our team, we can move mountains! I think we have achieved impressive results over the past few years. And the best part is realizing that everything is just beginning, which means that there are plenty more achievements ahead!’