The Farmers Club

No 228 - Monday's Club Notes

Dwain Duxson
June 10, 2024

The “Club Notes” for Monday, the 10th of June, 2024.

By Dwain Duxson

They keep stuffing up

Woolworths just keeps stuffing up. The latest one is selling home brand Chinese canned fruit at a discount to SPC and other local Aussies brands. Don't they understand? Are they ignorant, or does the margin actually mean that much to them? I mean, in this case, the Goulburn Valley fruit Growers that supply SPC are on their knees right now, and some will go out of business, and the threat to the industry as a whole is imminent. I was speaking to a guy in the Riverland of SA on Friday and something similar is happening there right now. The wine grape industry as a whole is under the pump, and he said there will be consequences. There is just no money in it for the Farmers along withe the operators further down the line. But getting back to Woolworths, surely someone within their group could see what's happening here and try and remedy it to support an industry in crisis. And let's not let SPC off the hook here, too; they have had a very chequered history, and to me, the canned fruit industry needs a complete brand, marketing and packaging overhaul because people aren't buying fruit the way anymore. They need to completely rethink their model because it's not working. Do you think Woolworths actually cares? See some articles below. Reply to [email protected]

Slogan's work, well this one did….

There is an article below where a couple of enterprising locals have described Longreach as the Noosa of the bush. I have been to both places (Longreach several times and Noosa once), and they are both fabulous places. The young men in the articles below are local Farmers Dan and James Walker, who have developed side hustles in the Agri tourism, software and renewable energy industries. Dan and his family are now breathing new life into the old Longreach Pastoral College, having repurposed it under new owners, the Britton family, as a facility to host school camps, rural tours, business gatherings and educational events under the new brand "Longreach Station". What a great idea. This got me thinking: do we need to create a slogan for our own town/area or maybe our own business to give it an identity and create some more awareness? Just using the slogan "Noosa of the bush" has allowed Longreach to attract new Vets to the area; the slogan was the catalyst for the vets to apply. Just advertising, as you would typically, wouldn't cut it, and Longreach would have missed the opportunity, and so would have the vets in question. Can you see how powerful a good slogan is? I am trying a few different things with slogans for this newsletter with my "For the curious ones" slogan. I am not sure about it yet, but I just want to test it first. This is the beauty of marketing, you can keep testing until you find what works. Do you have a brand or slogan, or would you like to test one on something? Reply to [email protected]

The moments in time

We have all heard about the sliding door moment, the coulda, woulda shoulda, the opportunities missed and those gained. There are all these pivotable moments in life. It may be where someone has held you back from something, or it might be the opposite, where they have put you forward into something you might not have thought you were capable of and have thrived. There are all these moments in life, and they will continue to present. Like when meeting your partner that's a great example of one of those moments in time. One for us was leaving the family Farm with Paula and the kids, and I remember emotionally driving out the driveway, leaving relative certainty and heading into what was complete uncertainty. It was sorta scary and exciting at the same time. And I still feel I have something else in me from a business sense; I'm not sure what it is. It might be this newsletter. Not that I am unfulfilled, no way; I love what I do, and I think I will be happy doing this whilst upright. And with everyone reading, I hope a story we write might resonate and give you an idea or the push that will lead you to find what your purpose is. What's one of your sliding door moments? Can you remember how you met your partner and what were the circumstances around that? Reply to [email protected]

End of message.

Dwain Duxson
0427 011 900

Added Extras for subscribers only:

Event - FarmTender2025 - The Business of Farming event is on in SA in 2025. Take a sneak peek here.

Video - Terry Tran’s quarterly economic update is available here.

Offer - Any New Commander Ag Self-Propelled Augers - Get $1000 off RRP any new Commander Ag Quip Self-Propelled Augers through Farm Tender. Available to paid-up Farmers Club members only. Email [email protected] if interested.

Offer - Any New Munro Post Driver - Get $1000 off RRP for any new Munro Post Driver through Farm Tender. Available to paid-up Farmers Club members only. Email [email protected] if interested.

Offer - FarmTender2024 - See the free link here to FarmTender2024 - Entrepreneurs in Farming event. 6 hours of content, so many takeaways (valued at the ticket price of $350). It’s like 11 separate Farming podcasts all in one.

Offer - FarmTender2023 - See the free link here to FarmTender2023 - The Business of Farming event. 6 hours of content, many takeaways, and many things have changed (valued at the ticket price of $350).

Information for paid subscribers:

To go to the web version of this newsletter click on this link here. To login to your account. 1) Click on the login button. 2) Type in your email address. 3) Go to your email and click on the get access link. 4) Click on the head on the top right of the page. 5) Click on edit details and add your first and last name, please. 6) Click on Manage Subscriptions if you want to update a card, etc; you can manage it from here.

Your replies:

Below are snippets from some of the replies you sent in. All quotes will remain nameless. See a few current ones below:

This is in reply to Farm Tender being a networking company as opposed to being a marketplace. Read the story here. It's an interesting reply as we would like everything to go through us once the initial connection has been made. But we know that people find others they like dealing with and deal direct after that. If that's a bit of legacy our business can leave, then we are happy with that - "100% Dwain, sold a machine through FT, and the same guy rang me looking for Grain, Hay, Straw, etc recently (unfortunately for him had sold the lot) but it is networking".
One of our good customers who gets the networking thing - "Spot on - a bloody good network".
In reply to our note on how we exported alot of Dairy Heifers to China and now they are becoming self-sufficient in Milk - "Hi Dwain, In regard to the Dairy Heifer job, when I first came to the industry in 2012 as a very green sales rep that had never seen a Dairy Cow in my life, I made the mistake of expressing the opinion that sending Heifers to China was a cutting off your nose to spite your face effort. I was told in a not-so-friendly manner that I was stupid. I now have many great friends that have done very well out of the trade, and even though I have crossed the Farm fence I have no intention of letting any of my own Heifers go to China. My opinion has not changed; once they work out how to do things over there, they consistently do it cheaper than us; will the animals be looked after how we do? No, but they will produce a lot of Milk very cheaply".
Another reply on Farm Tender is a networking business - "Spot on Dwain. I think you're exactly right; it's how I look at it, too and the philosophy I employ. Networking is everything. It is why I have founded some power systems and control room associations to bring people together, solve problems, talk, make connections to trade or employment and most importantly, friendships like you said. Always looking forward to the Daily".
In reply to our story on Crutching Trailers have saved alot of backs - "On the Crutching note 1. A few years ago, an old Shearing mate rang up and asked what I'd been doing; I said buying an air-operated crutching cradle. He said that sounds good. I'm crutching at home, and my arms have got shorter! We bought a Hecton in partnership and still continue to crutch our own Sheep and Lambs. Having good handpiece skills is a distinct advantage (having shorn professionally for 15 years!), and a desire to do it on time plus save a few bob has contributed to this being a wise move. We can now do as many as we used to over the board and walk upright at the end of the day". - Me. Yep, that makes sense. Gee I reckon Farming sharing things is a missed opportunity. I get it for things Headers, Tractors, Balers, etc, but for things like Sheep Handling Equip and other non-seasonal things, it's a no-brainer - "It works well. It's a $1200 piece of gear. I crutch 2500 a year on it, and he is the same. @ $3 a head contract, you don't have to be an accountant to get that one right. The key to Equipment sharing is trust. Fix fuck ups and return or use when you say. I get a mob of 200 into Crutch in about 3-4 hours with someone pushing up, saved $600 for the morning job done at best practice time".
This is in reply to our note on how the Dairy industry used to have a bad reputation as non-payers. This has changed. This is a good way to do the overdue thing - "Good morning Dwain; this subject really got me thinking. Like everyone we occasionally slip up on paying when due. One local Machinery Dealer has a lady phone you when the account is overdue to discuss the situation. Works very well without offending the client. We have "visited" the odd, well-overdue person in their office/home, usually getting a quick settlement. No, l don't take a length of 4" by 2"!
This was in reply to our note on "why" I tried to replicate our Farm Tender business in the US - "Hi Dwain, I suggest the why is a case of self-realisation. As in, we all think we are 10' tall and bulletproof, especially after a bit of success. Sure, give things a go, but as the saying goes, "hindsight is 20/20" Everyone is clever afterwards. No harm in trying if you have defined loss in your head if things go pear-shaped".