The Farmers Club Newsletter

The “Club Notes” for Saturday, the 25th of November 2023

By Dwain Duxson

If you can, please get your family, friends and colleagues to sign up. See the website link here.

Will your new Tractor make old bones?

Through our Farm Tender business, we sell a lot of second Hand Tractors. I find it interesting that the older Tractors like the John Deere 4440s are so sought after. Some older models of Tractors are sought after because they are reliable, simple to operate, and you can bloody well fix them yourself. The 4440s are sought after for use on Field Bins, Swing-Away Augers and Bunker Elevators. I mean, some of these Tractors are 30-40 years old. Check out the image below of the John Deere Tractors that are 60 years apart in age. The Case 2388 Header is another great example of longevity. It got me thinking. Will the Tractors of today be around in 20, 30 or 40 years time? I had a person who works for a Dealer answer that question, and he says he reckons they have a 15 to 20-year shelf life. And not because they won’t go, but because the Manufacturer will dictate how long that Tractor lives through software, electricals and stocking parts. It’s an interesting question to ask. Do you reckon your latest model Tractor will make old bones? Reply to [email protected]

Time - A Farmers best friend and worst enemy

I was in a text message conversation with a Sheep Farmer, and he said this about his latest Shearing. “Never met these 3 Shearers before. They came Saturday with 2 Rousie’s. Well, blow me down the shore 711 on the first day and the next day another 400 in 2.5 runs. Bloody good Shearers. Last year, the local team took all week, which was really 19 runs!! And I have nearly 100 sheep less this year in that Shearing. Great workers, good people. Makes me wish I was young again”. So what took 6.5 runs this year took 19 runs last year. Now, that’s an efficiency gain. Let’s just assume for this exercise, they did it for the same price, so the saving that comes to mind is less Rousie's wages because they are paid by the run. The Sheep aren’t in as long as well. But there is another saving we always forget about, and that’s the time of the Farmer. We never seem to calculate that one in dollar terms, but old mate has just bought himself nearly 3 and a half days for being efficient. Time is a Farmers best friend and worst enemy. Tell us about what are some of your greatest efficiency gains on the Farm? Reply to [email protected]

Losses add up

Speaking of efficiency, we marvel at the new Headers at what sort of job they do and how much ground they can get across. But one alarming quote I saw yesterday in the Seed Terminator newsletter was this quote: “In WA alone, $300 million worth of Grain is left on the ground each year. This equates to around $80,000 per Farmer”. If that’s true, then that’s extreme. The newsletter went on to say that half the losses are under and over the Front, and the other half are out the back. I’m still shaking my head. Anyway, it’s a pretty out there Newsletter, interesting but, especially when you find these sorts of stats. In the last edition they said for everyone to get rid of their Sheep and just Crop. See a snippet of the newsletter below, or you can register for the newsletter here. Would you have those sorts of losses? Reply to [email protected]

Red tape turns green

I got a reply to one of our stories from a subscriber who said, “it won’t be the red tape that does Farmers heads in, it will more likely be the green tape”. So by this, he means all the environmental stuff coming our way will be what drives us mad into the future. To be able to prove you’re doing the right thing you will have to have credentials for this and certificates for that. Sounds scary. Do you think we have too much red tape in Ag, or is it not too bad? Reply to [email protected]

End of message.

Dwain Duxson
0427 011 900

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