The Farmers Club Newsletter

The “Club Notes” for Wednesday, the 10th of January 2024.

By Dwain Duxson

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

This might get big

I don't know if you have been keeping an eye on the Farmers protest in Germany, but it's got very big. It started out as a protest of the phasing out of the tax break on Agricultural diesel, but it looks to have graduated into a wider-ranging protest against governments and their anti-Farming policies. So much so that neighbouring Countries facing similar issues have joined in. It really has been a massive protest that seems to have grown from a few Tractors to a cast of thousands, along with Trucks, and the Bikies are even joining in. Could this be a turning point for some EU countries where Farmers have been dictated to with new environmental policy changes? I think this is a big thing for Farmers all over the world to stand up and fight for their right to Farm. Things are no different here; each week, we see local Farming groups pop up to protest new renewable energy or mining projects. This whole movement worldwide Farming movement might get big. Could 2024 be the turning point where Farmers start to fight back? Reply to [email protected]

Don't waste a good boom

Australian Agricultural is littered with stories of booms and busts. It's fascinating to read about and learn from these moments in History. Booms are great. They line the pockets of Farmers and all those associated with Farming. Farming communities thrive because the extra money burns a hole, and they have to spend it. A boom helps boost infrasturcture as Farmer will invest in better systems and efficiencies. I'd argue that most of the infrastructure built on Farms would have been in good economic times. But booms or good economic times can lead to complacency and even laziness. Take the 1950s Wool Boom article below, where they said, "Australian Wool growers and buyers are lazing in the sunshine of the greatest Wool boom this country has known". Those words indicate to me that everyone in the industry had become confident that the show would go on. It didn't, but boy, it was a time to sabre for Woolgrowers, and many set themselves up on the back of it. Tomorrow, let's talk about busts. Don't waste a good boom. Reply to [email protected]

She'll be right

I was talking to a mate who's an ex Farmer, and he was doing a bit of work with a builder. After the job finished and they were having a few Beers, the builder said, you know what, Ian, "I'd describe you as foot perfect, as opposed to millimetre perfect". So Ian is one of those, she'll be right people, whereas builders, if they want to be successful, have to adopt a, she won't be the right attitude. In other words, they have to be millimetre perfect. So it got me thinking about the she'll be right Farmers. You know the ones. They are the ones that take off in the Header without doing the morning grease and checks. You might often see an Airseeder left in the paddock over Winter. That's from a she'll be right Farmer. They have a slightly messy Farm because they just put something somewhere, and that's where it stays. Do you know a she'll be right Farmer? Reply to [email protected]

Your replies

Below is where we take some of the most relevant comments from your replies. All quotes will remain nameless. See a few current ones below:

• “We are all united in getting rid of the politicians who are trying to get rid of us!” German Farmer protesting against anti-farming governments.

• “Rain is always good in Australia, just sometimes it can be an inconvenience” - Farmer looking past any of the short term problems we have with too much rain.

• “Some of those old Barbed Wire moulds are worth a fortune to collectors”. - In reply to our Barbed Wire story in the Farm Tender Daily

• “Of course MLA is trying to be WOKE. If there was a way of withdrawing my levy, I would”. - Disgruntled levy payer.

• “I back the individual, not the business. Some Farmers just continue to make good decisions”. - A Farmer, talking about some of his observations about business and Farming.

End of message.

Dwain Duxson
0427 011 900

Random and associated Ag articles and images.