The Farmers Club Newsletter

The “Club Notes” for Saturday, the 28th of October 2023

By Dwain Duxson

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

That was an ordeal

We've had some nervous days as our sister publication, the Farm Tender "Daily", has been down. We sent it out at 9 pm last night, so hopefully, it came through. Please let me know if it didn't, and I will add you. Why did we have to stop the "Daily"? Amazon Web Services, our website host, stopped allowing us to send emails out from our admin section. It was the big guys flexing their muscles against us small folk. Then, to get back on, we had to jump through all these hoops, so in the end, we just gave up and moved to Beehiiv. Beehiiv is a 3rd parter newsletter platform. It's what we do this newsletter on. Hopefully, everything goes smoothly for the "Daily" tonight. Reply to [email protected]

How do you climb the Header Driving Ladder?

Harvest is underway for some and just about to start for others. I ask the question, who on your Farm gets to drive the Header/s? Is it the most plumb job in Farming? Is it the ultimate form of a hierarchy on the Farm? How do you climb the Header Driving ladder? Is the Header driver the coach, and the rest of us are just the players? Does the ego grow when you sit on the high seat? Does the Header Driver at your place have someone who blows down and greases up the Header for them? Lots of questions, but I am keen to hear your answers. Who is the Header driver/s on your Farm, and why? Reply to [email protected]

Talk to someone who has been through it

There is a fair bit happening in the mental health space right now. Some are doing it tough mentally, and we encourage those to reach out and talk to people. Others are feeling a bit on the anxious side over their financial position, especially those that are dry and rely on Livestock for revenue. I was listening to a speaker yesterday, and she suggested this. If you are going through your first downturn as a Farmer, then seek out someone who has been through it all before. You might be thinking there is no way out of your situation, and that is why we need to seek out people who have been through this before. They will tell you that you can and will survive this because they did, and some have seen several downturns. Could you identify someone in your network to talk to? Reply to [email protected]

Have a fluid not a rigid plan

When there are a few headwinds in our businesses, being rigid with your plans can stop you from making decisions. Having a fluid plan means you can adapt to situations quickly and adjust things to suit your current situation. You can be proactive. Do what you do well, but have a really open mind about switching some things around if need be. I spoke to a Farmer about this the other day. She is a Cattle trader but has decided to buy some Cows and a couple of Bulls as a bit of a change-up whilst prices are low, with the hope of selling the progeny in a couple of years when prices have recovered. She believes it is the best bet in the current environment, as trading Cattle now is stressful. Do you see the advantage of having a fluid plan? Reply to [email protected]

End of message.

Dwain Duxson
0427 011 900

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