The Farmers Club Newsletter

The “Club Notes” for Friday, the 22nd of September 2023

By Dwain Duxson

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

An Apprenticeship dressed up as a Job Application.

In the Farm Tender "Daily", we wrote about how Ag has missed the boat on developing a nationwide Apprenticeship system like what works with Tradies. Read the first article here and the follow-up one here. I have an idea. I know Farmers are finding it hard to attract staff and, more importantly, the right staff. So my idea is, why don't you do a job ad that reflects what a 3-year apprenticeship might look like? As a Farmer, you could outline all the things you would teach that person and commit to it and program it out so things were ticked off by both parties. Design it yourself, and use your creativity. Work beside that young person and teach them everything you know. I reckon it would work a treat, providing the Farmer committed. It would be something very different to do. What do you reckon?

Ag Technology creators should use betting apps.

A Sheep Breeding mate of mine was frustratingly navigating the Sheep Genetic website looking for some information on a Ram, only to give up in the end because it was just too difficult. He said, "No wonder Sheep Farmers don't do tech. This stuff is put together by IT guys who think we all grew up with computers". He didn't stop there. "I can bet on my phone with 5 different betting agencies, and it's simple, but accessing Sheep Genetics information, I'd have more luck getting into the Vatican's bank account". So I asked him. Should everyone associated with tech in Ag have a betting app or 2? He said, "Yes, that is so easy and pleasant to use". His last comment was, "this is not helping our industry". There's a lesson in that for all of us who have digital systems in Agriculture. I am a once-a-year better and have the Ladbrokes app, and I agree, they are so easy to use.

Is a new era dawning?

If COVID taught us one thing, it would have been that supply chains would remain unpredictable going forward. Getting what you want when you want can't be trusted anymore. Farmers now know that they have to plan better when buying things they use on the Farm. Fertiliser, Chemicals, Machinery and Equipment, Parts, Tyres, even Fuel, we really need to think long and hard about the necessities that we need to carry us through the next 1 to 2 years of production. The expense of buying and storing "extra" might be well and truly offset by the production gains by having something at the right time of the year versus not having it. If you are overstocked with something and don't need it, I'm sure someone else out there will want it. It's all easier said than done, but I know of a couple of Farmers who have 2 years of inputs in front of them, and they say it takes a weight off their shoulders.

The Upton Tractor

We keep stumbling across Australian-made Tractors, and I had never heard of this one before. These Tractors were made by Upton Engineering, who is more famous for making Irrigation Equipment up on the Murray River near Corowa. The last Upton Tractor was built 34 years ago, and they only ever built 30 units all up. Now, they are collector's items and have a very passionate fan base. They lay claim to building the biggest ever factory-built 2WD Tractor in the world. At 23 tonnes and with 350hp, this Tractor was last seen still working in South Australia somewhere. The Upton's would love to know its whereabouts and would be interested in buying it. See an image below of the Tractors lined up at this week's Henty Feild Days.

End of message.

Dwain Duxson

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