The Farmers Club Newsletter

The “Club Notes” for Tuesday, the 27th of February, 2024.

By Dwain Duxson

4 days to go

Our FarmTender2024 - Entrepreneurs in Farming event is not far away. Click here for more info. See the media release here. Read some of the questions we are going to ask: Danny Thomas, Rob Dawes, Claire Booth, Andrew Weidemann, David Jochinke, John Gladigau, Hayley Grosser, Cassidy Johnston, Jeff McDonald, Broden Holland and Sam Van Assche.

Blindspot

The first photo below I also put up yesterday as well as it got me thinking about what is happening underground. Someone replied, saying it's a great photo because it proves a concept is true. It's a bit like a blindspot, and until we can get a visual, like in the photo, we don't really know. The photo outlines how modern Cropping techniques can manipulate what goes on under the soil. I am guessing what he means by Stubble funnels is the rows in which the Crop was planted and how they work in a V shape to concentrate the moisture so it drains into a spot like the one illustrated below. So, for next year's Crop, you would want to plant it in the exact same furrow to give yourself the best chance of germination. I love how there is so much to learn about something that is so important to all of us. Can you nominate something that has surprised you about what's going is on under the ground? Reply to [email protected]

Fattening Cattle on seaweed

There has been a fair bit in the media about this, and companies have started up on the back of it and received funding towards it. I think the Government has thrown a fair bit of money at it. I'm talking about feeding Seaweed to Cattle. I'm sure the science is right that it does reduce methane somewhat when consumed, but I have been told by a little birdie that it's a maintenance feed at best. So this defies what the Cattle industry is all about, and that is getting young Cattle to the optimum market weight as quickly as possible. That's where the money is, and no Cattle person is going to sacrifice that for a feel-good story. I might be wrong, but I just can't see this seaweed thing being an industry. Not as a feed for something where the profits come from weight gain. What have you seen or heard about seaweed as a feed source for Livestock? Reply to [email protected]

Talk the show up 

I read this the other day, "I'd rather be an optimist and wrong than be a pessimist and right". It's a pretty good quote, and get's you thinking a bit of how you can sort of spiral into a run of negative thinking and talking that doesn't do anyone any good. I'd like to think that I talk the show up a bit and be upbeat about things. But I find when writing this little piece that you can get caught up writing negative things about politicians, for example, when you don't agree with them. So it is hard not to get caught up in it when someone is potentially taking away bits and pieces of your way of life as you know it today. See, there I go again, haha. I think it's got a little bit to do with the mindset we are currently in. Stuff can just come out that sounds glass half empty. So it would be a good thing for all of us to do some planning for the day by saying to ourselves when we enter into a conversation that we are just going to stop and pause and think about the response we give. And to try and angle it in a postive way. That was my challenge for the day. Do you find you get caught up in negative talk/reading/writing too much? Reply to [email protected]

Your replies

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

• “I’m no Cropper, but I reckon that stubble image is one of the best Ag photos I’ve ever seen. Why? It proves the concept is true”. - In reply to a photo we put up yesterday, we have done the same today and written a story about it, see above.

• “Hi Dwain, Yes, another maps lover here. That is how I used to ‘travel’ before I had my licence. I used to love Army maps showing all the buildings, cuttings, embankments etc. Even the Melways.  I ‘travelled’ all over this state in great detail. We used the CFA maps all the time too. Had all the property names and Farmers’ names on it”. - In reply to our Note yesterday on Maps.

• We have blue gum trees at the back and beside us. The tree company dropped by before Christmas to inform us that the trees will be harvested within the next two years. Thats good. BUT, they are replanting with pine trees. WHY, WTF? Because they can get 30 years of carbon credits from non-indigenous pine trees, moisture-sucking, nutrient-sucking, nothing grows underneath, fire hazard, pollen-producing hayfever etc., dirty pine trees. No native animals live in them or any other animal insects etc. Not very happy with this development! - A Farmer with a justifiable WTF-like response to what might happen over the fence at her place. They are just eery places Pine plantations.

• “Hi, Dwain. Yes, the fire maps were very informative and highly sought after by agents and reps”. In reply to our Maps Note yesterday.

• “The old CFA map books had the house and the resident’s names. Affectionately known as The Burglars Guide”. - Yes, that too.

End of message.

Dwain Duxson
0427 011 900

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