The Farmers Club Newsletter

The “Club Notes” for Wednesday the 7th of February 2024.

By Dwain Duxson

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

23 Days to go - Our FarmTender2024 - Entrepreneurs in Farming event is not far away. Click here for more info.

Give and you shall receive

Many people give to their local community. And for those that give plenty, when something untoward happens, the community gathers around to support back. A case in point is Rob Irvine, a mate to many, a Farmer who I played cricket against and with. He was a genuine outswing bowler who used to trouble me; I would sweat on his short ball, but his stock outswinger, we had to watch closely. Rob is in a battle with the big "C". They are a wonderful cricketing family the Irvines, and Rob's 4 Boys are all very good Cricketers in their own right. But getting back to communities, they rally around the good people to a different level when they fall on tough times. See the flyer for Rob below. The local Footy club, Tungamah, will make it a huge event. It gives you a good feeling about humanity at the bush level. Do you have an example of this in your community? Reply to [email protected]

The FBN Story

Farmers Business Network or FBN has been a somewhat polarising Ag Tech business in the US. They are a Farm input and Finance company (mainly) that has received US$900 million in VC funding. I remember going to their second-ever conference in Omaha, Nabraska, where they had over 2000 Farmers turned up. They had hype, and the event was all about that. It was a good eye-opener for me. FBN came to Australia and bought an online Chemical outfit out of WA called Farmsave. I doubt they would have paid too much, but it was rumoured it was $5 million. They came here to take on the Australian market with a disruptive model. Their proposed point of difference was delivery to the Farm. That last mile delivery has been the bain of many. According to reports, they went through something like $30 million (rumoured) in a couple of years before they pulled the pin due to lack of traction. It is a story about ambition and arrogance all tied together. Good on them for having a go, but it proves you just can't take a model that works there and plant it here and expect the same result. I should know, I tried and failed in the US. Read the story here. Reply to [email protected]

Back to rubbish and roads

We warned about the woke councillor. Well, now, according to an article in the Herald Sun (Vic paper), ratepayers have had enough of their woke ways. You can read a snippet of the article below. All these environmental and cultural agendas are soaking up all the ratepayer dollars at the expense of rubbish and roads. Ratepayers are demanding that councils and shires get back to basics and start servicing the people again. What have you noticed in your Shire or Council? 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 opposed the wind farm next door with all the respectful local Farmers some ten years ago ...good luck. The whole thing is like a cult movement sending the country broke”. - In reply to our Farm Tender Daily Article on the protest in Canberra. Read it here.

• “I wish Aussie Farmers and others would rise with as fiery a resolve as many Europeans (such as Germans, Dutch and particularly the French)”. - In reply to our protest article. 

• “I am a bit taken aback by your FTD article - as today the following press releases were released by Farmers for Climate Action (of which I am one of 8000 or more) following a meeting at Parliament House today, meeting with Minister with fellow farmers from across Australia”. - Someone who is a supporter of going all in on Renewable Energy.

• “I would love to be in Canberra this week to protect against the renewable energy push, but age and distance deny it”. - Someone who would have loved to go to Canberra.

• “I would like to know if anyone (non-biased toward EV) has done a complete study of the actual so-called efficiency and environmental benefits” of EVs from beginning to end”. - A replyer is calling for a study into the environmental credentials of EVs.

• “It’s simple: show me 1 EV Ute that will tow my fully laden 4t tipper trailer while I have approx 800kg of tools, etc, on the tray? It Doesn’t exist”. - In reply to our Note about how Utes are the backbone of the Country.

• “Yep, when a Battery Ute can tow my 3 tonne Stock Trailer 700 km, fuel up while I drink a coffee and drive back home another 700 km. I’ll buy one. NEVER happen”. - Another reply to the Ute Note.

• “Once you turn 50 or so you realise that your property is not yours really, particularly if you intend to roll on with the intergenerational passing the baton. Though we have the bit of paper saying it is legally ours, the reality is we are really only caretakers if we are not going to cash the chips” - In reply to our Note about how Farmers get rich slowly.

End of message.

Dwain Duxson
0427 011 900

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