The Farmers Club Newsletter

The “Club Notes” for Wednesday the 17th of January 2024.

By Dwain Duxson

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

Your Farming Eulogy

Now, I’m not a sad sack, and we don't want to put you in an early grave, but a question I have been pondering is how you would write your very own Farming eulogy. What sort of Farmer would you like to be remembered as? Because when it's all over, you'd probably want to know what the score was. I asked a Farmer about another Farmer the other day. I asked what he likes as a bloke, and the Farmer said, "he likes to be known as a good fella". Well, that never really answered my question, but it's probably something we would all like to be known as, is a good person. But when you're writing your own eulogy, it's biased, and others might not agree. But it's yours, so write it with your own opinions about how you go/went. What's one thing that would be in your Farming eulogy? Reply to [email protected]

Do problems fade even though they are still there?

Do you know what? I am getting used to roads being bad. So, like the question in the headline, do we get to a point when we just accept the problem and understand that it's probably never going to get fixed? That's why I used the roads as an example; they don't seem to be getting better, and there is no genuine attempt to fix things up. Patch, yes, but only in certain spots. How many times does a mob of Sheep get out before we say it's time for a new fence? We might not have time or the resources to replace the fence, so we might patch it and hope the Sheep don't get out. But the problem is still there. It's just faded somewhat. We do this with our health, something we know might be an issue, but for some reason, we put it on the back burner and just hope it fades or something changes. This is how we operate in Rural areas, and men are more likely not to get a problem checked. Is there a problem that's been hanging around, and you've sort of got used to it? Reply to [email protected]

Where's all the snow?

When the Europeans got here back in 1877 and beyond, do you reckon they wondered where all the snow was? Canada and parts of the US are going through a big freeze at the moment. There are long held record minus temperatures being broken, and you just can't image how it would be to live like that. We are hearing -40 and even over -50. We have to be grateful that we don't have the inconvenience of Snow and Ice to hinder what we do on the Farm. From what they tell me, when it gets to -10 and -20, you never really get used to that. Many shut their Farms down, and Farmers are well known to be tinkering with things in their heated Workshops for months on end. I guess they have no choice but to work around these inconveniences. So let's all thank our lucky stars that we don't have too many things that can hold us up during the Farming year. A bit of rain might set us back a week, but it's not four months of snow. Have you experienced a Northern Hemisphere winter? 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 got a Green Steiger more by default, but it worked out great; can't beat Cummins HP; it is good on fuel, has no windows to open, the AC still works, and the doors shut properly. It must have been a great Tractor new”. - In relation to our Green Steiger story.

• "OH & S has killed off the old Windmills as there are very few people that will work on them, albeit they are dinosaurs compared to Solar and power options. Not to mention the safety of being at ground level. - Talking about old Windmills.

• “My wife has a relo in Alberta, Canada, not too far from Calgary, to put it into perspective. He lives at a stunning place called Antler Lake; the only downside is in Winter, it gets quite brisk. Today -40, yes -40, not 14”. - An Aussie Farmer relaying to me how cold it in in Canada and the US now. See the story above.

• “It leaves me wondering if it can be marketed before next year's Harvest, or will there be a large surplus left over”. - After a Farmer did a big tour around Victoria to witness who much Grain is in storage.

End of message.

Dwain Duxson
0427 011 900

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