The Farmers Club Newsletter

No 152 - Saturday's Club Notes

Dwain Duxson
March 09, 2024

The “Club Notes” for Saturday, the 9th of March, 2024.

By Dwain Duxson

There will be no newsletter on Monday morning, not because it’s a public holiday in Victoria, but because I have my 50 + 4 (50th, but I am 54; Covid stuffed it 4 years ago) birthday on Saturday and Sunday. I might not be in the right state to produce something. Have a great weekend, everyone. Reply to [email protected]

Lamb ad equivalents

We are getting alot of feedback on the rebranding Ag article we wrote on the Farm Tender Daily. You can read it here. One replyer asked why we don’t do a Lamb ad equivalent about general Agriculture to get our name up in lights. The industry bodies, like MLA, AWI, etc, can pay for it, and the awareness campaign is then underway. And like the Lamb ads the stipulation this guy said was it has to be funny. I agree, let’s not take ourselves too seriously, as people will not resonate with that. Providing food for the world, without a Farmer, you won’t get a feed; we need to get away from that and find something a bit more cut through. Do you have any ideas? Reply to [email protected]

Dogs on Planes

Dear o dear, what are they thinking? I can’t work out why Virgin would go the way off allowing Dogs on Plane. I mean, all you are going to do is set yourself up to fail. We humans are an unpredictable bunch, but Dogs are different again. I remember as a kid, we had a couple of working Dogs ride in the front on the Holden Ute, and boy, when they let rip, it was all windows down. For the record, I am not a Dog owner, and I don’t enjoy it when someone lets their dog have free rein on you at a cafe or something like that, thinking I’m going to love your Dog as much as you because that is not the case. And I have even spoken to a couple of loyal Dog owners about this, and they think it’s ridiculous. It will drive more passengers away than it will attract, in my view. Anyway, I’ve had my winge. The cartoonist have gone to town on this. See below. What do you think about having Dogs on the plane? 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:

“They were such an impressive group of young future farmers. Longy are doing something right”. - Someone who observed the Longerenong Agricultural students at FarmTender2024.
“Don't think Ag needs a rebrand but probably needs a refocus, in some many ways, and it starts at a young age. So I wonder how much Ag is talked about in our education system”? - In reply to our rebranding Ag story in the Farm Tender Daily. You can read it here.
“The sporting analogy is a good one. Look at the growing, successful codes: AFL and NRL. Look at the duds: Rugby, which I grew up on and still watch, and Soccer, except in multicultural or woke areas where parents are scared little Johnnie might break a nail. AFL and NRL have terrific TV deals and huge promos; the NRL going to Vegas was a masterstroke. The AFL get them while they are young, boys and girls and has been successful. Rugby is stuck in the past. Private boys, school types, and old farts in admin who won’t move with the times. Soccer is not “the beautiful game” it’s the boring game. How you can play for 80+ minutes for a 0/0 result is just a waste of time. In Europe, where there’s nothing else to do, I see its appeal”. - In reply to how we compared Ag with a Sporting code and how the sporting code has competition in the fight for eyeballs, bums on seats and participants.
“Not sure what to do elsewhere, but smart business owners, that is Farmers, need to recognise we need to pay the money and hire a marketing genius for the long term to turn around that lack of respect for what we do. Farmers go through so much shit, but we love our life and our job. How to utilise that passion may be an angle. The thing is to realise we can’t know or do everything and, therefore, get someone who’s an expert”. - The rebranding Ag thing again.
“Hydraulics - No things haven’t improved, at least in the World of JD. All attachments to my JD can be a bugger to connect no matter if the motor is cold, hot, warm, or I feather the controls or swear at it”. - In reply to our Note on Hydraulics and how they are messy to work with.
“No, paddock to plate is not the answer, in my opinion. It works for a few, but the reach is too small, and farmers aren’t marketers”. - A general reply about how paddock to plat only works in very few cases. I agree.
“For a domestic market, I look at it this way. The market is inner-city, left-leaning, wealthy people on good incomes. They don’t have a mortgage thanks to their baby-booming parents and lots of discretionary spending ability. They know what they want and like - and can afford it. This is actually the majority of Australians now. We don’t see that from the bush”. - We think this group mentioned above are a minority group. Perhaps we need to think again.
“My father sat us all down 30 years ago to work it out. So I've had 30 years to pay out my brother and 2 sisters., and yes, planning early s the key”. - In reply to our Nate on how we might have the whole succession thing wrong.
“The old man must be trying to do some succession planning by now at 83 and a couple of health issues. 😂😂😂”. - In reply to the succession thing.
“Businesses that have had to fight hard for a deal against the Galloping Goat (John Deere) and won business on support is a common theme”. - In reply to our Note about what is happening in the dealer world.
“In my studies over the years, this proves to me that Corporates don not innovate or create; they consume and absorb the hard work of individuals and, in the case of the rural sector, suck the life out of communities”. - One Farmers opinion of corporates.
“Dwain, as a very loyal AGCO product owner I find it difficult to understand that they would want to get rid of the smaller Dealers”. - In reply to the Dealer Note.
“Your machinery posts the last couple of days have caused a stir. The Dealer world is in a perilous state with the behaviour of some manufacturers”. - One Dealer having his say.
“Just talking about with a local Nutrien rep. Said it was very quiet, both wondering if it should be a 2-day event or every 2nd year, considering the cost to businesses being there. We went for a look on Tuesday, but most things we want or to discuss can be easily sorted out using other means”. - A Farmer talking about the Wimmera Machinery Feild Days.