The Farmers Club Newsletter

The “Club Notes” for Friday the 19th of January 2024.

By Dwain Duxson

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

Is it John Deere and daylight?

I was reading an article from renowned US Agriculture commentator Shane Thomas about CNH Industrial. They are the owners of the Case and New Holland brands. Shane heard one of the executives being interviewed on a podcast, and the vibe that came across to Shane was that CNH Industrial was happy to run second in the marketplace. John Deere, in the last day or two, announced and partnership with Starlink in which every piece of John Deere Equipment will be fitted with a Starlink dish to beam directly into one of their low-orbiting satellites. They announced that the partnership will commence in the US and Brazil only. And according to articles I read, 30 percent of the Land Farmed in the US doesn't have access to decent broadband, and that figure is 70 percent in Brazil. If CNH Industrial is happy to just drift along and let John Deere dictate all the terms, then this would be very concerning for their Dealer network. What brand of gear do you run? Reply to [email protected]

The Plunge Dip

Below, you will see a photo of an old Cooper Powder Dip drum. I can remember them and the yellow satchels you used to open and dissolve them into the Dip. It got me thinking how big a job it was dipping. We had a plunge dip, but many of our neighbours opted for the spray Dip. I think the spray Dip was a bit more user-friendly and not so hard on men and women. I remember our Dip set-up came out of the Shed and we had some temporary yards which sort of guided the Sheep like a funnel into the water. It worked ok for the first timers, but any Sheep that had been through once wasn't going through again without a fight. And a fight it was. We usually had 2 people and 2 or 3 Dogs in the Shed, prizing them in. I remember we had a couple of vertical bars you could grab hold of on each side of the door, and what you would do was get a tight grip on them and use your knees to get them in. The battens in the pen were, for some reason, not in a direct line with the Dip; they were the other way, which made it easy for the old Ewes to dig their toes in. Anyway, it was hard but necessary work, and when we switched over to backlining, it was a good day. Can you remember Dipping? Reply to [email protected]

Ag Tech turnoff

I read a lot about Ag Tech, and it's going through what's probably the most challenging time since the words Ag Tech were invented. Agriculture is a massive industry, and Ag Tech has been trying to muscle its way in by telling Farmers what they need. That hasn't gone down well. Have a look at the image down the page a bit, which sums up Ag Tech's relationship with Agriculture. There has been so much money invested into Ag Tech, mainly in the US, with most of it going up in smoke. What's left are a few viable companies like Agvend, Bushel, etc, and a very wounded investor community. Here in Australia, it's probably slightly better in the fact that there hasn't been much money invested. I'd also argue that we do have some viable Ag Tech companies here in Australia, like Agworld, Agriwebb, Mobble, Optiweigh, Farmbot and Agrichain. Surprise, surprise, all these successful Ag Tech companies were started by Farmers. But it's interesting that when I write about Ag Tech in one of these newsletters, our Farmer audience turns off. I guess Farmer's aren't that interested in any shiny new toy that promises lots and delivers diddly squat. What's the best bit of Ag Tech you have bought? 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 would say that animals and humans learn to tolerate pressure when they know it will be released”. - In regards to our Farm Tender article about good street and bad stress.

• “My kelpie is priceless! Yesterday, he warned me not to walk on a big tiger snake that was in the grass eating a frog just near his dog hammock. And he was smart enough to avoid the snake, too”. - In reply to our Working Dog note.

• “My brother went, turned him into the best joint roller in known history”. - In regard to our story in our Farm Tender Daily on Private vs Local School. His brother went to Private and he went to a Local School.

• “As a mum, time with your kids is extremely precious; in the blink of an eye, you have adults, and they have their families. - This mum wasn’t sending her kids to Boarding School.

• “We have a 24-ton Excavator, a 6-wheel drive Moxey Dump Truck, a 44-ton TD 25 c International Dozer, and a 6-ton Pivot Steer Loader. We have built two lakes 30 metres deep. To get a Contractor to do this work it would have cost around $1.3 million. Picked this gear up for $150,000”. - In reply to our note about how Farmers are bringing Earthmoving work in-house

• “Never undervalue the education you received at tech – it just probably didn’t involve Shakespeare – and that’s not necessarily bad”. - In reply to our Farm Tender Daily story about Boarding vs Local Schooling. 

End of message.

Dwain Duxson
0427 011 900

Random and associated Ag articles and images.