The Farmers Club Newsletter

The “Club Notes” for Monday, the 16th of October 2023

By Dwain Duxson

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

That might be why Virtual Fencing hasn't taken off

Over the weekend, we wrote a "Club Note" about why Virtual Fencing has not taken off. One Farmer sent a very matter-of-fact reply. Here it is, "A fence stays there for 50-plus years with limited maintenance and a known fixed cost. The Farmer is in control of the fence and the cost. It's not reliant on an independent third party for it to work. It's not reliant on that independent third party to do the maintenance virtually when the Farmer is struggling for cash flow and the Sheep/Cattle are on the road. It's not reliant on that third party to still be in business and supporting the tech. This is just the beginning of my thoughts on why. All Ag Tech is confronted with these hurdles. We have to keep it simple and independently manageable. There are some very good points there, and I am interested in the last bit about Ag Tech. There is another story for another day. Reply to [email protected]

Send in your photos

We have had a good response to the photos we log every day with a caption. Photos speak lots of words, and there are so many interesting topics with Ag. That's why we don't have any trouble coming up with stories each day. We also love the interaction from you guys with your replies, and just lately, people have been sending in their photos. So, I would love people to send in interesting Ag and Farming photos with a bit of a caption of what they are all about. Unless you state otherwise, I will photo-credit you if we decide to publish them. Thanks in advance. Reply to [email protected]

Can't wait to leave

As a family, we spent Saturday and half of Sunday in Melbourne. It was a great catch-up, and we all enjoyed ourselves. And we didn't see too many of those so-called inner city elite yes voters dragging their bottom lips on the ground on Sunday morning. Everyone seemed pretty up and about. We enjoy visiting the city, as our daughter lives there and our son works there. But it got me thinking about the statement widely used by country folk that goes like this. "The best thing about going to the city was leaving the place". I know a few Farmers that only ever go to the city if they desperately have to. We were at a wedding in Melbourne many moons ago, and a respected local Farmer was there. You could tell he wasn't his normal, confident self, as he was completely out of his comfort zone. I approached him to say hi, and he told me that he felt anxious before I got a chance to say hi. It just proves that different situations affect people in different ways. I guess he was one of the ones glad to see the city in the rearview mirror. Reply to [email protected]

Driving up driveways

I remember when I was on the Farm, a clothes retailer used to drive into the Farm in his Van every couple of months to sell us some work clothes. We usually bought a couple of items. But, it got me thinking about how business has moved on from the Farm visits by the Agent (less regular), Bank Managers, Accountants, etc. These days, business can be done via phone, email or text. Almost gone are the days when you would be invited in for a cuppa and scones. Farmers love a catch-up and a chat, but when they are going hard during the day, they are in the zone, and a cuppa break can frustratingly break the momentum. So, the combo of better communication tools and Farmers being busier means fewer third-party service providers are dropping in. Have you noticed the same? Reply to [email protected]

End of message.

Dwain Duxson

Random and associated images.