Don't hold your breath

Well, live export is back in the headlines again. Another bad news story, though this time not even the most imaginative opponent could've thought this one up. Apparently, after marching the feedlot staff out under police guard, a mob went in and culled 7000 or so sheep, sheep they claimed to have been infected with either scabby mouth, salmonella or anthrax. It's hard to be sure, cos the disease changed overnight as each one was cleared by independent tests.

It's a bloody mess, and to top it of, reports say sheep were clubbed to death, buried alive and stabbed. If true, and going of Wellards comments sounds like it is, it's wrong. Simple. Personally I think it's a problem of our own making through trying to tell foreign countries what they can and can't do with animals they've purchased. I think the full story behind this has more to do with payback and saving face than any disease. But that doesn't help those sheep. And of course, it's brought the anti live export community out in full force.

One such person is Lee Rhiannon, Greens Senator for NSW. Now it's long been the Green policy to ban live exports. Along with forestry, fishing, mining, and basically anything else that actually produces something and doesn't involve rainbows and unicorn poop. She's even started up her own facebook page to push her cause. I can't say it's been a raving success just yet, except for this one thing.

The eyes have it.

 

 

This came across my Facebook feed the other day. Its a lovely sentiment, two friends willing to share despite each probably wanting the stick for themselves. A great photo.

Look closer. Check out the eyes on the brown dog. He wants that stick. I am betting that the poor lovable dopey looking retriever is within a few seconds of getting a helluva flogging from the brown dog and losing his stick. Why do I think this? Because I've seen that look before. When you grow up around animals you learn to read them. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they walked off in the sunset holding the stick, best mates forever.

I guess what I'm trying to say is while a picture can tell a thousand words, sometimes those words are easily opened to interpretation based on what your own experiences are. I see a great photo. But I can imagine the fur that flew after it.

The Stocky's Guide to Seeding.

Ahh, seeding time. It's like the first day of school for new kids, repeated each and every year. You're nervous, unsure as to what the year may bring, what drama will unfold. Will that big bully Mother Nature pick on you again like last year, or will she have a change of heart this time and not steal your lunch money? You're also excited, hoping against hope to nail that elusive Holy Grail of grain growing, the trifecta of a perfect season, high prices and a dry harvest.

Fill her up thanks.

For the seasoned grain grower, seeding time is like the Boxing Day Sales. If you don't get in and get it sorted quick smart, you run the risk of missing out. Especially in our area. The Northern Ag Zone has such a short season it's not funny. The average break is around the 20th of May, and by the middle of October canola is getting swathed. So you can imagine the flurry of activity the occurs has tractors roar up and down paddocks, guided mostly these days by satellites thousand of kilometres away, with a steering wheel attendant who basically keeps an eye out for trees and swings the tractor 180 degrees in between reading Zoo Magazine the Farm Weekly.

But not all are solely focused on tractors, trucks, seed and fertiliser at this time of year. Spare a thought for the stock farmer, who after being burned with last years hay prices, has decided to scratch a bit of feed in for his precious animals. After all, how hard can it be? Sit in the tractor all day listening to the radio. Money for jam, right?

I knew him before he was famous.....

You may have seen this video. I love it. The Peterson Brothers parody of the popular song I'm Sexy and I Know It by the group LMFAO (ask someone else what that stands for). I'm Farming and I Grow It. This isn't the first parody video involving farming I've seen, but it is by far the best. A lot of time and effort went into those few minutes we get to watch. The Kansas boys have done a remarkable job. In case you are the one of the last few people who haven't seen it, I've put the video below.

Golden Rules of Farming Part 8

176. Never in your box of water fittings is just the one right sized joiner to fix a leaky pipe. You must use at least 5 fittings to create a metre long monstrosity that costs more than replacing the entire pipe.

177. In your many boxes of various nuts & bolts, there are only two sizes. Too big and too small.

178. Nothing tastes as good as the neighbours grass.

179. It is impossible to stay dry when fixing water leaks.

180. If you plan to fix a water leak and the short in the electric fence on the same afternoon, do the fence first. Wet boots makes for good sparks.

Welcome to the Hotel De Feedlote

Trained staff members

The Lobby office.

Greetings, and welcome to the Hotel De Feedlote, your premier pre embarkation resort for the discerning ovine. We trust your short stay with us will be pleasurable as we endeavour to meet your every whim and desire prior to your ocean cruise. Should anything not be to your satisfaction, please do not hesitate to make one of our many grounds staff aware of your concerns, and they will only be too happy to assist.

Ask an Aussie Farmer

Ever since I started this blog, and indeed, one the driving factors for doing so,  I have been saying how many outside of the farming community have no idea how or why we do what we do. Doesn't matter if it's lamb and beef producers, grain growers, horticulturists, beekeepers, wool growers, cotton growers, the list is endless, there are many misconceptions, untruths and general fairy tales around about our lives, both good and bad.

We can't rely on industry bodies to push our cases for us. We need to do it ourselves. Why? Because if we don't we let others speak for us or about us. And we've all seen how that can turn out.

So without further ado, I am proud to announce our little initiative. Ask An Aussie Farmer. A social media experiment where everyday Aussies can ask their farmers anything they like. It's been months in the making, and we have all the producers mentioned above willing and able to take questions and answer according to them. We are not sponsored nor limited by any bodies, organisations or agencies. Just a bunch of committed farmers and their supporters keen to tell people what they do.

We have 8 administrators to keep things in line, spanning from WA to Qld and even into the UK. As the page takes shape we hope to add in new bits and pieces, weekly polls, themes and who knows what else.
Five days in and we've hit 600 likers, with questions from honey, to cotton, shearing, garlic, fish, you name it, we hope to be able to answer it. So get on board and help out, either as an asker or an answerer or both.

Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/askanaussiefarmer

Twitter: @AAAFarmer