tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40068722700600538302023-11-17T04:38:18.341+11:00Living A Rural LifeThe busyness of living in the country on a dairy and beef farm.....Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-4085871679314741872016-09-27T08:02:00.000+10:002016-09-27T08:04:53.428+10:00I want to be a dairy farmer in France........I have not posted since May. As I said before I am sure I am the world's worst blogger. It is not that I have had nothing to blog about, in fact it has been the complete opposite.<br />
The farm has been busy, we travelled to France for a 6 week holiday (we had this all organised before the milk price drop) and I have been flat out trying to keep up with my rope baskets, bags and bowls for Dungog by Design. Add family, quilting and the dreaded flu since my return from holidays and like all of you, life has been very busy.<br />
So this blog will be about what is happening on the farm. Well our milk prices are disgusting and our processor, Murray Goulburn, has continually been in the news over the past few months as I am sure you are aware of. What it has meant for us is a drop of about 6 cents per litre for each litre of milk Murray Goulburn pays us or put differently a drop of about 12% of our gross milk income. I do not know too many people who would like to take a cut in their annual income of 12%. It will mean watching the bottom line very carefully over the next year to see how viable milking cows will be for us. Thank goodness that we also have beef cattle and that the beef market has remained at a historic high for the time being and looks like it will stay this way for a while yet. So like usual ,we will tighten our belt where we can and carefully monitor our costs before making any major life changing decisions (like giving up milking cows). One big positive is the amount of fresh feed we have on the farm at the moment. The pastures look fresh and lush. It won't be long and silage will be being made again. The cattle are losing their winter coats and looking good.<br />
Whilst DH Farmer and I holidayed in France we had the opportunity to visit some French dairy farms and cheesemakers. The farms we visited milked Montbeliarde cows where all of the milk went to making the famous Comte cheese in the local villages. How different milking cows in France is to milking here in Australia. Where we milk between 80-90 cows ( a fairly small herd by Australian standards) the French dairy farms we visited milked only 30 and 40 cows. They barn their animals in winter where as our cows remain outdoors all year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> DH Farmer checking out the Montbeliarde herd on the French dairy farm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cave of Comte cheese which is produced from Montbeliarde herds.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DH Farmer, Denis (owner of the French Farm) and myself on our farm visit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Montbeliarde cows on Denis' farm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The huge hay sheds on the farms were full ready for the coming winter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the girls on the farm. She is a lead cow , hence the bell.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the beautiful girls on the farm. Very happy and contented cows.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was haymaking season in France in August.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The younger girls - well bedded and fed.</td></tr>
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The biggest difference however is the income and subsidies that the French dairy farmer receives. One of the farms we visited had taken a 10% cut in their EU farm subsidy in the past year. That cut was worth 25,000 euros to that farmer. That means that that farm received an annual EU subsidy of 250,000 euros originally. They now receive a subsidy of 225,000 euros annually. They also receive a premium price for their milk that they produce and sell for cheese making and not to mention the amazing prices they are selling heifers to China, Russia,Morocco and Saudi Arabia ( up to 2500 euros per head). DH Farmer and I worked out that their annual income would be in the vicinity of $A 800,000. This for milking 40 cows. We could only dream of earning an income like this.<br />
So whilst we are told that it is the global dairy market which is pushing down our farm gate price in Australia I would like to say that all things are not equal in the global dairy world. In Australia, we DO NOT receive any Government subsidy or incentives because we produce milk. The question is, how can we compete and make a living when farmers in other countries have their dairy industry propped up financially in such a massive way? Reality is, we cannot.<br />
We would love to live in a country where those that produce the food for their country and for export was shown the same degree of worthiness as those farmers in France. I am not saying we want handouts and subsidies BUT I am saying a fair price for our milk is all we are asking for. We need to be paid a price worthy of the value of the food we produce and the time and costs we take in producing this food. We need to be able to make a good living and save for our retirement by being paid a fair and just price for our milk. I think it is time for those economists, price setters and politicians to be honest about the true value of our milk in Australia. The global dairy market is NOT a level playing field so they need to stop using it as the reason we cannot be paid a just price. I am not an economist, a politician, a processor, I do not have a degree in business management. DH Farmer and myself ARE dairy farmers and have been for over 40 years. We know how to keep a farm financial and in the black. We know how to dairy farm. We know when we are being price screwed for our milk. Maybe in Australia we should be more like the French - when we disagree with what is being forced upon us , we should protest more and fight for our rights!!! How important is fresh milk really in our country I wonder???<br />
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Until next time......<br />
CarolLiving A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-48408382366714204522016-05-19T20:51:00.002+10:002016-05-19T20:52:51.098+10:00So where are we up to in this dairy crisis......Last night DH Farmer and myself (along with many other fellow dairy farmers) attended a meeting with our processor Murray Goulburn. We knew that what we were about to hear was not going to make us feel very positive about our farming future. At this point in time we will be paid the pre agreed price for our milk for the months of May and June. We are lucky in NSW as we supply to the Sydney white liquid milk market. Our milk pricing system is different to our southern farming families who work on a tier system with step ups and step downs depending on what is happening in the milk market. However, like our southern neighbours we will take a price hit starting July. We have not been told this price or by how much it will fall. That news will come at the end of June.We will make the big decision about our dairy farming future once we have more information. In the meantime we will buffer down and prepare for at least three hard years ahead. We will fill our silos with grain, pre buy fertilizers, and other farming essentials as much as possible.<br />
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I would like to say that both DH Farmer and myself felt that Rob Poole who is Executive General Manager of Supplier Relations Murray Goulburn and a representative of the Board of Directors both were genuinely and sincerely sorry and concerned for what was happening to us farmers at this meeting. They admitted that a huge marketing mistake had been made and that this had resulted from a number of factors - sales to China for Adult Milk Powder was over calculated; the fluctuating Australian Dollar; the global milk markets to mention a few. In the 65 years that this co-operative has existed they have only got their pricing to farmers wrong twice. The last being in 2009 with the GFC and now in 2016. Murray Goulburn has actually borrowed $30 million dollars ( the amount they have overpaid us farmers) which they will repay over the next three years by paying us farmers less over that period of time. Hopefully global markets will at least stay as they are or even improve over these years. Apparently there is a world over supply of milk and until this balances out things will not improve.<br />
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So where to from here? Well we are use to ups and downs. It seems like there have been more downs than ups at the moment. Over the years we have experienced many various kinds of setbacks - droughts; floods; poor milk prices; companies who should never have bought into the world of milk processing and so on. We will be patient. We will wait and see. We will be grateful for what we have - our family; our farm which we fully own; the fact we also have beef cattle income; our good health.<br />
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What can you do to help? <b>Please don't buy the cheap $1 a litre milk.</b> To us in dairy farming this is the bane of our lives. It is a supermarket ploy to get you to walk into their store and purchase other more expensive products. But not our valued product - branded milk.<br />
Think about what you do for a living. How would you feel if your work you produced was not truly valued by your employer, your friends and society as a whole? Do you get up at 5 o'clock EVERYDAY of the year and go and milk cows - rain, hail or shine, in sickness and health??? Do you sit on a tractor for endless hours ploughing the ground to sow pastures to feed the cows through the cold winter months??? Do you milk the cows every afternoon EVERYDAY of the year?? Even the days your children are born, your children get married, Christmas Day, New Year's day? Do you have to buy a tractor worth $60000 plus countless pieces of machinery to sow those pastures to do your work??? Is your fuel bill over $1500 a month? How big are your vet bills each and every month??? Do you have to dig holes and put up endless kilometres of fences??? Do you get disgusted when your work is under valued by being paid $1 for a litre of milk which costs you almost that amount to produce??? This is what truly breaks the heart of dairy farmers.<br />
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We are angry. We are hurt. We are disillusioned. BUT we are resilient. We are tough. We are survivors!!! We will get through this!<br />
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In our part of the world our milk is the Devondale brand owned by Murray Goulburn. Murray Goulburn is a farmer owned co-operative owned by us the farmers who supply to it. 100% Australian owned. Do some research on the food you are buying.Think about what you are buying. So it costs you a bit more money to buy branded milk and products and Australian products. We produce some of the best quality food in the entire world. Isn't that worth something to you and your family? Believe me ,we are grateful when you do buy our branded products.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are a 5th generation dairy farming family - will we have another generation of farmers??</td></tr>
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Until next time.....<br />
Carol<br />
<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-81159052450593191322016-05-13T11:27:00.001+10:002016-05-13T11:27:12.443+10:00All is not well in the dairy industry.....I know it has been ages since I blogged. As I said in my last blog - I think life is about to get a lot busier and so it has. I feel I have something important to talk to you all about - All is not well in the dairy industry!!!! There are no pictures to make this blog look pretty and appealing because it isn't BUT please keep reading.<br />
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Something has happened to our dairy industry in Australia which I think you should all be made aware of. You already know that being a dairy farmer means a huge commitment not only as far as lifestyle but also as far as financial commitments. Recently our milk processor, Murray Goulburn, stated that there will be a huge drop in the farm gate price their dairy farmers are going to be paid for their milk. Due to economic circumstances and decisions made by this processor they have overpaid their farmers by apparently approximately 30 million dollars. How can such an error occur one might ask??? Poor decision making at the top; trade agreements; the world dairy commodity prices??? The bottom line is that we as farmers are being made to repay this money over the next three years by paying us an unviable and unsustainable price for our milk.<br />
We have been very lucky with a great season over the past year. It has become dry here at home and we are in urgent need of rain. DH Farmer has sown some of our winter feed. Most has shot but is struggling. It will be a tough winter if rain does not come soon. We have a good backlog of silage and hay we made earlier in the year for use in just such situations. So for the time being we are okay. I wish I could say the same for our fellow dairy farming families in Victoria. They have been hit hard by drought, high grain prices and now a brutal blow of a huge drop in farm gate milk prices. Many are running at huge losses this financial year. Any farm with a debt is in even further trouble. Our processor, Murray Goulburn, and Dairy Australia and other dairy industry bodies are showing huge concern for the mental and physical well being of these farmers and their families. There is talk of mental illness and that dreaded word "suicide". Many are at breaking point and are closing up their businesses. We all need to be aware and concerned of this.<br />
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So I come to this and it is something I do not ask you to do lightly. Could you please sign a petition linked below. Maybe it will make a difference - maybe it won't. Who knows BUT I feel that I have to do something to stop this situation from getting any worse. There is an election soon. Will any of our politicians listen I wonder?<br />
Here is the link to this petition:<br />
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<a href="https://www.change.org/p/the-public-raise-the-milk-prices-for-struggling-farmers?recruiter=62862502&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive">Raise the milk price for struggling farmers</a><br />
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If you do sign this petition I thank you for your support to our farming families and the Australian Dairy industry. If you don't then I thank you for taking the time to read this blog and at least be a little more aware about what is happening in our farming industry. Hopefully things are not as dire as we in the industry fear but somehow I think our concerns are valid.<br />
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Until next time......<br />
Carol<br />
<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-74328422575874718092016-03-16T13:19:00.000+11:002016-03-17T13:18:59.049+11:00A new venture.....Dungog by DesignLast blog I made a passing comment about a new venture. Many of you are aware of my love of sewing, quilting and other handicrafts and I am very happy to say that my new venture relates to sewing.<br />
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Every Christmas I love to give my girls a handmade gift and last year I searched for something a little different. I came across handmade rope bags. I watched the technique on You tube and decided to give it a go. The bags were a huge success with the girls and they have been using them regularly when they go to the markets. I quickly became addicted to this technique and have had orders for my bags from friends. I also did a quick workshop at the quilting group I am a member of to show the girls how to make them. I love making items that are practical and use natural fibres.<br />
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Another friend suggested I approach Dungog by Design - an artisan cooperative in my nearby town- to see if they would be interested in selling my bags. I am delighted to say that after a friendly interview, my rope bags, bowls and other items were well received and are available for sale at the local shop. It is lovely to have an outlet for my work with such a friendly and supportive group. The cooperative is committed to local artisans making work which is "Original, Handmade , Inspiring". If ever you come through Dungog the shop is worth a visit - 224 Dowling Street, Dungog (opposite the IGA). It is open on Thursday and Friday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Members of the group take turns in the running of the shop during opening hours so I am also going to have loads of fun promoting all the lovely items in the store to locals and visitors to our small local town.<br />
Dungog by Design also has a facebook page which features the different artists and their works.<br />
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So my busy life has just become a little bit busier but with lots of fun to come. When you love doing something it really isn't work is it?</div>
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Until next time.....</div>
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Carol</div>
<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-51224899485365492062016-03-10T21:35:00.000+11:002016-03-10T21:36:14.578+11:00 Hay and silage making, three day sickness and moving children......nothing new!!!!As usual life on the farm has been very busy. The past few weeks has been hay and silage making season. After all the rain and great pasture growth we had experienced the past few months it was time to mow, rake and bale all that surplus pasture into hay and silage. Feed for the cattle to be stored on farm for a time when grass is in short supply or the dairy cows need extra protein. Taking the excess feed off our paddocks also makes it easier to prepare for autumn sowing of winter pastures which is just round the corner.<br />
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The past couple of weeks has also seen three day sickness (bovine ephemeral fever) in some of our cattle on the farm. This virus is spread by mosquitoes or march flies biting cattle and spreading the virus. The sickness lasts for around 36 hours. The cattle develop a high temperature of 41 degrees celsius, milkers suddenly drop milk production, they stop eating and drinking and become depressed. Cows heavily in calf can abort their calves. Often they become lame, joints swell and the cattle refuse to move. By the third day they stand again and begin to eat though they still can appear lame for a couple more days. Last year we didn't have any three day sickness and so we expect that this year a lot of our young cattle will come down with it. We actually prefer our heifers and young cattle to catch the virus so that when they do get in calf they are immune to it and won't lose their calves. It also means that if they are dairy cows and they have already had the virus then their milk production is not affected. Rarely do cattle catch the virus twice.<br />
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The weather has turned very dry very quickly and the lush greenness of the past few months has turned to dry and brittle brownness. There is plenty of bulk feed for the cattle and most importantly good water in the dams and creek. A few weeks without rain does not hurt us so long as it doesn't turn into months of dryness. It also means that the new mower has not been getting as much use as was expected.<br />
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In the past month not one but two of my children moved houses in the same week. I spent more time helping my eldest daughter move than I did my son and his family as it is not humanly possible to be in more than one place at the one time (though I wished otherwise). There have also been sick grandies to help look after, as like all littlies, they seem to pick up whatever bugs are doing the run at their childcare centres. Saturday afternoons is filled with a French for Travellers course which is running in our local village through community education and has been loads of fun. We have a wonderful holiday to France coming up later in the year which DH Farmer and I are quite excited about some of which is farm related. I also have a new venture about to begin. I will tell all very soon. A busy 2016 ahead!<br />
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This busyness is the norm and happens in all households in one way or another and days fly by I am sure.<br />
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Until next time....<br />
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Carol<br />
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<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-89867427296968243492016-02-12T16:14:00.001+11:002016-02-13T09:13:20.816+11:00When your mower breaks down on a farm....What happens when your house yard is a large acreage on a farm and your second hand ride on mower breaks down??? Read this and you will get the answer.<br />
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I am not sure if this happens to anyone else but this is what always happens to us!<br />
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Every time we have a mower break down it is usually the week or two before Christmas when everyone is flat out on the farm and trying to keep up with family and friend commitments as well as all the usual Christmas preparation stuff we all do. It is ALWAYS the years that there is plenty of grass to mow and rain falls in copious amounts on a regular basis. It is not that the mowers are not maintained - they just wear out, are old and beyond repair. This has happened at least 3 times that I can think of.<br />
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These pictures show part of our front yard.<br />
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Mowing is one of my chores on the farm of which I am happy to do. I push mow the backyard for exercise and fitness but use a ride on to do the front and side yards near the house. I physically cannot mow all that area with a push mower especially when the grass grows at the rate it is at the moment.<br />
My solution when the ride on breaks down is to now let DH Farmer know that I cannot and will not push mow the front and side yards. I stated that we needed a new ride on as the old one was beyond repair. So after DH Farmer push mowed those areas three times from before Christmas until about two weeks ago he came to the conclusion that we did in fact need a new ride on mower!!! Yay I thought!!!! DH Farmer said - " leave it to me - I will organise it". I was glad that he had not resorted to putting the slasher on the tractor to mow the lawns. ( And yes - this has been known to happen as well!!)<br />
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Now as you know we like to buy local. So DH Farmer visited the places in town that sell ride on mowers and decided that he would purchase from the dealership that also services the mower in town and is not sent away. Good idea. I will add that this dealership is the place we always purchase our tractors for the farm from.<br />
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He ordered the mower with my approval. He went to pick it up in the back of our truck. He returned home without the mower. " Where is the mower?" I asked. The reply was - " It is too big for the back of the truck."<br />
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"WHAT???"<br />
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He went to town with our eldest son and his larger truck and returned home with the mower. When I saw it I thought - " OMG he has bought another tractor!!" On the front cover of the handbook it is in fact called a "Mower Tractor" - so I was not far from the truth.<br />
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After some lessons I must say that the tractor (Oops!!!) mower is lovely to use and does a great job! I am happy if not still a little scared (read as terrified!!!) of it but I am sure that we will become great friends as time goes on. I am most grateful that we no longer push mow all our yard and that DH Farmer did indeed take care of getting a new tractor (Oops!! Mower).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trevor the tractor (mower) and it is red because it goes fast!!!!<br />
I takes up about 2/3 of a car bay in the garage!!!!</td></tr>
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Until next time....<br />
Carol<br />
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<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-21922922087736419402016-02-02T14:54:00.002+11:002016-02-02T14:55:23.730+11:00Dairy farming - how can you do it everyday???One thing that has remained a constant ever since I married a dairy farmer over 35 years ago, is the reaction some people have when you tell them that you are dairy farmers. A lot of people say - "Oh, I don't know how you can do that everyday of the year!' True, it is a life that is a real commitment for 365 days of the year, milking twice a day with few days off and even fewer holidays. Dairy farming these days is a business BUT it is still very much a lifestyle. True , there are times when we are out socially and know we have to head home early to do the milking or other farm chores and wish that we didn't have to. But mostly we accept that this is our life and we have happily chosen to live our life this way.<br />
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There are huge advantages for being a dairy farmer, especially if you own your own farm. It is a business and you are your own boss. What you put into your farm reflects very much what you get out of it.We are very much reliant on the weather, especially since our farm is a dry farm with no irrigation. There are times when no matter how hard you work, a dry spell or a major drought controls much of what you can and cannot achieve on your farm. At the moment ,with all the rain we have had and the growth of pastures and feed, farming is probably the easiest we have experienced for many, many years. Plentiful water and pasture grass, healthy cattle, plenty of milk being produced at low cost and most importantly happy farmers makes dairy and beef farming a real pleasure. Sale cattle prices are historically at a record high and milk prices with our processor are solid so farm income is healthy. This, however, is not always the case with farming. Like everything in life there are highs and lows in all aspects of farming.<br />
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Dairy farming is a great place to rear a family. Everyone in the family gets to spend a lot of time together. Children reared on farms are very self reliant, responsible and possess a great skills and knowledge base that their city cousins rarely or perhaps never acquire or encounter. Our farm is a generational farm, so our children spent a lot of time with grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins as they grew up. There was always family around when the children were younger and even now when they come home to visit. Our children learnt to ride horses, drive tractors and utes, entertain themselves and much, much more from fairly early ages. Chores were part of their everyday life and were expected to be done and done properly. </div>
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On a dairy and beef farm one of the great advantages you have is that you eat a lot of food that you have produced and grown yourself. Milk is plentiful, beef is home grown, fresh eggs, fruit and vegetables. You know what you are consuming and have a real appreciation of what it takes to put food on the table. I remember when I was teaching a Year 4 class (at a large town school) about farming and the production of milk in particular. I asked the question - "Where does milk come from?" Unsurprisingly the answer I received back was "the shop"! By the end of the lesson these children had had a reality check and had a small appreciation of where food really came from.</div>
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So whilst there are odd times when I wish we weren't so committed, overall I would not change our life for anything. We have reared 4 great kids on the farm who have become great adults with their own lives and families; have a farm we have worked hard to own (yes - we did have to buy into the farm initially - not all farms are handed on without cost to the next generation); produce excellent quality milk and beef to help feed our country; and live in a rural community that more and more people wish they could move to and experience.</div>
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I wonder how many dairy farmers there will be in the future? The average age of dairy farmers is now late 50's - early 60's........</div>
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Until next time...</div>
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Carol</div>
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Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-13787111303800730992016-01-12T10:45:00.000+11:002016-01-12T10:45:30.961+11:00The sewing and craft room....what's been happening.The last few months have been a blur what with the wedding, Christmas and New Year celebrations but I do know I have completed a few projects during 2015 and even at the start of 2016.<br />
Most of these projects were gifts and so I had a deadline to work to which I find is the best way to finish what I begin.<br />
During winter last year I posted that I had purchased wool to make DH Farmer a new work jumper. It is completed (minus the buttons) ready for the 2016 winter. It is a Bendigo Woollen Mills pattern and knitted with their 8 ply classic wool. The photo does not do it justice as far as the colour goes. It is a lovely brown colour great for a work jumper. It is quite thick and long so will be ideal for those frosty mornings whilst milking the cows.<br />
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Last May I attended a 60 degree triangle quilting workshop with Lessa Siegele. This quilt was always going to be a Christmas gift for my DIL and son and it was fully completed by the end of July last year. I even managed the quilting on my Bernina B710 machine and was very pleased with the finished result. Below is a photo of the quilt on the bed and I made the doxie stuffed toy as well for my dachshund loving DIL just for a bit of fun!<br />
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Other gifts completed were a Santa Sack for Wyatt ( no photo sorry to say), rope market bags ( which I seem to be addicted to making at the moment) for each daughter, a Star Wars Quillow for the new SIL (a Star Wars tragic) and a few smaller gifts for Christmas. Since Christmas, Wyatt's eye spy quilt for daycare has also been completed - a gift for his first birthday which is only a little over two weeks away. </div>
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The aim for this year is to complete my "Rotherfields Greys" quilt which has been on the go now for well over 2 years. Sometimes you cannot rush these things but there is a deadline to finish this quilt as well. Maitland Patchwork Quilters are celebrating their 30th exhibition in September this year and this is the quilt I would love to display in the group's exhibition. </div>
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Today is going to be a hot one here at home with the temperature meant to reach 38 Celsius so I hope all of you can stay out of the heat. DH Farmer is repairing the cattle yards with our eldest son , Matt , but will be back in for lunch and a rest by the time the real heat of the day hits.</div>
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So until next time.....</div>
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Carol</div>
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Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-83435837318334236982016-01-10T14:27:00.001+11:002016-01-10T16:31:14.199+11:00Okay - I am officially the worst blogger ever!!As you can see from the name of my blog that I am very much aware of how poor a blogger I am. I did not intentionally stop blogging. Somehow everyday life got in the way . I have no other excuses. It wasn't until I commented on Michele Hill's blog and she replied that I needed to get blogging again that I have given it any thought.<br />
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So what has been happening??? LOTS!!!<br />
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The farm is absolutely beautiful - lush, green pastures everywhere; healthy and full cattle; great milk production; plenty of silage made and stored on farm; amazing cattle prices; and probably the best thing is a very happy farmer husband. We have had the most amazing season!!<br />
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On the family front we celebrated our youngest daughter's wedding on the 10th December to a beautiful young man who we all love and adore. We know our daughter is going to have an amazing and happy life with this person. They have been together for over 9 years and they are only 25 and 24 years of age. I now understand what it is like to be the mother of the bride. The wedding was smallish by today's standards and we self catered which I now understand was a huge challenge and lots of pressure to try and make the food as good as possible. Those that were married wanted a meal like a family banquet at home. "Of course we can do it" I said and of course we did - only with lots of help and assistance by some amazing family and friends. The meal was highly regarded but I am officially out of the wedding catering business!!!<br />
The day was very eventful! The wedding ceremony must be one of the fastest in living history. Within 12 minutes the wedding procession happened, vows were spoken, rings exchanged and the happy couple became man and wife. The celebrant actually said " I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss your bride and then I suggest we all run for it"!! An enormous storm was gradually making it's way towards us and lightning and thunder was errupting even as the happy couple said their beautiful vows. The wedding was one of the happiest and friendliest we have ever attended. Just as the couple wanted. Below are a few of the lovely pictures of the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I love the look on Claire's face ( the flower girl and dear grand daughter) as the storm was approaching!!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two gorgeous grandies!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were moments of lovely sunshine and blue sky.</td></tr>
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Our grandies have been growing as well as you can see from the pictures above. The February baby is now almost one - crawling; talking; walking around furniture and loving life. New mum and dad have taken to their roles like ducks to water. Dear grand daughter is now 4 1/2 but more like someone going on forty. Much time is spent being entertained by this little girl. It is one of the highlights of our life to have such beautiful family.<br />
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Christmas has come and gone and a new year begun. Maybe this year may be quieter - no weddings or new babies planned for the year at this stage BUT it is early days!!! Our excitement for the year is a planned trip to France for 5 weeks mid year.<br />
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On the quilting and craft front I have been very busy but this I will leave for another day to tell you all about.<br />
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Until next time....<br />
Carol<br />
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<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-23228789948399077392015-05-20T08:45:00.001+10:002015-05-20T08:45:29.854+10:00A finished project at last....Just a quick post this time....<br />
Finally something completed to show you and it isn't quilting.<br />
My new grandson is growing so quickly that I had a request for new knitted jackets and bootie socks from GS's mum.<br />
I found this pattern online and adapted it to suit the ply of wool I was knitting. I was amazed at the lovely free knitting patterns you can find and use online though really I think I shouldn't have been so surprised.<br />
As they live on a beef property in the cold country at the head of the Hunter Valley I think this should keep him snuggly warm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A kimono style jacket and booties knitted in Bendigo 5 ply.<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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It is in the post making its way to the little man now.<br />
Next I have to complete the cardy I have been knitting almost 4 year old grand daughter or winter will be over. Too much quilting and not enough knitting lately.<br />
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Until next time......<br />
CarolLiving A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-4973689232528624252015-05-18T19:01:00.000+10:002015-05-18T19:01:35.774+10:00Another May Quilting Weekend over....I am sure that most of you who read my blog are well and truly aware that I love quilting and spend a lot of time on my favourite past time. I do actually spend time on other things such as farmwork, housework, etc, etc - but just at the moment I have been doing a lot of exciting quilting things.<br />
Last weekend the quilting group I belong to held their annual May Seminar weekend at Tocal College Paterson. Maitland Patchwork Quilters is a growing and very active group of quilters from all walks of life who gather regularly in the true spirit of quilting. Our members range in age from 23 to 86 and with experience that ranges from beginners to published and prize winning quilters and tutors. Regardless of our age or our ability and experience we have a lot of fun and love learning new skills and techniques.<br />
This weekend I attended a workshop tutored by the ever young Lessa Siegele from Adelaide. Lessa is in her 70's ( I am sure she wont mind me telling you that!) and the recipient of the Rajah Award ( the top quilting accolade for an Australian quilter). Lessa is a gem! The hints, tips and techniques that Lessa shared with us all comes only from a quilter of Lessa's quality and experience. Some in Lessa's workshop did her version of "The Rajah Quilt". This quilt is historically Australia's most famous and oldest quilt. I participated in the 60 degree triangle Star Quilt workshop - an oldie but a goodie. Lessa also shared and demonstrated her methods of making baby blocks, flying geese and much more. We all came away from the weekend learning more than we thought we would but more importantly having a great deal of fun!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our happy group of quilters doing Lessa's workshop. Lessa is 3rd from left front row.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">60 degree Star Quilt blocks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our youngest members and her WIP.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicole showing her first ever completed Queen size quilt top. Well done!</td></tr>
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Well now it is time for me to think about other things. Probably some housework is required or maybe some more quilting....<br />
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Until next time....<br />
CarolLiving A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-47811649693401903022015-05-10T08:23:00.000+10:002015-05-10T08:23:32.795+10:00Happy Mothers Day....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A very quick post today....<br />
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I wish all the amazing women out there who have been a mother or mothered someone in your life a beautiful day. I hope you are appreciated and recognised in some small way on your special day!<br />
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Until next time...<br />
CarolLiving A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-37673570494377684212015-05-06T13:52:00.000+10:002015-05-06T16:19:08.086+10:00Where to start....Well to say the past few weeks have been rather eventful is a massive understatement.<br />
On the 15th April I flew with several friends to AQC in Melbourne. We had the most wonderful 4 days of quilting heaven - workshops, lectures, dinners, cocktail parties, shopping and friendship and camaraderie. But I will tell more on that shortly.<br />
On Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st April my local area where I live was devastated with a massive flood event. People's lives were lost and a lot of damage was done to homes, farms and livestock in our local community. All of this happened whilst I was still away in Melbourne at the end of AQC. The events were all over the television and I saw my small country town of Dungog suffering great loss. On the home farm front we lost power and telephone communication for several days,the girls couldn't be milked until a generator was sourced, we had our gravel road partly washed away, trees were blown over and many fences were in much need of repair. Overall we did not suffer badly compared to many in our local area. We measured over 16 inches of rain and the wind was unbelievable from reports by DH.<br />
It was an odd feeling watching these events unfold whilst away from home.I felt helpless but knew that DH would cope with all of this in his calm and practical way. Our flight was delayed out of Melbourne for 24 hours and then I had to stay with my daughter in Newcastle until Saturday to wait for the flood waters to recede enough so I could make it safely home. It was an enforced longer than expected holiday for me!I I don't have any photos to show you of the flood on the farm but I know many of you saw the television reports as I had done. The small rural community of Dungog is slowly getting life back together but for many it will never be the same again.<br />
As for AQC - as I said before it was amazing!!!! I loved both workshops I did with two lovely and amazing tutors, Michele Hill and Caroline Sharkey. Both workshops tied in wonderfully together. Micheles was largely about gaining confidence to have a go at designing your own applique quilts. Then the second workshop with Caroline was a nature landscape wall hanging where there were no patterns to follow, new techniques to learn and once again having a go at designing your own individual wall hanging.<br />
There is still a lot of work to go on my projects but I can give you a sneak peak with what I have done so far!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beginnings of my Michele Hill workshop. It is based on a traditional German folkart design but obviously with a modern day twist. And it is straight at the bottom - it is just my bad displaying of the piece!</td></tr>
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Naturescape Landscape WIP. It still needs a lot of machine embroidery and embellishing.</div>
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On the Monday following AQC our small group of quilters travelled by train to Castlemaine to visit the amazing reproduction quilt shop called "Threadbear". It took about an hour and a quarter to get there and it was lovely looking out at the countryside which I must say could have used some of the rain which we had received up home. Needless to say that after my visit to "Threadbear"my stash is now slightly bigger and my wallet slightly lighter! Castlemaine is a lovely country town to visit if you ever get the chance.<br />
As I stated we had to stay an extra 24 hours in Melbourne before we could fly home to Newcastle. What else do a group of girls do in Melbourne for the day BUT go shopping! Clothes are different and very reasonably priced in Melbourne. You can always find something that you need to have. I will say in my defence that my luggage was not overweight - but only just!<br />
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Until next time......<br />
CarolLiving A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-79224782949328570282015-04-10T14:02:00.000+10:002015-04-11T08:05:44.544+10:00Getting ready for AQC 2015.It is less than a week before I head to Melbourne for this years Australian Quilt Convention held at the Royal Exhibition Building Carlton Gardens. A few of us from the local quilters group I belong to head down and stay for 6 days of pure quilting bliss. AQC begins on Wednesday evening with a cocktail party and then there are 4 days of workshops, lectures, quilt shows, shopping, dinner and just plain quilting heaven to experience. It closes on Sunday afternoon. At the Gala dinner on Saturday night this years Rajah Winner is announced. This is the highest award a quilter can achieve in our country. Last years recipient was the lovely and talented Michelle Hill from South Australia. Awards are presented for various categories of the Quilt Show as well.<br />
This year I have selected 2 two day workshops to learn new techniques and skills. The first is called "Designing Your Own Appliqued Quilts" tutored by Michelle Hill.<br />
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I am very much looking forward to this class as I love reproduction quilting and am also keen to learn how to design my own quilts and projects.<br />
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The second workshop is an art quilt workshop tutored by Caroline Sharkey. I love to balance my quilting with traditional and art projects. I have been busily collecting the fabrics for this project.<br />
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After four days of AQC our small group is heading out to Castlemaine by train to visit one of the best reproduction quilt shops in Australia - "Threadbear". This trip is one we have been planning for several years and are very excited to finally visit this shop and meet the talented women who own this store. You can never have too much quilting in your life!<br />
If you are a quilter I strongly recommend that you put a visit to AQC on your bucket list! I guarantee you won't be disappointed.<br />
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Until next time.....<br />
CarolLiving A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-3317399942084548732015-03-29T13:54:00.001+11:002015-03-29T13:54:33.935+11:00The simple things....Every now and again I think we all need to STOP, REALISE and APPRECIATE what we are grateful for in our everyday lives.<div>
The hectic lifestyles that many of us live these days can see us on a constant merry-go-round of filling every single minute of every single day with something happening until we crash into bed at night, only to repeat the whole process again the next day. I do realise that depending on your life situation that you cannot always slow down and stop as much as you would like.<div>
For over 23 years I not only helped on the farm, raised four children but also worked off farm as a primary school teacher. I was a taxi and supporter to my children and their many interests and tried to spend as much time as possible with family and friends. I worked, taught, did teaching courses, cooked, shopped, washed, cleaned, maintained yards, painted rooms and so on and so on. Any family events or holidays were organised by me. I never stopped until I fell into bed totally exhausted every night. Whilst DH Farmer and the children did help at times I still undertook the bulk of the work inside the home. It wasn't until several major family traumas happened that the wheels finally fell off my cart. I stopped teaching 10 years ago not so much from choice but from burn out. I thought that I was invincible and could keep going whatever was expected from me. I am not blaming anyone except myself for this BUT I did learn a very big lesson about myself and life in general.</div>
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So I have learnt to slow down. I have learnt to be kind to myself. I have learnt to step back and try not to let life's stresses and pressures overwhelm me any more. It is not always easy but it is necessary. Sometimes I step back and let others be in control. Sometimes I forget to do these things and I realise that I need to slow down again.</div>
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I have learnt that the simple things are the things that make me happiest and are the most important. </div>
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Family.... playing and laughing with my grand daughter, phone calls and visits with my children and families.</div>
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Friends.....chats, visits, laughter.</div>
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The farm.......</div>
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Simple food.....growing and eating our own food.</div>
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A cup of tea.....</div>
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Quilting....and more quilting and all that goes with it.</div>
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Gardening...the occasional flower in my garden!</div>
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Reading.....</div>
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God........</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Xhv56JxMTmR1uWWQUBpzt8jusMaK19Nbk3yDwVxzMFn9bXfseUiWn57FDWjB9LWzRd1aO0DAn6LU_rmoCK61sX8-CQnEyLahK1z2N9ZlC2XpRCRYhx7dHAM9Y1MBGzQ8RqGWD3Wcegk/s1600/483154_566989223314563_1234169856_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Xhv56JxMTmR1uWWQUBpzt8jusMaK19Nbk3yDwVxzMFn9bXfseUiWn57FDWjB9LWzRd1aO0DAn6LU_rmoCK61sX8-CQnEyLahK1z2N9ZlC2XpRCRYhx7dHAM9Y1MBGzQ8RqGWD3Wcegk/s1600/483154_566989223314563_1234169856_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Sitting on my front verandah in the evening with DH Farmer enjoying the farm view and talking.....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What simple things make you happiest and keeps you grounded?</div>
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Until next time...</div>
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Carol</div>
Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-1654928135651522342015-03-24T20:43:00.001+11:002015-03-24T20:43:47.971+11:00It's been a while.... I have been a little slack on the blog front lately. I could say I have been really busy ( which is true) but I just feel like I have had little to say.<br />
There have been lots of socialising and family gatherings happening. We have had three birthdays ( both daughters and a DIL) and a wedding to celebrate in the family over the past few weeks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKec8GrByquOLq50sv5o_kpm9AV2uJGT-guAC0XcptrtQ25hzpnRQIuGZJP-YAHdjS-9uIqLoqIoQJ8a7uuD3f4iCRypQ8-xig2alRy_V-RHLDodH-GxOD41NIkMMM_6FsDfeScRI3gw/s1600/IMG_2225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKec8GrByquOLq50sv5o_kpm9AV2uJGT-guAC0XcptrtQ25hzpnRQIuGZJP-YAHdjS-9uIqLoqIoQJ8a7uuD3f4iCRypQ8-xig2alRy_V-RHLDodH-GxOD41NIkMMM_6FsDfeScRI3gw/s1600/IMG_2225.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daughter - in - laws cake - you can guess who blew out the candles!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stunning location where the wedding was held.</td></tr>
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On the farm front we have welcomed over 60 mls of rain over the last week or two. This has been well timed for the pastures of oats, rye and clover which DH Farmer has been busily sowing. The seed should come straight up and with further follow up rain the transition of feed from summer to autumn to winter should be smooth and have little effect on the dairy cows. Sometimes when the changeover of feed is delayed we have to supplement feed with the silage we have made on farm. Early autumn is always the beginning of cultivating our winter feed pastures for the dairy herd and there are several more busy weeks of sowing to happen yet.<br />
We have also been busily selling vealers to the local saleyards and cows and bullocks direct to the abattoirs before the winter arrives. Prices for cattle have remained very strong over the past few weeks but will drop over the coming month if good rain doesn't fall in the dryer parts of the state and Queensland.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A paddock being harrowed - the final part of the sowing process.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dogs and DH Farmer on foot walking vealers to the yards.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vealers and their mothers in the yards to be sorted for sale.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Until next time...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Carol</span></div>
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Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-89009089314696728752015-03-09T07:39:00.000+11:002015-03-09T07:39:17.080+11:00U.F.O. WeekendI belong to Maitland Patchwork Quilters (a link is in the Blogs I like to read) and I spent this past weekend with the group at Tocal Agricultural College working on UFO's (unfinished objects for those of you not in the know of quilting acronyms). It is always, and I do mean always, a great time not only working on my projects but more because of the fun and good times I spend with a group of like minded women. It is a time to forget about work, the farm, housework and anything else that you want to. We sew, we laugh, we eat, and occasionally a little drink! A mini break to recharge your batteries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ57pcGbXY7Hfs2mlbdXI-I1WpeXciEGbVqKY9EslrdP9BCuQ1iPgirY-HkJ6ceQGHdIiWpQFjOkVfom42dufIT7bV7Pn9zR2YUxtIFXycS2J9kfAySijiW7x-B-kWC2fUaVXwy8THLTE/s1600/IMG_2169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ57pcGbXY7Hfs2mlbdXI-I1WpeXciEGbVqKY9EslrdP9BCuQ1iPgirY-HkJ6ceQGHdIiWpQFjOkVfom42dufIT7bV7Pn9zR2YUxtIFXycS2J9kfAySijiW7x-B-kWC2fUaVXwy8THLTE/s1600/IMG_2169.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our workshop rooms.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGlbbEn5tIGo9WfVpvhBBzcuOyH-xrFr9gClsg8Qg9rqULjbAngzteYS7Z9GikBCU8-mtO0Q2s37F_yz_WSISluLyN6SMRXgoUpKC5mJJRnhfXzmIYQBxKY9bb3iyx7GMzT3JgKKZ1UA/s1600/IMG_2172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGlbbEn5tIGo9WfVpvhBBzcuOyH-xrFr9gClsg8Qg9rqULjbAngzteYS7Z9GikBCU8-mtO0Q2s37F_yz_WSISluLyN6SMRXgoUpKC5mJJRnhfXzmIYQBxKY9bb3iyx7GMzT3JgKKZ1UA/s1600/IMG_2172.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the building complex at Tocal. Very rural and relaxing!</td></tr>
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The U.F.O.'s below are not mine but shows a variety of beautiful works that some of the women in the group are creating.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-qonrVDzRUpqOV7dTBmGbwmB23odBBtU7fu7O12yMHjpRcHUcRRP3U5Y7qUfOTSDOszPHcdI9FjLs2ZGkEnoc8itO5EFrC5mPpvnQBlhtoraaXkqxStXJcwMvMtVb2pM6gPqIRTkI0k/s1600/IMG_2156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-qonrVDzRUpqOV7dTBmGbwmB23odBBtU7fu7O12yMHjpRcHUcRRP3U5Y7qUfOTSDOszPHcdI9FjLs2ZGkEnoc8itO5EFrC5mPpvnQBlhtoraaXkqxStXJcwMvMtVb2pM6gPqIRTkI0k/s1600/IMG_2156.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route 66 designed by Di Ford-Hall well on the way to being completed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another U.F.O. (Museum Medallion) by a talented quilter.<br /></td></tr>
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Belonging to such a group is not only about quilting. Such a group is very important for our emotional and physical well being. For the professional working woman it is a chance to relax and unwind. For the woman who has recently found her home empty of children after many years of child rearing it fills a void and offers friendship and companionship. For those that care for elderly parents or are carers or minders for special needs children or their grandchildren it is a chance to take a breather. For those with little social contact it breaks the isolation. It is a support group for those going through their own health issues. We celebrate and enjoy the births, weddings, and birthdays that touch our group members lives. Likewise we support and feel the loss of family and friends that our members also inevitably experience.<br />
Since joining the group I personally have formed many wonderful friendships, acquired new quilting skills, travelled , listened and talked to amazing women of all ages and walks of life. It is an integral part of my life that is essential to my overall well being.<br />
If I can give advice. Find yourself a group, any group that interests you, and join it. What you get out of it is life supporting and so much fun!<br />
Until next time...<br />
Carol<br />
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<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-25831589108947836152015-03-04T18:00:00.000+11:002015-03-05T08:39:48.991+11:00Shopping local...It seems that most Fridays I make a trip to our small local town. I usually have farm jobs to do like picking up vet supplies, dairy supplies or spare parts for machinery. I also do a food shop at our local supermarket, visit the bank, library and any other shops I need to make purchases. We have always tried to shop locally even when it comes to major purchases like cars, tractors and machinery. We also always try to use local trades people and builders.We use the local RTA at our council chambers, pay our shire rates in person and generally make an effort in using whatever is available to ensure we don't lose our local businesses and services.<br />
It is a wonderful experience to know that a trip to town is a social outing where you get to catch up with those people who happily serve you and whose businesses you support. These people all call you by name and are eager for a chat. You can never walk down our main street without being stopped to catch up with a friend or acquaintance. A so called "quick trip to town" is never a quick trip.<br />
I know that some things are more expensive in our small town than in larger towns and I can't buy everything we need. However it is through such support as ours for our local businesses that these businesses keep going and employ local people.<br />
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Last Friday I had to get new tyres on the car and so had quite a bit of time to fill. I visited one of the local Church Op Shops which is only open on Fridays. You never know what wonderful things you might find. Below are pictures of my visit. The doilies I will use in a future craft project. I loved the little embroidered serviettes and the pure linen handkerchief is still in its original wrapping. I will crochet an edge and give to one of the girls in my family.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delft plate and Willow Tree cup, saucer and plate.</td></tr>
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I love blue and white china and will add these to my growing collection. I think I spent $13 altogether and I have supported one of our local churches and am happy that all these items will be reused and recycled.<br />
All small country towns are in the same predicament as ours. That is, if the locals don't buy and support the local businesses then there will be fewer shops and businesses in our town. We lose the convenience of shopping locally, will need to travel much further to make our purchases and lose the social aspect of a small community we all love. We try our best to stop this from happening.<br />
Until next time...<br />
Carol<br />
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Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-66013507435793824792015-03-02T14:35:00.001+11:002015-03-02T15:36:02.013+11:00Autumn is here and it's time to start knitting...The past couple of weeks I have started to think it is time to start knitting again. And before you say it - yes, I do know we had a 37 degree day yesterday. For some reason I always get itchy fingers to pick up the knitting needles and wool again when autumn arrives.<br />
I am not a prolific knitter but do enjoy making a few items for some of my family members each year.<br />
I now have two grand children to knit for and both their mums like handmade garments for their children to wear. This year 3 1/2 year old granddaughter is going to receive a 5 ply navy, white and fuschia raglan sleeve cardy. DH Farmer needs a new work jumper and this will be made from a serviceable brown 8 ply. Of course new grandson will not miss out either.<br />
I purchase my wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills and have done so for as long as I can remember. I find they have a great range of colours, plys and is lovely to knit up. It is also Australian owned and the wool is made from wool grown in the southern highlands of NSW. You know my passion to support all things Australian - especially agricultural related. I would also like to add that I can knit a beautiful pure wool adult jumper for approximately $50. Not bad in my opinion. After either phoning in my order or ordering online a package arrives within 5 working days in my mailbox ready for my itchy fingers to start knitting.<br />
I would like to add that this is my own opinion of Bendigo Woollen Mills products and I have in no way received anything from Bendigo Woollen Mills.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sample of the colours available at Bendigo Woollen Mills.<br />
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I hope I can show you the finished garments as the autumn and winter progresses. Needless to say I will still also be quilting. That is always a given!!<br />
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Until next time....</div>
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Carol<br />
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Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-62307692331965671792015-02-25T13:22:00.000+11:002015-02-25T13:24:34.873+11:00Time to do the small things at home....The past few weeks have been hectic. A lot of time has been spent with family ( which is always good) and seasonal farm work. Yesterday and today have been the first full days I have had at home with time to myself for over two weeks. DH Farmer has been out on the farm during the day working, giving me some quiet time . I am not complaining but I am really loving the chance to catch up at home and to be able to spend time on a few things I love to do - sewing, baking and gardening. I have even managed to start baking our own bread everyday again. There is also the usual housework and farm chores to do.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baking homemade bread every day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route 66 Quilt progress.</td></tr>
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The book club I belong to is reading Harper Lee's classic "To Kill a Mockingbird". I borrowed an unabridged audio version from our local library and have been listening to it whilst I quilt. I remember reading this book in high school and loved it all those years ago as I do now. I will have to borrow a DVD and catch up with the movie. I recently discovered that audio books and quilting go well together, as do music and quilting.<br />
Until next time.....<br />
Carol<br />
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<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-50118808798578397872015-02-22T14:05:00.000+11:002015-02-25T07:48:29.985+11:00Safe food in our country - solution "Buy Australian".Being producers of milk and beef we were very interested in the unfolding of the recent frozen raspberry hepatitis A situation in Australia. As producers of food in this country we are under very strict regulations enforced by our state government through Safe Foods NSW. We are required to fill out a National Vendor Declaration form (like a statutory declaration) every time we sell cattle either through the sale yards or directly to the abattoirs declaring that the cattle are chemical, antibiotic and growth hormone free and free of several other products which have withholding periods. We, the producer, are responsible to be honest and are held accountable if we are not.<br />
Similarly, we have a contract with our milk processor to supply milk free of chemicals, antibiotics and of a high quality regarding milk fats and proteins. We also have to pass a Safe Food NSW audit on many aspects of our milk production and pay a licence fee every year to be a registered dairy farm in NSW. All this ensures that the consumer in our country can be sure that they are purchasing safe and secure food when they buy Australian beef and Australian milk products.<br />
It is obvious the same cannot be said for some of the food product which is being imported and sold in our country. All of this food security for you, the consumer, costs us, the producer, a lot of money to ensure that these regulations and standards are met with the products we produce. This is why Australian food products often cost more than the imported food product. Sometimes we, the consumers, have to pay more for not only quality but for food consumer safety in this country. Isn't it sometimes worth paying a little more for your food to know that you and your families health is not being put at risk?<br />
My questions are simply these. Why can food from overseas countries be sold cheaply and at the expense of Australian produced products when many obviously are not tested and cleared safe to Australian standards for human consumption in our country? Who is going to be held accountable for and pay the cost of this latest health scare? What are our government regulations and laws on the testing of all imported food into our country? If we, the Australian food producer, have to follow strict safety and health laws in producing food in Australia, shouldn't other countries have to pass and follow the same level of regulations and standards before their food is allowed to be imported into our country for human consumption?<br />
I have a simple solution to the problem - buy Australian, buy local and as often as possible buy fresh! Support your Australian food products as much as possible.<br />
I am well aware that there are fewer and fewer Australian food products in our supermarkets and shops - the reason being that consumers have been sucked into believing that cheap is best regardless of where that food has come from. I am also well aware that food labelling is a huge area of confusion when making your choice. Buy Australian Made and Produced!<br />
This sounds like a rant and I guess it is - but this is one of my pet peeves. Buy Australian food and support our country and its agricultural sector as much as possible! There will be no agriculture and Australian produced food in the future unless we all do.<br />
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<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-28083882018977614692015-02-14T09:33:00.000+11:002015-02-25T07:49:22.746+11:00This week...Sometimes people ask you - "what have you been up to this week?" and on reflection you know you have been busy but it is difficult to tell them just exactly what you have been doing. I actually love weeks like this where you realise you have spent a fair bit of time at home doing the normal day to day living things to run a household, a farm and connecting with family.<br />
On Mondays I always look after my 3 year old grand daughter. It is a wonderful and tiring day. I took Claire on an outing to Newcastle to visit my eldest daughter who is on holidays. We visited Blackbutt Reserve for an hour or so to see native animals and birds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claire and Nicky at Blackbutt Reserve</td></tr>
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On Tuesday I went to our local town doing farm jobs and some food shopping, a book club meeting and then home to spend several hours working on the computer doing farm accountancy and then mowing the lawn in the cooler part of the day. Wednesday was general house cleaning day - all that boring but necessary stuff like washing, vacuuming, washing the car and so on. I also went to Maitland to pick up bulk meat from our butcher who cut up one of our vealers to fill our freezer for the next few months. On Wednesday night my son, daughter in law and grand daughter, and daughter came for dinner. Thursday is my day. For years now I have visited a close friend and we quilt, stitch, chat and drink coffee and tea and eat. It is a day we solve the world problems, laugh and natter of family things. It is a day where I don't think about the farm and feel relaxed and sort out how to move forward on any issues bothering me. It is a day to spend with a very dear friend. And now it is Friday - I need to get ready to leave the farm for a few days next week. I am visiting with my son, his wife and new baby as my son is returning to work after the birth of their new baby.<br />
None of this is overly exciting but it is a wonderful way to spend your life. It is about being busy and feeling fulfilled and happy with how you spend your days! Being contented with your day to day living is calming. It allows you an equilibrium so you can relish the highs and exciting times and also to cope with the lows that life throws to us all at times.<br />
On farm the usual has happened - milking twice a day, cows have been sold, silage is again in the process of being made, cattle have been moved, spraying of weeds and numerous other tasks have been undertaken.<br />
One day I will write a blog on how DH Farmer spends his week. It puts my week to shame with his hours of hardwork and dedication that he has for a farming life . But I know he feels the same as me - life on the land is mostly happy and fulfilling and one we would not choose to change.<br />
<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-75639289885370537102015-02-09T20:49:00.000+11:002015-02-25T07:50:02.152+11:00Putting away for a rainy, or rather, a not so rainy day!Since the rain began falling again in December last year we have experienced one of the best summer seasons on the farm that we can ever remember. The pay off for the wonderful season we are having is that we can make and store feed and fodder from the excess pasture we currently have on farm. This feed can then be fed to our cattle when there is a lack of feed in the paddocks. This is not only when there is a lack of rain and therefore little natural grass growing for the cattle to feed on but also in the transition period between summer pastures to sown winter pastures. We can also feed our dairy herd late winter and early spring to produce more milk when milk payments are at their highest for us on farm.<br />
So last week on returning home from visiting our new grandson, DH Farmer turned his attention to the weather to decide on the optimum time to cut our pasture for silage. As an aside here - it is true to say that one of a farmers favourite topics for discussion is the weather. In our house we listen to the weather on the radio early every morning prior to starting the day, check on various weather sites on the internet throughout the day and then watch several different TV channel weather segments every evening. When your entire livelihood is so reliant on weather and what work is going to be done that day, it is easy to understand why it is like this.<br />
DH Farmer decided that the end of last week was a good window to cut and make silage. Silage has a high moisture content whereas hay has minimal moisture content. Silage, unlike hay, can be cut one day then raked the next and baled and wrapped that same day. Silage can also take a good shower of rain on it once cut without destroying the quality of the feed. Hay on the other hand requires dry, sunny weather to dry out the pasture prior to baling. Hay shed fires are caused by hay being baled with too high a moisture content or from being rained on once baled. Whilst we own our own mower and rake we do not own a baler or wrapper and so contract out this work. Some machinery is just not economical to own. Late last week we managed to bale 92 large round bales to be fed out to our cattle when needed. We intend to cut more pasture to be baled for silage at the end of this week again. Silage and hay is as good as, if not better than, money in the bank to a farmer. It is like an insurance policy for a farmer!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mown pasture being raked into rows prior to baling.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Round baler .</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bales of silage prior to wrapping.</td></tr>
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<br />Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-12822559446030763102015-02-05T23:30:00.002+11:002015-02-25T07:50:25.794+11:00The wait is over and new life....Finally our new grandchild has safely arrived into the world. A very healthy and quite large baby boy named Wyatt Thomas. He weighed in at 9 lb 8 ounces or 4500 grams and is 55cm in length. Mum Kate, baby and dad Chris are all doing very well. With baby arriving very late at night we travelled the next morning 3 1/2 hours for our first cuddles and to visit the new family. DH Farmer of course milked first and with the help of our eldest daughter we managed to get away at a fairly early hour.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Wyatt with very proud grandparents.<br />
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There isn't anything more special in life than the arrival of a new family member to love and watch grow up. Watching one of your own children become a parent for the first time is a memorable moment and a milestone in any parents life. Seeing our son care and cuddle and love this newborn and his darling wife Kate makes us sit back with pride. We even dare to think that we played some part in making this man such a loving and gentle father and husband.<br />
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So after two days away from the farm we have had to return home to get on with farm life. Today the silage has finally been cut ready for baling tomorrow afternoon and if the weather holds out there will be more to cut and bale next week. Cows have been milked, new calves have been born and as for me, well I have been keeping in touch with the new family and happily receiving photos of baby several times a day with the hope to visit the new family again very soon.<br />
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Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006872270060053830.post-35819312710535476112015-01-29T19:34:00.000+11:002015-02-25T07:51:02.376+11:00A week of waiting....This week has been all about waiting for the birth of our second grand child. I know it is much harder on the parents to be than the grand parents to be. Baby is just a few days overdue but as it is their first child everyone is anxious for the safe arrival of baby. Obviously like all babies it will come when it is ready and not before. Both Mum to be and bub are well, as is Dad to be and that is all that matters. So we will wait!<br />
Each day I plan my day thinking we will be doing a four hour trip to the hospital to visit our new little family member and the new Mum and Dad. Needless to say I have been doing my own baby preparation over the past few weeks and months- sewing summer baby clothes, making baby quilts and some cooking to take to the new family. I have made both boy and girl outfits and quilts as we do not know what sex the baby will be. I am sure that all the outfits and quilts will not go to waste as hopefully there will be more little grand babies to follow in our family. We, like the new Mum, have our bags packed in readiness to go when we receive the call. It is as exciting as if it was our own.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mix of boy and girl rompers to choose from.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muesli Anzac Biscuits</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scones</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Date Loaf</td></tr>
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On the farm front we have happily measured 43 mls of rain over the past 3 days and now the sun is shining again. Silage and hay making has been put back to next week at this stage, but that is not a problem as the pasture is still fresh and growing well. It will simply mean more bails to make! Although after just listening to next weeks weather report the forecast is for more coastal showers for most days of next week so we will just have to wait and see.....I have a feeling that both baby and silage making are all going to happen at the same time. One thing I have learnt living on a farm is to simply roll with what is happening. Most well made plans have a habit of being overturned and changed with little notice. Adapt and get on with it! Though I do think the visit to the new baby will win!<br />
DH Farmer visited the local beef sale today and was buoyed by the prices of restockers. Whilst we are not buying to restock at the moment the good prices are reflecting the much better prices being paid at the abattoirs and the saleyards. We will be selling off fat cattle and steers in the next week and months and have enough on farm to stock our own country rather than buy restockers at the high prices. It is a very positive outlook for the year ahead.<br />
So hopefully next time I blog I will have baby news.<br />
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Until then....<br />
Carol<br />
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Living A Rural Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639839403247562779noreply@blogger.com0