A finished project at last....

Just a quick post this time....
Finally something completed to show you and it isn't quilting.
 My new grandson is growing so quickly that I had a request for new knitted jackets and bootie socks from GS's mum.
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.
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.

A kimono style jacket and booties knitted in Bendigo 5 ply.

It is in the post making its way to the little man now.
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.

Until next time......
Carol

Another 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.
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.
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!!!

Our happy group of quilters doing Lessa's workshop. Lessa is 3rd from left front row.

60 degree Star Quilt blocks.

One of our youngest members and her WIP.

Nicole showing her first ever completed Queen size quilt top. Well done!

Well now it is time for me to think about other things. Probably some housework is required or maybe some more quilting....

Until next time....
Carol

Happy Mothers Day....

A very quick post today....

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!

Until next time...
Carol

Where to start....

Well to say the past few weeks have been rather eventful is a massive understatement.
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.
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.
 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.
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.
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!

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!

Naturescape Landscape WIP. It still needs a lot of machine embroidery and embellishing.

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.
 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!

Until next time......
Carol

Getting 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.
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.

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.

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.

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!
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.

Until next time.....
Carol

The 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.

 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.

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.

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.

 I have learnt that the simple things are the things that make me happiest and are the most important. 

Family.... playing and laughing with my grand daughter, phone calls and visits with my children and families.

Friends.....chats, visits, laughter.

The farm.......

Simple food.....growing and eating our own food.

A cup of tea.....

Quilting....and more quilting and all that goes with it.

Gardening...the occasional flower in my garden!

Reading.....

God........

Sitting on my front verandah in the evening with DH Farmer enjoying the farm view and talking.....

.

What simple things make you happiest and keeps you grounded?

Until next time...

Carol

It'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.
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.

Daughter - in - laws cake  - you can guess who blew out the candles!!

The stunning location where the wedding was held.

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.
 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.

A paddock being harrowed - the final part of the sowing process.

Dogs and DH Farmer on foot walking vealers to the yards.

Vealers and their mothers in the yards to be sorted for sale.

Until next time...

Carol

U.F.O. Weekend

I 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.

The view from our workshop rooms.

Part of  the building complex at Tocal. Very rural and relaxing!

 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.

Route 66 designed by Di Ford-Hall well on the way to being completed.

Another U.F.O. (Museum Medallion) by a talented quilter.

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.
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.
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!
Until next time...
Carol

Shopping 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.
 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.
 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.

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.

Delft plate and Willow Tree cup, saucer and plate.

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.
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.
Until next time...
Carol

Autumn 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.
I am not a prolific knitter but do enjoy making a few items for some of my family members each year.
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.
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.
 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.

A sample of the colours available at Bendigo Woollen Mills.

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!!

Until next time....

Carol

Time 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.

Baking homemade bread every day.

Route 66 Quilt progress.

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.
Until next time.....
Carol

Safe 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.
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.
 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?
 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?
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.
 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!
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.

This 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.
 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.

Claire and Nicky at Blackbutt Reserve

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.
 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.
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.
 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.

Putting 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.
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.
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!

Mown pasture being raked into rows prior to baling.

Round baler .

Bales of silage prior to wrapping.

The 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.

Baby Wyatt with very proud grandparents.

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.

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.

A 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!
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.

A mix of boy and girl rompers to choose from.

Muesli Anzac Biscuits

Scones

Date Loaf

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!
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.
So hopefully next time I blog I will have baby news.

Until then....
Carol

Happy Australia Day!

Today's Australia Day holds a special significance in our family as DH Farmer's father would have turned 100 years old today. He did make it to 95 which was in itself a great age. Today our second sons first baby is due but as of yet has not made an appearance so we are patiently waiting! Our son is really hoping the bub arrives today as a special commemoration of his grand father with whom he spent a great deal of time on the family farm. It would be wonderful for another little Australian to be born today!
 Our two girls made a trip home for a traditional roast lamb dinner. We spent a lovely couple of hours together discussing ideas for youngest daughter's wedding which is to be held in December this year.
For the first time ever, four women have taken the top honours of the Australia Day Awards. I was very proud they named Rosie Batty as the Australian Of the Year. Her own personal tragedy of family violence is being used to save lives of fellow Australians suffering the same plight. A great choice Australia! Jackie French was named Senior Australian of the Year. She is a  renowned children's author and conservationist and has long been a favourite of mine from when I taught primary school. If you have never read Jackie French's work then do yourself a favour and read one. I will guarantee you will thoroughly enjoy it. Drisana Levitzke-Gray was named Young Australian of the Year for her campaigning for the rights of deaf people in our country and Juliette Wright was named Australia's Local Hero  for founding the GIVIT donations website. All the other finalists in the different catergories would all have been worthy winners in their own right. There are so many amazing people out there that make our country great and are never publicly recognised. Well done and thank you to you all.

Until next time...
Carol

Who does what on the farm....

Our dairy and beef farm is what is called a generational farm. That means that the same family has owned and worked the farm for consecutive generations and in our case it is now the 3rd generation. Ownership has been since the late 1800's. As with all generational farms the hope is that the next generation will take on the ownership and carry on the farming enterprise. Our farm has always been a dairy farm with beef cattle as an extra income. Over the years the dairy has grown in size of up to about 85 to 95 milkers although at times we milk down to 75 cows. In Australia this is now considered a small sized dairy. We have deliberately kept our milking herd down to this size so that we can run the farm ourselves without employing outside labour to do the milking and farm work, labour being one of the largest costs of running any enterprise.

Steers being finished off with bulk feed for  the local meat markets

So the majority of the farm work is carried out by DH Farmer and his brother, with whom we are in partnership. They milk, rear the calves, organise the heifers, check the dry cows and springers, fence, weed control, pasture manage, muster cattle for sale and movement to paddocks on the farm, immunise calves and so on. DH Farmer and his brother also break up this work. Both milk and rear the calves but one tends to check dairy springers and the other the beef springers. DH Farmer tends to do the tractor work, silage and haymaking work, sowing pastures, etc.

Producing milk - the main enterprise on the farm.

We also contract our eldest son to milk for us when we have a holiday or time off farm. This son also owns his own rural contracting business and most weeks he spends at least a day on farm helping with general farm work such as fencing, cutting timber and posts for fencing, mustering, silage and haymaking. He also carries out the  AI ing (artificial insemination)  of our dairy cows.
My role these days is to deal with all the paperwork and accountancy work the farm generates. Things have changed greatly from previous farm generations in that all dairies must be audited  for food safety, in our case by NSW Food Safe. This requires a lot more record keeping of which I apparently do the best. Personally I think the men just simply hate doing it! Like all businesses we also have to keep accurate financial records for income tax purposes and pay GST through our BAS system. Good record keeping also helps us to make informative business management decisions relating to the farm enterprises. I also tend to be the farm "gopher". Trips to town to pick up supplies and repair parts is common place for me. I also like to help with the springers and taking the cows to their night paddocks - a great chance for me to get some exercise done and get outside!

Putting the dairy herd into the night paddock.

A family farm is more than a business - it is a way of life. One I feel fortunate to live!

Until next time..
Carol

What a difference rain makes!

Over the past 5 to 6 weeks we have been  fortunate in the amount of rain that has fallen in our local area. You sometimes hear people make the comment "Oh no! Not rain again!" Living on a farm we never ever say "Oh no! Not rain again!" Even if it has been raining non stop for weeks on end and the dairy is as muddy and boggy as anything. We never forget how bad it is when we don't have enough rain. Being on a dry farm ( meaning no irrigation) we totally rely on rain to grow our pastures for all our cattle and also provide fresh water for our cattle to drink.

One of our largest dams almost dry in December 2014.

As you can see from the photos above last year was a year with little rain. We only had 818 mls (approximately 32 inches) in 2014 of which 263 mls fell in the month of December. Our yearly average is around 40 inches or 1000 mls. We had dams which were completely dry or so boggy with mud that we had to do a dam check every day to make sure our cattle were not getting bogged in the mud. Last July we had a lot of our dams excavated whilst they were so low in the hope that they would soon be full.  The amount of silt and mud removed was huge. With recent rain and storms some but not all of our dams are now full. It is a sigh of relief ! The cattle now have fresh water and plenty of grass to feed on. They are looking much  stronger and more contented! And so is DH Farmer!

The same dam as above only 6 weeks later!

Natural pastures everywhere now.

The next big job on farm will be making all that lovely natural pasture into silage. We just have to have a window of no rain for a few days to do this! Did I just say we don't want any rain??? Oh the life on the land....
Until next time
Carol