All 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.

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.
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.

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?
Here is the link to this petition:

Raise the milk price for struggling farmers

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.

Until next time......
Carol

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.

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.

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.

 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!

This busyness is the norm and happens in all households in one way or another and days fly by I am sure.

Until next time....

Carol

Dairy 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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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........

Until next time...

Carol

Okay - 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.

So what has been happening??? LOTS!!!

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!!

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!!!
 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.

I love the look on Claire's face ( the flower girl and dear grand daughter) as the storm was approaching!!

My two gorgeous grandies!!!

There were moments of lovely sunshine and blue sky.

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.

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.

On the quilting and craft front I have been very busy but this I will leave for another day to tell you all about.

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

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.

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

Farming and food......the next generation!

Yesterday was all about being with our 3 year old grand daughter, Claire. The amazing amount of energy children have at this age is unbelievable. We spent the morning playing in a wading pool then inside for morning tea - how much food can a 3 year old eat!! Then it was time for jigsaws, reading and being "Mister Maker". Craft is one of Claire's favourite past times and she can spend ages making and creating.
It wasn't long after lunch that DH Farmer mentioned it was time to milk the cows. Well that was it! Claire was up and out the back door telling Grandad to "hurry up"! Apparently we were spending the afternoon at the dairy milking cows.

Claire learning to milk.

Please realise that Claire is completely safe milking the cow above. The cow is very quiet, use to children and noise, and Grandad has his arms as a safety barrier just in case. Rubber boots are a must for the dairy as well! A gentle pat on the cow's rump is a must after putting the cups on!

It reminds me of when my own children were little and the way they spent their afternoons. Nothing teaches the next generation of farmers better than including them always from a very young age in your day to day life and routine on the farm. Whilst many young people in rural areas are moving off farm and looking for occupations that "pay better" and make for a so called "easier life" we are proud that both our sons are working on farms and beef properties. After completing Year 12 they both attended Tocal Agricultural College and have never been without rural work. In time, the hope is that they will return to the home farm and run it as their own and continue to hand on to the next generation. They will be the 4th generation to do this and who knows - maybe Claire will be the 5th! She is off to a great start!
As farmers, we take great pride in growing and producing safe and high quality food for people to eat! Whether it be milk or beef we know that what we produce on our farm meets these safe, high quality standards that people in our country have come to expect and like to consume. Without our next generation of farmers these foods will not be "Grown in Australia".  Putting it simply that is why we have to encourage young farmers in this country and that is exactly what we are trying to do and feel like we are succeeding to do on our farm!
Take care.....
Carol