BLESSED SPEEDY

Today is a sad day and I feel a bit like the last episode of MASH - hence the blog post title. Why am I sad? Well today is the last day we will be Murray Goulburn Suppliers - as of tomorrow we will be Saputo Suppliers as the production has been sold  Click here to find out more if you dont know already As you would be aware Ive been a vocal and passionate supporter of Murray Goulburn and the co-op. When I married Gary I jumped into the dairy industry and was hungry to learn and understand how it worked - I was lucky enough to do the Murray Goulburn Supplier Development Program and it gave me a really good understanding of the co-op approach and the benefits of being a supplier.  I got to know a lot of the staff well, as well as many fellow suppliers. I became an advocate for MG Then came April 27th 2016 - which you can read about it some of my previous blog posts I was still happy to speak out in support of MG - I believed in the co-op and I believed that the company ...

Times are tough as a dairy farmer at the moment.  Its wet.  Its muddy.  Milk price is low and confidence is understandably low as well. Its hard going getting out of bed each morning wondering what the day will bring - what disaster will come upon us to challenge us even more and do we really want to keep going. I am usually a positive person, but of late Ive been really challenged.  Thankfully Gary is positive and believes there is a future - it would be horrible if both of us were struggling at the same time. This morning I went to check the calving cows and even struggled to walk into the paddock - but I found new life and it was cute! This brought me to thinking , we recently attended a dairy meeting and met other farmers there.  We got talking (as you do) and were asked - is it hard for you?  How are you dealing with the mud? And the rain? How are your cows producing? How are you keeping going? And our answers - we are not!  Well we are, but i...

I have recently come across this quote from Henry Ford - and I think it is extremely appropriate at the present time in the Australian Dairy industry. I believe we are at the cross roads as dairy producers and how we interact with and perceive the processors that we supply milk to. Many many dairy farmers are angry (and rightly so) at the drop in milk prices which has recently affected us, as well as the claw back conditions attached to this.  We supply Murray Goulburn so our pay back is called Milk Supplier Support Package and results in us having a reduced milk price for the next 3 years until our overpayment has been recovered.  No this is not good, but it is a lot better than some dairy farmers who supply other milk companies - our debt is not a personal debt but a co-operative one and is not applied to individual balance sheets as is happening to many. However back to the above quote - its all very well and good to be angry and cheesed off and feel like you need ...

Since I married my husband 10 years ago, I’ve been a dairy farmer and so a part of the Australian Dairy Industry.  During that time I have seen and experienced many things - drought, flood, plagues of locusts, high and low water, fodder and milk prices and many other things. I’ve learnt a lot and seen a lot and know I’m proud to be a dairy farmer - that owning and running a dairy business is not an easy thing to do - that there are many challenges thrown our way but somehow we somehow keep going and adapting to continue to farm. However events in the last few days have seen many of us almost at the end of our tether.  As a dairy farmer in Northern Victoria we are already struggling with high temporary water prices (and water is the life blood of dairying in my region), high fodder prices, little or no rainfall and a general despondency starting to happen.   Then to cap all of that off, last Wednesday the company that we supply our milk to and are also shareholders ...

Hooray we've had rain! Unfortunately so far only 6 mm but we are hoping for a bit more overnight The sorghum seed we have sown in the new farm we have bought is struggling and its at the point of just putting up with how it is, or ripping it up and putting in something or irrigating it and hoping for a bit more growth. Hopefully this rain will sort out the decisions and hopefully the decision is that the rain has helped the sorghum and its bouncing out of the ground and we have too much feed for the cows and don't know what to do with it all!

I've been hesitant to post this but feel that others might gain from it - so here I go! At the moment life here on the farm is in short terrible. We have had a real  set back and its hard to see an easy or a quick solution. We had agisted our cows that are due to calve in autumn (in the next few weeks) with someone who had done it for us the past several years.  We had been very happy in the past with how our cattle were fed and looked after and we probably became complacent. Anyway the downside is that when Gary went to collect the cows due to calve soonish he was confronted with a disaster - our cattle were in terrible condition and didnt appear to have been fed much at all.  This photo is one of the worst cows - and when I saw her I just cried. We love and care about our cattle and for this to happen is just heart breaking. We face many challenges now - these cattle will be hard to get back to being well and looking good and its certainly not going to happen befor...

Hooray! Our home renovations are finally completed and we are both so please with how they turned out.  From a very small lounge room and a very old kitchen and a useless passageway we now have a beautiful open and airy space.  Everything looks so lovely, clean and shiny - I wonder how long it will last? Of course this makes us want to more in other parts of the house, but I think we need to save up a bit first!

We've just spent a lovely weekend with Mia and Maddison (and Aimee and Jason too) coming to visit - much fun was had - and even some farm work too! As you can see Mia is still one of the best "gates" around and is always happy to do it - yes we did this safely as if you look closely the gate is tied with hay band just in case the cow got a bit "cranky" Mia is also very helpful when you are rolling up an electric fence or setting one up - its so much easier with someone holding the posts for you as you walk along! And Maddison was Very Impressed with sitting on the wheel of the tractor - just didnt really like the loud noise it made when running!

The last few days have seen some extreme weather - gale force winds at times reaching 140 kmh and rain as well.  We've had a bit of damage but thankfully nothing life threatening and no animals (or humans!) injured. Clothes line is pretty sad but thankfully we have another clothes line over at the other farm which is not being used so hopefully that can come and live here. We now have plenty of firewood for next year!

Today is mine and Gary's 7th wedding anniversary - I cant believe how the time has gone! During that 7 years a lot has happened - new dairy, drought, flood and some health issues for both of us.  Three grandchildren born and the farm growing and sometimes flourishing under our management. I feel truly blessed to be married to such a wonderful man, he is truly encouraging of all I do.  This photo was actually taken the day we got married, and he hardly looks any different at all! As for my recovery - Ive been going walking every day - now have it up to 15 minutes and a pretty good pace, and its nice I have two dogs to keep me company. Molly is full of life and runs here and there, whilst Bronte just plods along.  At the moment I feel more like Bronte but hopefully soon I will have some of Mollys energy! I've also been trying to adjust to not being quite able to do all that I usually do - and one of the things I CANT do at the moment is ...

Please meet our newest family member - Molly.  She came from a friend of our who had a litter of pups and dropped two off for us to "try" - I fell in love with Molly on sight and now she is ours.  She is apparently 3/4 border collie 1/4 kelpie so she is a new "exotic" breed called a bordelpie!  She is very friendly and our two other dogs Ruby and Bronte seem to have taken to her.  She is finding the cows a bit large at the moment, but hopefully that will change.  She's already had a go at rounding up the chooks though, which Gary tells me is a good sign of a potentially good working dog.

Long time and my blog has been ignored - sorry one and all! I'll try and do a catch up on what has been happening in the last month six weeks or so. Firstly, my gorgeous granddaughter Mia started school - it doesnt seem that long ago that I was blessed to be at her birth, and here she is all grown up! Next my other gorgeous granddaughter Maddison turned one - again doesnt seem that long ago that I was at her birth as well, my how quickly they grow up! And thirdly, my baby Megan has spread her wings and gone off to Bendigo to study nursing at La Trobe University - once again, how quickly they grow up! Add into that mix me heading off twice to Melbourne in a month, firstly to the Dairy Australia Leadership Program and then to the Murray Goulburn Supplier Development program life here has been busy. Gary and I are enjoying just being "the two of us", and I even have been able to fit in some cow time. Phew.... how's that for a catch up?

For those of you who have been missing "farm photos" here are some photos of our herd that I took while on my evening walk - dont they look contented?

Came down to Bendigo yesterday for specialist appointment so of course I had to visit the two most beautiful granddaughters in the world Mia was busy doing "schoolwork" in her journal/diary ready for starting school this year as she doesnt want to get behind! I took down a bag of apricots which Maddison immediately hopped into - she just loves fruit, which is a wonderful thing indeed. And another plus was I got to meet up with some real live ravelry  people last night. Its a group of Bendigo ladies who meeting weekly and or bi-weekly.  Just lovely. The only downside was the temperature 40C+ and its going to be the same for the next few days.  The drive home was comfortable of course in the airconditioned car, but was really glary so I struggled a bit - lovely to be home, even though it was 44 degrees and the vat had broken down due to the heat etc etc

Hello 2013~!!! So what do I want to achieve this year? Hard to pin it down into a few words but I did find this image on the net and it sort of sums up my intentions. This coming year will bring a lot of changes to our home and family - Megan will be leaving home to (hopefully) go to uni, we will be getting a new kitchen and more renovating (the more depending on the $$$).  I have been selected to be a part of the Dairy Australia Developing Dairy Leaders Program  so will be travelling to Melbourne and Canberra for that.  I've also been asked to be part of a study into hearing loss run by the National Centre for Farmer Health and that will involve travelling to Horsham.  So more time in the car - more audiobooks! Even though it sounds like I will be busy, Im actually hoping to slow down a bit - I will no longer be involved in school council, where I have been president for the last 4 years as Megan is no longer at school.  So no night time meetings and other...

  Dear All, Well here we are already at the end of 2012, and hasn’t this year just flown? Unfortunately this year we have had lots of down moments and sadness, my stepfather died in August which was a real shock although he hadn’t been well for some time. We also had to send our beloved cat, Speedy, to heaven which was also sad as she had been with us for 15 years. We have had trouble with cattle being sick, dying of blout and various other “incidents” as well as Dianne being extremely sick and being hospitalised for several days and Gary being injured by a cow!   BUT..... There were some highs as well – we welcomed to our family two new granddaughters – Holly and Daryl’s first child, Addison and Aimee and Jason’s daughter, Maddison. They are both gorgeous! Sarah has finished university (studying photography) and Megan has completed year 12 (as well as taking an alternative “schoolies” trip to Cambodia). Number 1 granddaughter, Mia gra...

Today I finished this wall hanging for Mum - she started it years and years ago and has had it pinned onto the curtains in her kitchen for I dont know how long.  However its now done = embroidery finished, quilted, bound and a hanging sleeve.  At the moment Mum is on holidays with her cousin in Newcastle - I think this might make a nice welcome home present for her. Yesterday there was also a start here - the builder arrived to start our renovations - we are having all the old windows replaced (hooray no more louvers in the kitchen!!!!), guttering replaced, door that we dont use covered in and vinyl cladding on the outside front wall.  Gary got to have fun ripping down the facia and guttering yesterday - I got to watch and make cuppas.

 Oh how nice it would be to tell you that we had been up all last night partying and generally having fun.  Well the first part is true, but not the second. Yes we were up all night - raking, baling and carting hay but no partying. Finished up around 5 am and this photo was taken not that much later. The sunrise was gorgeous - all lovely pinks etc. Helped Gary milked (and yes I managed to get through a WHOLE MILKING!!!) Even managed to hose out the yard and help the vet with two sick cows, so fairly proud of myself. And what was it all for....this (or this below - 119 bales of vetch silage, which I might add the cows had a sampling of tonight and virtually liked the ground clean. As for me - Im off to bed!

Musings from me today - What has happened to the number of hours in a day - I thought it was 24 but I must be mistaken It certainly doesnt seem like that to us. On the farm we are trying to do the following (all at once I might add) - milk twice a day - feed calves - lead feed calving cows and check the same calving cows for any problems - feed out hay when required to all of the above - irrigate paddocks - mow other paddocks for hay - make hay from abovementioned paddocks etc etc etc How do other farmers cope?

Hooray! I'm finally starting to feel like I might be able to do some stuff around the farm. Yesterday morning while Gary was chasing irrigation water, I got the cows up ready for milking - and managed to be able to put one run (18 cows) of cups on at milking time. Tonight I did half the milking with Gary -and I just loved it! No Im still not "well" but I do feel some improvement, but I do wish it would be quicker!