Farmer Roy's Random Thoughts - I never said it was easy.

[Henarar]

This is the problem.

A story from me today.

Today my father had a phone call from a local ‘retired’ farmer in his 90’s who has 19 ewes and their lambs.

He had been let down by his shearer guy to the point he had to try something else.So this is where I get volunteered.We had a bunch of sheep in the pen however straight after lunch we went the 3 miles to where his sheep are with mobile pen,generator,shearing machine and stuff.

This guys grandson who is my age was also helping however his brain has been pickled by drugs and he has seizures/fits occasionally.

So first of all we do the running like idiots thing around the paddock to try and get the flaming things in,eventually they are in the pen.So I spend the next hour or so shearing them.Everything went well however after having to hear the repeated stories from my father and the other guy finally we get to pack up and go.

You might be thinking what’s the point,where’s this going?

The point is I spent basically shearing someone else’s sheep which took the best part of half a day which I have not got,the reward for this was £40.

I know guys who 10 years ago would not get out of bed for less than £100 per day and this didn’t include an extra pensioner,spare children to run and £30k of kit.

But the fact is commercially £40 is way too much to shear 19 sheep but it seems this afternoon I made a loss.

However this guy is one of the generation who farmed through WW2 to provide food,he is a proper village elder and if you cannot spare an hour or two to help someone who has given so much then you basically are a sh1t.

Ends. (Still won’t get back that half a day of my life though.)

think we all get jobs like that, put it down to doing your bit

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

This is the problem.

A story from me today.

Today my father had a phone call from a local ‘retired’ farmer in his 90’s who has 19 ewes and their lambs.

He had been let down by his shearer guy to the point he had to try something else.So this is where I get volunteered.We had a bunch of sheep in the pen however straight after lunch we went the 3 miles to where his sheep are with mobile pen,generator,shearing machine and stuff.

This guys grandson who is my age was also helping however his brain has been pickled by drugs and he has seizures/fits occasionally.

So first of all we do the running like idiots thing around the paddock to try and get the flaming things in,eventually they are in the pen.So I spend the next hour or so shearing them.Everything went well however after having to hear the repeated stories from my father and the other guy finally we get to pack up and go.

You might be thinking what’s the point,where’s this going?

The point is I spent basically shearing someone else’s sheep which took the best part of half a day which I have not got,the reward for this was £40.

I know guys who 10 years ago would not get out of bed for less than £100 per day and this didn’t include an extra pensioner,spare children to run and £30k of kit.

But the fact is commercially £40 is way too much to shear 19 sheep but it seems this afternoon I made a loss.

However this guy is one of the generation who farmed through WW2 to provide food,he is a proper village elder and if you cannot spare an hour or two to help someone who has given so much then you basically are a sh1t.

Ends. (Still won’t get back that half a day of my life though.)

We all do those sort of jobs occasionally.

I spent 2 hours cutting dry firewood for mum and dad today ready for when the temperature falls. He's worrying himself about it but isn't safe on a chainsaw these days at 86.

 

[CornishTone]

This is the problem.

A story from me today.

Today my father had a phone call from a local ‘retired’ farmer in his 90’s who has 19 ewes and their lambs.

He had been let down by his shearer guy to the point he had to try something else.So this is where I get volunteered.We had a bunch of sheep in the pen however straight after lunch we went the 3 miles to where his sheep are with mobile pen,generator,shearing machine and stuff.

This guys grandson who is my age was also helping however his brain has been pickled by drugs and he has seizures/fits occasionally.

So first of all we do the running like idiots thing around the paddock to try and get the flaming things in,eventually they are in the pen.So I spend the next hour or so shearing them.Everything went well however after having to hear the repeated stories from my father and the other guy finally we get to pack up and go.

You might be thinking what’s the point,where’s this going?

The point is I spent basically shearing someone else’s sheep which took the best part of half a day which I have not got,the reward for this was £40.

I know guys who 10 years ago would not get out of bed for less than £100 per day and this didn’t include an extra pensioner,spare children to run and £30k of kit.

But the fact is commercially £40 is way too much to shear 19 sheep but it seems this afternoon I made a loss.

However this guy is one of the generation who farmed through WW2 to provide food,he is a proper village elder and if you cannot spare an hour or two to help someone who has given so much then you basically are a sh1t.

Ends. (Still won’t get back that half a day of my life though.)

Perhaps you spend the £40 down the pub and just accept the fact you are a good bloke![emoji6][emoji57]

 

[Yale]

think we all get jobs like that, put it down to doing your bit

We all do those sort of jobs occasionally.

I spent 2 hours cutting dry firewood for mum and dad today ready for when the temperature falls. He's worrying himself about it but isn't safe on a chainsaw these days at 86.

Perhaps you spend the £40 down the pub and just accept the fact you are a good bloke![emoji6][emoji57]

Thanks guys,

We all know what it’s like and sometimes the payment is knowing someone appreciates what you do.

Thinking,in amongst the plebs of society there are some people who are beyond charitable.

I don’t consider myself to be this generous however I try to do my bit.

Should have had some photos really!

 

[Kidds]

My morning was providing a shoulder to cry on, a friends Mum died.
Have never tried sheep shearing and don't want to but your morning was probably better.

Nowt wrong with moaning, whingeing or whatever from time to time but there's always someone worse off. I find remembering that bit helps me get through.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound miserable, it was a glorious day and glad to be alive.

 

[Yale]

My morning was providing a shoulder to cry on, a friends Mum died.
Have never tried sheep shearing and don't want to but your morning was probably better.

Nowt wrong with moaning, whingeing or whatever from time to time but there's always someone worse off. I find remembering that bit helps me get through.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound miserable, it was a glorious day and glad to be alive.

Pah,can’t like that.

You are lucky to have a friend that values your time,that says a lot.

I can’t say I’m the most sympathetic,more practical and optomistic.

A bit like ‘once your dead,you’re dead but tomorrow’s a new day’.

Guy up the road has cancer,he always says ‘don’t judge anyone until you’ve walked in their shoes’,he also volunteers for the Samaritans,taking telephone calls.

As you get older your life experiences certainly make you a little less judgemental.

 

[czechmate]

This is the problem.

A story from me today.

Today my father had a phone call from a local ‘retired’ farmer in his 90’s who has 19 ewes and their lambs.

He had been let down by his shearer guy to the point he had to try something else.So this is where I get volunteered.We had a bunch of sheep in the pen however straight after lunch we went the 3 miles to where his sheep are with mobile pen,generator,shearing machine and stuff.

This guys grandson who is my age was also helping however his brain has been pickled by drugs and he has seizures/fits occasionally.

So first of all we do the running like idiots thing around the paddock to try and get the flaming things in,eventually they are in the pen.So I spend the next hour or so shearing them.Everything went well however after having to hear the repeated stories from my father and the other guy finally we get to pack up and go.

You might be thinking what’s the point,where’s this going?

The point is I spent basically shearing someone else’s sheep which took the best part of half a day which I have not got,the reward for this was £40.

I know guys who 10 years ago would not get out of bed for less than £100 per day and this didn’t include an extra pensioner,spare children to run and £30k of kit.

But the fact is commercially £40 is way too much to shear 19 sheep but it seems this afternoon I made a loss.

However this guy is one of the generation who farmed through WW2 to provide food,he is a proper village elder and if you cannot spare an hour or two to help someone who has given so much then you basically are a sh1t.

Ends. (Still won’t get back that half a day of my life though.)

My FIL farmed through ww2. He always thought he was one of the lucky ones, tending the land army and not going off to battle...

 

[CornishTone]

On a different note, vetch and radish are up....

Also the oats but no sign of the phacelia yet, which is a bit disappointing.

 

[Farmer Roy]

How do you measure your “metre of soil moisture”?

using a moisture probe
not as technical as it sounds
just a bit of 12mm steel rod, say 1.5 m long with a T handle welded on one end and a bolt welded to the other, then ground down to a point for penetration & leaving it about 15 or 16 mm in diameter.

to use, you push it into the ground. How far you can push it without much force, is how much moisture you have. After a while you get a "feel" for it through your hands, you can feel the difference in moisture levels, zones / layers of compaction, etc etc
Everyone always has one in the back of their ute

on our soil types, its the simplest most reliable way of gauging how much water is in your "account".
From memory, these soils will hold about 300 mm of PAW ( plant available water ) per metre of depth

that's why zero till & stubble / straw retention is so vital to us

just a random shot of some sunnies from a few years ago that was next to the moisture probe pic. Just because sunnies always look happy

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

One for Roy to have fun with....

Scottish beef sector 'on brink of collapse' as prices drop

A slump in prices is stopping some farmers cover the cost of rearing cattle, a leading union says.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Steel]

using a moisture probe
not as technical as it sounds
just a bit of 12mm steel rod, say 1.5 m long with a T handle welded on one end and a bolt welded to the other, then ground down to a point for penetration & leaving it about 15 or 16 mm in diameter.

to use, you push it into the ground. How far you can push it without much force, is how much moisture you have. After a while you get a "feel" for it through your hands, you can feel the difference in moisture levels, zones / layers of compaction, etc etc
Everyone always has one in the back of their ute

on our soil types, its the simplest most reliable way of gauging how much water is in your "account".
From memory, these soils will hold about 300 mm of PAW ( plant available water ) per metre of depth

that's why zero till & stubble / straw retention is so vital to us

just a random shot of some sunnies from a few years ago that was next to the moisture probe pic. Just because sunnies always look happy

We use a small hand auger, then see if the soil can be balled. Once it can not be balled without crumbling its bellow 25% avaliable moisture. My wheat currently is bellow 25% avaliable moisture and my barley was so dry we could not get the auger in, so has no avaliable moisture. Several spaced out small rains of 2 to 4 mm is all that is keeping the barley alive. These photos are yesterday of our local farmers agronomy meeting. These are also my two best crops.

 

[Steel]

We use moisture probes occasionally, but find them unreliable as some softer soils can still be pushed into when dry.

 

[Farmer Roy]

We use moisture probes occasionally, but find them unreliable as some softer soils can still be pushed into when dry.

yeah, its only on the deep black or grey clay soils we use them, but that's the vast bulk of the cropping country in this part of the world

obviously they not much use in sand or rocks

 

[CornishTone]

This is the problem.

A story from me today.

Today my father had a phone call from a local ‘retired’ farmer in his 90’s who has 19 ewes and their lambs.

He had been let down by his shearer guy to the point he had to try something else.So this is where I get volunteered.We had a bunch of sheep in the pen however straight after lunch we went the 3 miles to where his sheep are with mobile pen,generator,shearing machine and stuff.

This guys grandson who is my age was also helping however his brain has been pickled by drugs and he has seizures/fits occasionally.

So first of all we do the running like idiots thing around the paddock to try and get the flaming things in,eventually they are in the pen.So I spend the next hour or so shearing them.Everything went well however after having to hear the repeated stories from my father and the other guy finally we get to pack up and go.

You might be thinking what’s the point,where’s this going?

The point is I spent basically shearing someone else’s sheep which took the best part of half a day which I have not got,the reward for this was £40.

I know guys who 10 years ago would not get out of bed for less than £100 per day and this didn’t include an extra pensioner,spare children to run and £30k of kit.

But the fact is commercially £40 is way too much to shear 19 sheep but it seems this afternoon I made a loss.

However this guy is one of the generation who farmed through WW2 to provide food,he is a proper village elder and if you cannot spare an hour or two to help someone who has given so much then you basically are a sh1t.

Ends. (Still won’t get back that half a day of my life though.)

Ha, as if it was planned, dad just had a similar moan. Did a field of hay over the village for someone this year. Cut, turned 2 or 3 times etc etc (They’re not elderly or ill and certainly not short of a bob or two). As payment, a small box of beer was delivered by their son. Didn’t even come themselves to say thanks. There does come a point where helping people out just becomes too difficult!!!



And he can’t even take his payment to the pub, he’ll have to sit at home and drink it by himself with mother looking disapprovingly at him![emoji23]

 

[Kiwi Pete]

yeah, its only on the deep black or grey clay soils we use them, but that's the vast bulk of the cropping country in this part of the world

obviously they not much use in sand or rocks

Or the silty clay stuff we have here, I can judge compaction/resistance but the soil's never "baked hard" due to groundcover and having enough moisture to keep everything whirring.
Soil temp currently 3.5°C @10am, at field capacity finally

 

[br jones]

This is the problem.

A story from me today.

Today my father had a phone call from a local ‘retired’ farmer in his 90’s who has 19 ewes and their lambs.

He had been let down by his shearer guy to the point he had to try something else.So this is where I get volunteered.We had a bunch of sheep in the pen however straight after lunch we went the 3 miles to where his sheep are with mobile pen,generator,shearing machine and stuff.

This guys grandson who is my age was also helping however his brain has been pickled by drugs and he has seizures/fits occasionally.

So first of all we do the running like idiots thing around the paddock to try and get the flaming things in,eventually they are in the pen.So I spend the next hour or so shearing them.Everything went well however after having to hear the repeated stories from my father and the other guy finally we get to pack up and go.

You might be thinking what’s the point,where’s this going?

The point is I spent basically shearing someone else’s sheep which took the best part of half a day which I have not got,the reward for this was £40.

I know guys who 10 years ago would not get out of bed for less than £100 per day and this didn’t include an extra pensioner,spare children to run and £30k of kit.

But the fact is commercially £40 is way too much to shear 19 sheep but it seems this afternoon I made a loss.

However this guy is one of the generation who farmed through WW2 to provide food,he is a proper village elder and if you cannot spare an hour or two to help someone who has given so much then you basically are a sh1t.

Ends. (Still won’t get back that half a day of my life though.)

But you did it ,we all do stuff like that ,karma

 

[Blaithin]

Hah the sh!t I was digging in yesterday you’d be able to push that probe through the first six inches because it’s so bone dry. Then you’d stop dead at the clay because it’s so bone dry.

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

That was a like that wasn't a like!

Heard from my lot in SA last week. They had a good dose of 50-60mm a few days before but are still a way down from where they need to be. It's going to be another tight year in a few places there.

Tone. I've been through a bit of SA on Monday. Some looked good but a while from being safe. The mallee west of Mildura is a right off. Sitting here having one of these..... astute ones might know where......

Been a rather interesting day..........Taught my L plater middle boy some Magyver skills today . Lost the nut off the bolt that holds the upper control arm to the strut on the old peake telegraph track this arvo. Whole heap of banging and front wheel flopping around.......... Took the nut off of one of the rear spring shackles and cable tied the hangers together and covered with copious amounts of duct tape and electrical tape. Found a washer on the tray and whacked the nut on the control rod bolt and made it the 82 kms to Oodnadatta..... Thank f**k the pink roadhouse has spare shacles so I can replace the nut.....been shadowing 2 guys on bikes and there support prado since Hawker. They copped a cracked windscreen 2 kms out. Guys next to us towing a van also went in to the Peake telegraph station and are also waiting to see the mechanic in the morning......

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Tone. I've been through a bit of SA on Monday. Some looked good but a while from being safe. The mallee west of Mildura is a right off. Sitting here having one of these..... astute ones might know where......View attachment 829049 Been a rather interesting day..........Taught my L plater middle boy some Magyver skills today . Lost the nut off the bolt that holds the upper control arm to the strut on the old peaked telegraph track this arvo. Whole heap of banging and front wheel flopping around.......... Took the nut off of one of the rear spring shackles and cable tied the hangers together and covered with copious amounts of duct tape and electrical tape. Found a washer on the tray and whacked the nut on the control rod bolt and made it the 82 kms to Oodnadatta..... Thank f**k the pink roadhouse has spare shakes so I can replace the nut.....

I love the tree in the room and the "safety tape" around the acrow prop handles