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

[Farmer Roy]

This turned up in our yard today...

View attachment 568742

I keep getting told off for calling it a "truck". Of course, a truck is a lorry and a lorry prompts looks of confusion. A pickup is an Americanism and therefore provokes a sneer of derision. But I find the word "ute" difficult to get into the habit of using, but I'm getting there. Along with "paddock" instead of field. A paddock is where one keep ones pony in Surrey as far as I'm concerned, but I'm getting there... honest!

just so you don't feel too awkward, here on irrigation farms & cropping areas with no fences or livestock, we call them "fields" - maybe an influence spilling over from cotton, or maybe because without fences or livestock or an enclosed area, paddock doesn't feel right . . .

 

[CornishTone]

so, do you have a specific use for it, towing a big horse float maybe ? which is what most seem to do, or you just bought it because you wanted to ?

It belongs to a customer of ours, I cant see me ever being able to afford a monster like that! I'll stick to my Land Rover thank you! He has some sort of racing car that he competes in all over the country so that pulls a big goose neck trailer on a fifth wheel in the back with the car and all the spares and tools ect. Probably a very good rig for what he's using it for!

 

[CornishTone]

just so you don't feel too awkward, here on irrigation farms & cropping areas with no fences or livestock, we call them "fields" - maybe an influence spilling over from cotton, or maybe because without fences or livestock or an enclosed area, paddock doesn't feel right . . .

So you'll be converting your "fields" into "paddocks" when you start having a dabble in mixed farming then?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

As a slight sidetrack

What is the difference between a field and a paddock? Country of origin - size - fencing? Operation?

Genuinely curious, I don't think I've often heard them called fields over here other than our Canadian and American visitors

 

[Farmer Roy]

err, my understanding is . . .

a paddock is an enclosure for keeping animals in ( but not just a stockyard or something like that )

a field is an area ( not necessarily enclosed ) that is used for growing crops on


but then, we often use "paddock" as just referring to being outside, or anywhere used for ag, or a football field, or . . .
food is sometimes described as paddock to plate . . .

after 3 yrs working on farms in the UK I still wasn't comfortable with using "field", but after spending yrs working on large irrigation & my own involvement within the cotton industry, field seems natural

short answer - I haven't a clue

 

[CornishTone]

Paddock to Plate over here, Field to Fork back home!

What a head f#*k!
21st Century problems!

 

[Dead Rabbits]

As a slight sidetrack

What is the difference between a field and a paddock? Country of origin - size - fencing? Operation?

Genuinely curious, I don't think I've often heard them called fields over here other than our Canadian and American visitors

The only reason I know the word paddock is from reading foreign literature and working with foreigners. We have fields and pasture here. Can also be referred to as 'a piece' very sophisticated.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

Also if a bit further west, everything is a quarter, half or full section.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

'Gullies to Gizzards' might have to be the kiwi version but I think it's paddock to plate as well (officially)

I still laugh at "tup" - such a genteel way of describing a ram and all the rooting they do
-hence my quip about the big Ram on your driveway yesterday.... need to sell a few good rams to buy that big boy [/QUOTE]

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Happy just to own "a sixth" down under

Pytrik always named them fields, too.

 

[Ukjay]

Kiwi pete, swimming in a river at 11 degrees. Your effing mad.

I will not be full cell grazing next year, following one hope to be, in winter will have to manage ground so may be on 3-4 day shifts

My app of choice is glenfiddich...with coke and ice....i can do anything with it.

If you want grass fed finish cattle you buy red devon Roy, your in perfect area for accessing stock for that breed.

Mobile water could be issue in summer due to water temp, be very mindful of this...praire maggots may be a better choice.

I dont give a fat flying f*ck what me neighbours think, and i mean not a fat rats flying double f*ck. they are all old and will be dead soon, ill be still here. I am very excited about holistic farming...its interesting and fascinating...

I like my location for population density, its about right, far enough away from bullsh*t of the city.

I live in a free society here, i go to mcdonalds and theres bacon on the burger, we celebrate xmas, in fact we celebrate anything....in the city they are stopping australia day, some areas no bacon coz someone dont like it, kids cant say xmas coz someone offend, ...my response to all this is GO F*UCK YOURSELF.

My aim in farming is to be happy, thats it...and this will involve carving out a living with next to no chem and natural fert, one bacause i feel its better for me and my planet, two when things go prar shaped in the world my farming business will survive...you shut the south china sea...this country is screwed...i am aiming to have some exposure to export but also a big focus on feeding melbourne...i will not prejiduce there money...regardless of religion...

My new shed goes up wednesday....man i will be so happy when i shift in...goodbye to working in the rain all the time....ive done my hard yards.

Bottoms up yall

Ant....

Absolutely brilliant!

Cant believe how far this "PC" bullsh $t has gone, if the twunts in charge don't get their act together and soon - we will be banning fornication between consenting adults soon, and then what would I do

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Absolutely brilliant!

Cant believe how far this "PC" bullsh $t has gone, if the twunts in charge don't get their act together and soon - we will be banning fornication between consenting adults soon, and then what would I do

Election year
Water tax from the Labour party
Calls from townies that farmers are environmental criminals - alot are..
Alot of the townies are probably worse...

Fun times in the land of milk and honey, in other words...
I was first one in and last one out, our poor old local MP will still be trying to retrieve his nuts from under his cheekbones

It was fairly brisk, soil temp is only around 5° but time to make a stand against all this tosh - IMHO - we have a lot to lose.

Easy for those of us who keep an eye on abroad, to know the thin end of a wedge when we see one!!

 

[Ukjay]

Election year
Water tax from the Labour party
Calls from townies that farmers are environmental criminals - alot are..
Alot of the townies are probably worse...

Fun times in the land of milk and honey, in other words...
I was first one in and last one out, our poor old local MP will still be trying to retrieve his nuts from under his cheekbones

It was fairly brisk, soil temp is only around 5° but time to make a stand against all this tosh - IMHO - we have a lot to lose.

Easy for those of us who keep an eye on abroad, to know the thin end of a wedge when we see one!!

What I can never get my head around, is "IF" the tree hugging, "PC" twunts got their way and all animal meat sales were banned, the use of pesticides (last resort of control of course) was banned, potentially leaving a massive hole in available food stocks - would they remain so mono focussed after they have crashed the system and people start to starve or costs are so high due to supply demand, it becomes too expensive for average joe to eat?

Slippery slope here, as Yes there are things needed to be done, but it is a ballance that will need time to sort out. One of the videos linked showed a great change made, but still farms meat and uses no chems, but it took 15 years and a tremendous gamble.

Another reason we are looking at self produce on our little plot!

 

[Kiwi Pete]

What I can never get my head around, is "IF" the tree hugging, "PC" twunts got their way and all animal meat sales were banned, the use of pesticides (last resort of control of course) was banned, potentially leaving a massive hole in available food stocks - would they remain so mono focussed after they have crashed the system and people start to starve or costs are so high due to supply demand, it becomes too expensive for average joe to eat?

Slippery slope here, as Yes there are things needed to be done, but it is a ballance that will need time to sort out. One of the videos linked showed a great change made, but still farms meat and uses no chems, but it took 15 years and a tremendous gamble.

Another reason we are looking at self produce on our little plot!

It never hurts to be reliant on self..

My dad taught me that one at a very young age at least when you're let down you know who to blame...
hence my own views on many of the world's great problems- if you can't generate your own full belly, then don't moan- learn!!
I love the "we have to produce to feed the world" blah simply because: if you give someone hungry a bag of seeds they will grow their own food in a window box..

And as far as the no chems part- how did we start out with all these beautiful plants and animals without someone topping their grass in front of them and spraying all the ugly weeds to make it look nice for the first human to appreciate?
It happens just as well when we head off to town for the day- if the system is good..

But you're on the right wavelength IMO- be as self sufficient as possible.
Just don't fall into the trap of trying to learn how off most of the farmers= this goes in one nice straight row, this one goes in it's own nice row in my garden, it's a jungle.
I actually lost the lawnmower in it but it will far grow more and better with far less input if you rake it, throw a seed mix at it, and put a mulch on top.
Thats how input it needs

Would be extremely interested to see a government actually enforce a ban on meat sales, but if it happens anywhere, you know who'll do it first

 

[opininionated]

....pics

Ant...

Have you anymore pics of that method of erection? A stop Frame video would have been great!

 

[Ukjay]

It never hurts to be reliant on self..

My dad taught me that one at a very young age at least when you're let down you know who to blame...
hence my own views on many of the world's great problems- if you can't generate your own full belly, then don't moan- learn!!
I love the "we have to produce to feed the world" blah simply because: if you give someone hungry a bag of seeds they will grow their own food in a window box..

And as far as the no chems part- how did we start out with all these beautiful plants and animals without someone topping their grass in front of them and spraying all the ugly weeds to make it look nice for the first human to appreciate?
It happens just as well when we head off to town for the day- if the system is good..

But you're on the right wavelength IMO- be as self sufficient as possible.
Just don't fall into the trap of trying to learn how off most of the farmers= this goes in one nice straight row, this one goes in it's own nice row in my garden, it's a jungle.
I actually lost the lawnmower in it but it will far grow more and better with far less input if you rake it, throw a seed mix at it, and put a mulch on top.
Thats how input it needs

Would be extremely interested to see a government actually enforce a ban on meat sales, but if it happens anywhere, you know who'll do it first

I had to laugh about the lawnmower bit! Have you managed to find it yet - or is tgat the day coming when you fall over it

As for us, still got a lot to learn, and we had hoped we would be able to leave this tiny Island and move away after our daughter finishes Uni, but things are becoming so restrictive where we had planned, that we doubt that will be an opportunity for us so have probably left things too late, but still our goal until they say no!

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

I had to laugh about the lawnmower bit! Have you managed to find it yet - or is tgat the day coming when you fall over it

As for us, still got a lot to learn, and we had hoped we would be able to leave this tiny Island and move away after our daughter finishes Uni, but things are becoming so restrictive where we had planned, that we doubt that will be an opportunity for us so have probably left things too late, but still our goal until they say no!

Never say never

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Election year
Water tax from the Labour party
Calls from townies that farmers are environmental criminals - alot are..
Alot of the townies are probably worse...

Fun times in the land of milk and honey, in other words...
I was first one in and last one out, our poor old local MP will still be trying to retrieve his nuts from under his cheekbones

It was fairly brisk, soil temp is only around 5° but time to make a stand against all this tosh - IMHO - we have a lot to lose.

Easy for those of us who keep an eye on abroad, to know the thin end of a wedge when we see one!!

Were you in Speedos or Long Johns - just wondering?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Were you in Speedos or Long Johns - just wondering?

I just sat there like Winnie-the-Pooh in a singlet and my underkegs.
And drank an awful lot of the water...
And then, one of the reporters kicked one of my gumboots (wellingtons) into the drink- the one that had my socks in it

so I leapt out and tipped water on him!!

Hopefully I don't end up on TV but was just pleased to be there to stand up against all the pish talk. Nothing wrong with our river so they can sod off IMO

 

[Danllan]

Have to admit, I did wonder if you could influence livestock movement by just moving the water point ( not fences ) daily, but cattle will walk many kilometres to water, so I don't know if that's realistic or not ?
You probably have better knowledge on that than me . . .

We used 'water steering' in Zim with a ranched herd, it is fine as long as you really are providing the only water within a few miles. Depending on what your stock are, make sure the trailer with the bowser and the trough can take a good hammering - they drink as a herd, not individually, and it can get rowdy.

Allow for 20% water wastage because sometimes one will go for a swim... you will lose water. Because of the 'herd' controlling everything, you can't use small 'safe' drinkers, because the less prominent beasts won't have time to take a turn before it moves off and will end up with nothing.

I guess you won't have the same problems with theft of / damage to irrigation pipes over there either... or game, much.

Absolutely brilliant!

Cant believe how far this "PC" bullsh $t has gone, if the twunts in charge don't get their act together and soon - we will be banning fornication between consenting adults soon, and then what would I do

Only if you are white or between members of the opposite sex...