Farmer Roy's Random Thoughts - I never said it was easy.
- Thread starter Farmer Roy
- Start date
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
Going to gym this morning saw this fella
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
Sounds like you need our weather for a couple of weeks . . .
It’s bad enough not being able to plant a crop, but at least it doesn’t cost anything.
Nothing worse or more heartbreaking to have a mature crop & not be able to harvest it . . .
It would get the crop off that’s for sure.
I drive 10 miles to work. That means I drive past roughly 40 fields, give or take a few that are more than a quarter. Take out maybe 10 that are pasture, hay, yard and that leaves roughly 30 for crop.
I can think of 3-4 that are done. 4 out of 30.
I drive 10 miles to work. That means I drive past roughly 40 fields, give or take a few that are more than a quarter. Take out maybe 10 that are pasture, hay, yard and that leaves roughly 30 for crop.
I can think of 3-4 that are done. 4 out of 30.
Yep. Work hard through it all, use whatever inputs you decide and then it all unravels at the last step. All you can do is look at it sit there losing quality.
Then if maybe you do end up getting it off but it’s tough you’re now paying for more inputs to dry it. More cost into low quality.
TelesnaAg
Member
- Location
- Portland, Victoria - Australia
Koalas always look for water when gonna be hot. I had one at my house in town and gave water.
I remeber in about 1993ish i was in hilston in oct for a crop day and we got 39 out of the blue, felt like 139 as wasnt use to it.
Ant...
I remeber in about 1993ish i was in hilston in oct for a crop day and we got 39 out of the blue, felt like 139 as wasnt use to it.
Ant...
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
Drinking water search in NSW's central west to use aerial electromagnetic method
ABC Western Plains
By Jennifer Browning and Olivia Ralph
Updated about 4 hours agoMon 7 Oct 2019, 9:24am
Photo: Martin Knoesen flies the chopper that carries the electromagnetic sensor that is used to detect groundwater sources. (ABC Western Plains: Jennifer Browning)
Related Story: These dairy farmers can see the water they desperately need, but aren't allowed to access it
Related Story: This town was once sacrificed for a dam, but in dry times it's being uncovered
The New South Wales Government has funded a large aerial search for groundwater in the state's central west in an attempt to secure drinking water for regional communities at risk of running dry.
Key points:
The aerial electromagnetic survey searches for groundwater and minerals about 500 metres beneath the earth's surface.
Photo: Deputy Premier John Barilaro watches on with Dr John Greenfield during a demonstation of the aerial electromagnetic survey method of water detection. (ABC Western Plains: Jennifer Browning)
The survey is covering 19,000 square kilometres — an area about one and a half times the size of Greater Metropolitan Sydney.
Director of Geoscience Information at the Geological Survey, John Greenfield, said the sensor, towed by a high-performance helicopter flying at a height of about 60 metres, worked much like the metal detectors often seen at the beach.
"The transmitter in the sensor sends out an electromagnetic signal that interacts with the soil, rocks and water below and is returned and measured by the sensor, with the strength of the return signal providing an indication of what might be located below," Dr Greenfield said.
A daily helicopter mission traces the region, from south to north on east-west lines up to 5km apart, covering areas from Cobar to Rankins Springs.
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The technique has been successfully used in South Africa and in the US.
"I think we will definitely find water. We know there are groundwater sources in the survey area, especially down near the Lachlan River," Dr Greenfield said.
Pilot Martin Knoesen said he was very confident it would work.
"It was recently used in Cape Town to find aquifers," he said.
"There was the biggest drought in living memory and they got some good data from that."
Photo: The aerial electromagnetic survey is looking for groundwater and minerals almost half a kilometre beneath the earth's surface. (ABC Western Plains: Jennifer Browning)
Data collected from now until November will be analysed and formulated into a report due to be released early next year, which will be made available to farmers throughout the region.
Cobar farmer Anita Burcher spent $20,000 in recent years drilling two bores unsuccessfully, but is hopeful the information gathered would make a strategic third attempt successful.
"It's a way to save us a lot of money by not looking for holes that are dry," she said.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the aerial electromagnetic survey "took out the guesswork about where we punch bores or where there might be water, and in this drought I think we have to do everything".
He openly acknowledged the mistakes of past governments, and believes they can "do better".
"I think in the middle of every drought we talk about building dams and water infrastructure; the rain comes, we stop," he said.
Photo: The Albert Priest Channel is is currently keeping the towns of Cobar and Nyngan alive. (ABC Western Plains: Jennifer Browning)
Ageing infrastructure further compounds water shortages in the state, especially the western region.
The Albert Priest Channel keeps the towns of Cobar and Nyngan alive.
It was built in 1942 to carry water from the Macquarie River to Nyngan, before it is then piped to Cobar.
Up to half of the water carried through the 60km channel is lost to leakage and evaporation.
Mr Barilaro acknowledged the scale of the problem and said both a short and long-term solution was being sought to fix the channel.
"We're putting in a $1 million bandaid approach to fix [it] but the long-term [plan] is to replace the channel," he said.
"It's an $85 million project we're pursuing at the moment.".
ABC Western Plains
By Jennifer Browning and Olivia Ralph
Updated about 4 hours agoMon 7 Oct 2019, 9:24am
Photo: Martin Knoesen flies the chopper that carries the electromagnetic sensor that is used to detect groundwater sources. (ABC Western Plains: Jennifer Browning) Related Story: These dairy farmers can see the water they desperately need, but aren't allowed to access it
Related Story: This town was once sacrificed for a dam, but in dry times it's being uncovered
The New South Wales Government has funded a large aerial search for groundwater in the state's central west in an attempt to secure drinking water for regional communities at risk of running dry.
Key points:
- The sensor sends an electromagnetic signal that interacts with the soil, rocks and water below
- The strength of the return signal indicates what might be below the ground
- The technique has been successfully used in South Africa and in the US
The aerial electromagnetic survey searches for groundwater and minerals about 500 metres beneath the earth's surface.
Photo: Deputy Premier John Barilaro watches on with Dr John Greenfield during a demonstation of the aerial electromagnetic survey method of water detection. (ABC Western Plains: Jennifer Browning) The survey is covering 19,000 square kilometres — an area about one and a half times the size of Greater Metropolitan Sydney.
Director of Geoscience Information at the Geological Survey, John Greenfield, said the sensor, towed by a high-performance helicopter flying at a height of about 60 metres, worked much like the metal detectors often seen at the beach.
"The transmitter in the sensor sends out an electromagnetic signal that interacts with the soil, rocks and water below and is returned and measured by the sensor, with the strength of the return signal providing an indication of what might be located below," Dr Greenfield said.
Success expected
A daily helicopter mission traces the region, from south to north on east-west lines up to 5km apart, covering areas from Cobar to Rankins Springs.
Follow this story to get email or text alerts from ABC News when there is a future article following this storyline.
Follow this story
The technique has been successfully used in South Africa and in the US.
"I think we will definitely find water. We know there are groundwater sources in the survey area, especially down near the Lachlan River," Dr Greenfield said.
Pilot Martin Knoesen said he was very confident it would work.
"It was recently used in Cape Town to find aquifers," he said.
"There was the biggest drought in living memory and they got some good data from that."
Photo: The aerial electromagnetic survey is looking for groundwater and minerals almost half a kilometre beneath the earth's surface. (ABC Western Plains: Jennifer Browning) Data collected from now until November will be analysed and formulated into a report due to be released early next year, which will be made available to farmers throughout the region.
Cobar farmer Anita Burcher spent $20,000 in recent years drilling two bores unsuccessfully, but is hopeful the information gathered would make a strategic third attempt successful.
"It's a way to save us a lot of money by not looking for holes that are dry," she said.
'We can do better'
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the aerial electromagnetic survey "took out the guesswork about where we punch bores or where there might be water, and in this drought I think we have to do everything".
He openly acknowledged the mistakes of past governments, and believes they can "do better".
"I think in the middle of every drought we talk about building dams and water infrastructure; the rain comes, we stop," he said.
Dirt channel keeping two towns alive
Photo: The Albert Priest Channel is is currently keeping the towns of Cobar and Nyngan alive. (ABC Western Plains: Jennifer Browning) Ageing infrastructure further compounds water shortages in the state, especially the western region.
The Albert Priest Channel keeps the towns of Cobar and Nyngan alive.
It was built in 1942 to carry water from the Macquarie River to Nyngan, before it is then piped to Cobar.
Up to half of the water carried through the 60km channel is lost to leakage and evaporation.
"We lose 50 per cent and we pay for that."
Mr Barilaro acknowledged the scale of the problem and said both a short and long-term solution was being sought to fix the channel.
"We're putting in a $1 million bandaid approach to fix [it] but the long-term [plan] is to replace the channel," he said.
"It's an $85 million project we're pursuing at the moment.".
At the other end of the scale from Roy here a bit more towards @Blaithin as the autumnal weather has really closed in with the ground really wet now.
Here is the rain band this morning.
@hendrebc who has the combine (header) parked up by the IW factory,near Rhug?
They look as though the straw is a write off and is there another field at the Back not cut?
I certainly would not have left the combine there out in the rain.
Here is the rain band this morning.
@hendrebc who has the combine (header) parked up by the IW factory,near Rhug?
They look as though the straw is a write off and is there another field at the Back not cut?
I certainly would not have left the combine there out in the rain.
- Location
- southern riverina Australia
I can see the resemblance to a desert.....At the other end of the scale from Roy here a bit more towards @Blaithin as the autumnal weather has really closed in with the ground really wet now.
Here is the rain band this morning.
View attachment 836920
@hendrebc who has the combine (header) parked up by the IW factory,near Rhug?
They look as though the straw is a write off and is there another field at the Back not cut?
I certainly would not have left the combine there out in the rain.
- Location
- Cornwall
- Location
- southern riverina Australia
14 loads today
had to run the gauntlet of a short trip up the highway
Both tractors have no primary producer rego....and it's a public holiday of a long weekend here......And the Deni ute muster was on this weekend.....so, plenty of constubulary floating around.
Nearly forgot.....no straps
Both tractors have no primary producer rego....and it's a public holiday of a long weekend here......And the Deni ute muster was on this weekend.....so, plenty of constubulary floating around.
Nearly forgot.....no straps
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- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
A friend of mine who has a government / agriculture / environmental job went to a major climate change / habitat destruction / species extinction conference a few years ago.
He claims that the consensus was koalas as a species are already past the point of saving, that any conservation & preservation efforts should instead be redirected towards habitat preservation & other species that may have a chance . . .
They are not coping well with hotter drier conditions & having a very specialised diet means they can’t adapt to changes in vegetation or the massive loss of habitat along the eastern strip of the country . . .
But - koalas are cute & cuddly & from a PR or marketing campaign point of view, koalas tug at heart strings & emotions far more than reptile or bird species . . . ( all of which you could argue have a greater environmental role & would be a bigger eco system loss than koalas . . . )
That’s the problem,it’s exactly the opposite from a desert......
It’s making it difficult at the moment to find dry slots in the weather to work with livestock,especially sheep to vaccinate etc. whilst the wool is dry.
We are used to wet weather however we have been spoilt during that last few years as the cattle have been able to be left outside until November.
I’ve got one more 15 acre paddock with a good cover of grass,once that is grazed they are going to have to be housed.
Last year the suckler cows and calves were fed 2 round bales of silage a day from mid July as it was that dry there was no grass.
This year I have only put one bale out to stretch them before a paddock move when the ground was dry.
Two completely different summers!
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
That's about the reason that all the old arable blocks around the district grassed out, subs made the hard times "better" in many respects.
It was nothing to dry all your crop when fuel was a third the price it is today, now it just doesn't pencil at all (despite strong prices for grain) unless you have a suitably reliable climate for harvest.
Grows well enough!
But that's not going to mean money in the bank.
What a great year it's been up by you, eh?
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- Location
- Near Beeston Castle
At least your washing will dry easy Roy, if you had any water to wash with.
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
Went for a bike ride today ( what else do you do on a hot windy day ? ), we have nearly run out of drinking water so I filled my Camelback at the recently installed water point in the Main Street in town. If you look at the bottom left, you will see it even has the facility to water your dog
An initiative by the local Shire Council to reduce landfill & encourage people to refill bottles, rather than buying bottled water
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
We just had to buy a truck load of water the other day, to refill the rain water tanks for the house supply, of the house we’ve just moved into
Unfortunately, it doesn’t taste that good ( highly chlorinated & “hard” water ) & makes a sh!t cup of tea ( I like my tea black & strong ), so we’ve been buying 20 l drums of drinking water, or refilling them from suitable supplies . . .
The best thing about that photo is it says at the bottom 'an initiative of Gunnedah youth council'; they could give tips on constructive action to our veganism obsessed student unions.
read that and thought I would work it out, Drive one mile down our road and I pass 21 fields