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PLAINS NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY/MARCH 1998
Hay Report - the situation is basically unchanged. Some buyers looking for ‘milker quality hay' 14% plus crude Protein and at least 9 units of Metabolisable Energy (ME). There is a lot of local hay listed with very high crude Protein but ME's of around 8.5. A heavy rain on the windrow will leach enough soluble sugars out of the leaf to drop ME values a full unit, even though the hay may go on to dry quickly and roll up well.
Currently sugar gum is coming into Colac & Camperdown for down to $35/cubic metre delivered. While the professional cutters are a tough & independent breed, they are asking farmers to consider supporting them, for everyone's long term interest
*Special note on woodcutters. One of the 'rogues' of the industry, renowned for leaving a trail of unpaid royalties and messed up plantations is back in the game
CFFP trial plot results - From 1994 species trials were planted on a broad range of sites owned by interested landowners. A form pruning and assessment visit to these recently picked up the following:
* On cracking buckshotty clay in a fairly waterlogged site near Rokewood the star performers were Euc. astringens (brown mallet), Euc occidentalis (Swamp Yate), Cas. Glauca (swamp sheoak) Cas cunninghamiana (river Sheoak)
* On a sloping light red gravelly loam one of the good results was Sydney bluegum (Euc saligna), a species with good form and timber quality but normally assumed to require a rainfall of 900mm plus. Good sheep dogs for sale - Young kelpies from start to working, for details :- ph. Paul Lewis 5597 0225
Mounder Hire - We will be the base for some time in March/April for the DNRE mounder. It is best suited for use on previously cropped or worked ground giving uniform mounds suited for high speed planting of plug seedlings with the tube planters (Potti Putkis) Further details please contact the Lismore Business Centre.
"Ode to Andrew" - The end to an era.. Andrew Pullin has transferred from Crawford Dowling, Lismore to VPC Ballarat. Andrew always had some hard edged political opinion, a doubtful joke, or a bit of useful information on why your sheep are dying or the kids are crook We hope you're appreciated by the farmers of Bal1arat area, Andrew Good luck in your position.
Quote from Jane Bennett - 1997 ABC Rural Woman of the Year "Running a business, whether a farming business or other, big or small, is an on going learning experience. Rural people need to utilise all available opportunities to continue to enhance and develop their skills as business managers. The future of rural communities is dependent on the viability and success of the industries and businesses within them. We must ensure we continue to develop the changing skills required to keep rural businesses successful in the future."
Plantation Eucalypts Field Day - To he held at Creswick on 12th March 1998. The day starts at 10.30 (morning tea provided) until 4.5 pm at the Victorian Timber Industry Training Centre sawmill. Wood products from Plantation & Regrowth Eucalypts, milling and sawing and an inspection of drying methods. $30 includes lunch.To book or for details contact Anthony Sim in Ballarat ph: 03 53 336782
Computer course - The current basic computer course being run at the training facility at Cobden is nearing halfway The cost is very low the tutors are good, you get an independent machine each, the course is very thorough and logical. For someone wanting to get started or more proficient, it is worth considering. Other courses will be offered depending on demand.
Who gets the Farm? - If you are a rural woman you may have been affected by: The division of a farm or property) due to death or divorce? You may know somebody who has. Have you concerns about wills and succession issues? We need rural women to share their experiences around wills and succession planning. A focus group is being held in Lismore at the Lismore Campus of the Corangamite & District Health Services Function Room on Tuesday 17th March 1998 from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm. Lunch will be provided at 1.30 For more information contact the facilitators on 1800672 473 or 55630630 or call the Health Service on 55962103. Confidentiality assured Presented by the Rural Women's Legal Outreach Program.
Best Wool 2010
Firewood available - split foot blocks, delivered Order your supply now to ensure you have enough for what they say is a long wet winter ahead Phone Lismore Business Centre.
Future of Town Commons - DNRlE is putting the Darlington Common up for sale to the consternation of some locals. At the same time the Skipton community is going ahead with their scheme to develop Stewart Park along the Emu Creek This is an imaginitive redevelopment of a previously wasted area, creating a quiet haven for the town's walkers and nature enthusiasts. Lismore currently is totally stalled with its project to re-tree the common (the old golf course) and all the previous work seems to have gone for nothing
VFF News - The next meeting is to be held on Tuesday March 17th at the Lismore Hotel at 8pm. There will be a quick business session followed by a guest speaker Mr, Tony Davis from Robertson, McKean & O'Neill, Camperdown. Tonv has been forming and managing private superannuation funds for some years as well as being experienced in the field of farm accounting He can share his experience & advice on the broader area of farm investment. Well worth attending.
Wool International is funding a 'Wool Forward Marketing and futures' 2 day course to be held in the Lismore branch area in March. To register or for details on either of the above phone Tim Jeffrey 55 977 507.
Children's Expectations - From Western District and Other Verses by Alma J. Charles 1997, (Copies of this book are available from the Business Centre for $20).
Bauk talk- A call to the Skipton National Bank recently got an answering machine which said "The Skipton Bank has now been unified with the ….. branch in Ballarat". I bet the marketing person who came up with the unified tag got a round of applause and an extra biscuit.
ANZ are now talking about cutting nearly 10% of its workforce, All along, with banks, hospitals and schools, it has been a case of communities having to join together, to have any chance of retaining services. one of the few wins over the whole shameful process, was helping to keep Dunolly Hospital open. We don't know how much it helped but we supplied to Dunolly a breakdown of the government tactics to expect, and material Lisimore had developed, including the wider economic impact survey, the Fighting Group commissioned. Dunolly conserved their energy by concentrating on the media (the local paper ceased coverage because of being sued), and not being afraid to resort to threats of the law
Good deals around the place. Occasionally some company puts out a good product that does the job and is priced at less than you're accustomed to pay! We've told you about the John Deere grease guns at JB Scott in Lismore. Another interesting one is the black elastic siders that are available at the Rivers factory shop, in Ballarat. At $40 they are, if anything, built overweight The pull-on straps are very tough. The Rivers factory shop is a trap though and you could wind up with shoes for the whole family plus clothes.
Clunes footy club - A bloke turned up at the door of the Business Centre recently with the following story. Clunes footy club, which has produced a few legends in its time, used to make most of its fluids out of doing the Clunes rubbish pickup. This brought in something like $8000 a year. But the Shire amalgamated and the rubbish collection for 3 towns were now one tender. So the Clunes footy club members, to raise cash for the next year, were driving all over the state selling raffle tickets. As the bloke said, if we let the footy club close, what happens to the young fellas? The footy's what keeps most of them round town and doing something positive
