Summer is here.
I have mixed feelings about this time of year, today I’m in the AC catching up on paperwork while the cows chill out under the fans and sprinklers.
Yesterday, I had a jumper and beanie on getting the cows in the morning, followed by a flurry of inquisitive flies at milking time in the afternoon. On top of the flies, the snakes have arrived — and I have to say I’m not a fan.
It’s a good time of year to check your first aid kit and think about farm safety for a minute.
Our kit includes a snake bite kit. I bought it pretty cheap at the chemist, along with the usual Band-aids, and some Hydralyte. There’s always someone who ends up with a cracker of a headache bought on by dehydration.
I’ve also invested in some fly veils for the humans, especially me, although one fly has only 0.066 calories (meaning we can eat 30,303 a day without gaining weight) but I’d rather not.
Plus, the veils keep the staff happy. As an added bonus I can now train five new calves on the feeder without impersonating Steady Eddie.
Shortly we’re going to receive the annual bustle of farm visitors with the approaching Christmas school holidays.
We love farm visitors! Fresh milk from the cow, patting the safer looking and much cuter calves, and heaven forbid, a ride on something agricultural. This is a no, no here.
I have been involved with farm safety off and on for many years now. I have read and seen too many pictures and stories of farm kids and visiting cousins, where something seemingly simple has gone horribly wrong.
Put a helmet on, wear hi-vis vests, and supervise everything — protect your little ones, and make sure the older ones understand the consequences of accidents.
Hot weather, storms, snakes, quad bikes, tractors, implements behind tractors, unsettled cows, uncovered V-belts, PTO shafts, empty tanks, ladders on silos, pump shafts, chemicals — the list goes on and on.
Be safe, be sensible and supervise. Most of all, make sure the kids go home dirty, tired, happy and in one piece.
The corn is up, and the 117 days are counting down.
Struggling to keep the cockatoos off we embarked on a scarecrow-making competition.
This has caused an educational display of competitiveness here — spats over who’s using the welder when, someone pinched a scrap piece of something that someone else wanted to use, and I’m helping everyone.
No time for me to make something, so I’ve gone to extreme lengths and purchased a couple of mannequins — this is going to be epic.
I’m wondering how many people are going to toot the horn and wave at them. The objective of course is to keep the cockies off, but the comical side piece should be great!
It wouldn’t be a real chair’s report without talking shop, and there’s actually been a bit going on in this space at Murray Dairy.
At our October AGM we celebrated the past contributions of our outgoing skills-based director Claire Baumber. Claire is making time to focus on family.
We congratulated both Phil Candy (processor specialist skills-based director) and Hamish Crawford (returning deputy chair and farmer director) on their reappointments.
We welcome Sarah Williams (specialist skills-based director) for her first three-year term and Peter Irwin (specialist skills-based director) who is joining the board for a 12-month co-opted position.
The board members look forward to working together.
On the operations side of things, we sadly farewell Lachlan Barnes.
Lachie has been a part of the Murray Dairy family for eight-and-a-half years, mainly in the extension space. More recently Lachie has been performing higher duties as the regional manager since the departure of Jenny Wilson.
Lachie has contributed to many programs, farmer DBNs, networking, projects and has established excellent farmer respect and relationships along the way.
The board have enjoyed working with Lachie and look forward to catching up with him around the traps.
Don’t forget to temp-check your hay, fill up the fire cart, manage heat stress, and put your order in with Santa.
Merry Christmas everyone!
– Rachael Napier is the Murray Dairy chair.