Drought drain

Summer has morphed into Autumn but the temperatures would indicate otherwise. As I type this, the Vic Emergency app alerts are active – three significant fires are currently burning, putting people, their homes and livestock at great risk. This heatwave is rocking southeast Victoria and I doubt anyone is celebrating the blazing sun that continues to crisp the ravaged ground we walk on. A few weeks ago, we enjoyed a brief reprieve with 30 mm of rain and in a few days, we saw growth in the paddocks. Sporadic and scattered across the land it was a hopeful sign. We moved the remaining cows onto high ground and watched them ravish the fresh growth. It sustained them for a day or two but we have now returned them to the morass, supplementing the little feed available with hay. Anything that was trying to grow is now burnt again with temperatures in the high 30s making it impossible. The vegetable gardens and house lawn are green and while not thriving it’s certainly surviving, thanks to daily watering. The bees have had shade cloth put over their hives to help them during the rough days, but really it isn’t enough. I think without the green in the backyard it would be most depressing to look out the window. Walking though the paddocks is one way to deflate your spirits. The ground is cracking and I wonder when the rain will arrive. There has been much conversation in the media regarding government assistance for farmers and for the most part their efforts are a slap in the face, indicating their total disrespect for the industry and understanding of the job farmers do and the emotional, financial and physical investment each one makes to continue day in, day out. The debt that accumulates has the potential to drive the strongest person to consider extreme measures. This is not acceptable. The ramifications of not supporting our farmers is lost on the general population and I am saddened to consider a future where we import all our produce because we didn’t act smarter when we had the chance.

For now, Daryl and I continue to maintain our property with the limited resources we have left. We have downsized as much as possible without removing our future possibilities and decided to bring in a bull for the remaining 18 breeders. They should calve towards the end of this year and we hope decent Autumn, Winter and Spring rain will rejuvenate the ground before little hooves hit the ground. Even our hens have had enough of the heat and we barely get a dozen eggs from our flock of chooks. Once this lot of feed runs out, the girls will be relocated to other homes and we will consider if we replace them down the track. If we do, some improvements to the pen will need to be made allowing for greater efficiency and less time commitment. 

Flipping the page, it is fortunate that nothing is growing and we have reduced the animal stock-take as I don’t seem to be able to get myself back to good health. After another two weeks off work, due to illness, I am struggling to get back on track. I am booked in for further surgery on my hip in a few weeks and again will be out of action for another two weeks. Frustrated? Yes. 

Until next time,

N

Watch out for large holes

I came home today and found a very large hole at the front of my house, and my husband, surrounded by the canine family, looking more than exhausted as he rested on a very large drainage pipe. The hole has grown extensively over the past few weeks with the help of the tractor and auger, however today’s efforts were impressive, to me the observer, after the fact. Having bent the auger (who does that!) due to the ground being like concrete, and hiring a mini digger not fitting in the budget, it was left to major muscle on a crowbar and shovel. You will not be surprised to find that Daryl needed a shower, new arms and a couple of stiff drinks before he returned to his former self, albeit a little achy. This hole is indicative of the frustration we are facing of late, with no rain in sight, the ground continues to harden and remain dry and desolate. We are feeding the cows hay and lucerne and we are on the lookout for silage to supplement the meagre picking of the paddocks. We also feed them bread collected each Saturday from a local bakery for a small fee which we pay to take the excess loaves which would otherwise be thrown in the bin. Such a waste, if you consider that some weeks we get anywhere from 5 to 15 massive garbage bags full of bread. The sweet treats are sadly thrown in the bin, another example of how our laws encourage wastage. The cows and chooks love the bread, as do the damn rats if they can get hold of it. The cows will gallop down the paddock if they hear the ute and I’m sure they know when it’s Saturday evening and the bread collection is done. Speaking of animal feed, we have trialed a new chook feed and coincidentally the egg production has decreased dramatically. This is not a good sign. The egg orders are flowing fast and I am delighted each time we get a new customer. Our reasoning suggests It could be some chooks going into molting season, a select few chooks who are free loading or a protest in the change of grain. To try and work out the issue we have bought a couple of bags of the former feed and put it in their feed bins. If egg production improves problem solved and if it doesn’t then some of these chickens will be walking a fine line between free ranging and soup. Unfortunately, the new feed is much cheaper as we buy it in bulker bags and if we return to our old feed source our costs will once again be raised. This is not something we need right now. On the back of a long, dry summer/autumn season is the increased costs associated with the farm, including having to source hay rather than cutting our own. We had the depressing tasks of trying to balance the books last night, the resulting efforts sent us straight to the wine cupboard, a few glasses allowing the numbers to blur and eventually we couldn’t see the negative sign so clearly. Funds are certainly stretched these days with no income from the farm expected and only expenses going out. Our social life is severely on hold, not to mention other treats or gifts. It is not only the continuous warm weather that saps me some days. But this is the cycle of farming, no doubt in a season or two we will thrive again…at least that’s the plan.
 Back to that rather large hole, it is required to be used as a sump pit beside the carport concrete to drain away the excess water which runs off the concrete driveway we are intending to lay. Unfortunately, the house was built lower than the fall of the paddocks and every winter for as long as I can remember the area surrounding the house has flooded. Poor design is once again causing issues. My father tried to resolve the issue by running pipes into the paddocks and this achieved an ineffective lake of mud. Mind you he chose where to build this particular house and I suspect it was the cheapest option! 

The carport has been a long, slow developing project, but hopefully it will be ready before the winter season. In readiness for our slow approaching winter the chimneys have been cleaned and the combustion stove thoroughly scraped and all the excess ash cleared. We have tested the stove a couple of times recently and once again the water is boiling super-hot and the comforting aroma of wood burning permeates the house. I am eagerly awaiting the cooler days and chilly nights, unlike most people I know who relish the hot summer sun. The forecast still ranks a few days next week in the high 20 and low 30s, way too warm for autumn and I am hoping I can avoid the sun’s sting as best as possible. 

However you spend the last remaining warmth of autumn I hope it is with a happy heart and soul filled with sunshine.


 Til next time, N.

Bonfire beauty

The winter chill is certainly setting in and the Autumn wind is crisp and cool, however the required rainfall is a rare sight at Rivergum. While these are perfect conditions for a bonfire they are not conducive to grass growth. So, as we couldn't make the rain fall, we did have a rather large bonfire. Two years in the making, this bonfire was mammoth. Sparks flew hundreds of metres onto the air and the glow of fiery orange could be seen from miles away. It was indeed a beauty. Providing us with another opportunity to invite family and friends  to share our evening, we waited until dark to set the pile on fire and it soon turned a very chilly evening into our own personal outdoor heater. Earlier in the day we lit the fire in the spit and got some rolled pork sizzling. Prepared by our local butcher with a pig from our neighbour's property, this free-range hog was succulent with a crunchy salted crackle  - perfect.

During the afternoon, the smaller visitors to our farm enjoyed some egg gathering, possum hunting and cattle feeding. It's such a treat to have everyone over and seeing them enjoy the farm.  We have enjoyed a number of guests and visitors to the farm in recent weeks and the bonfire event took place soon after Easter where we had the family plus a few friends join us for some festivities. Easter egg hunts, lots of home cooked food and fine wine along with fabulous company made it a another of many great day.

The home renovations are finished for the moment and I am delighted to have our combustion stove back in action in the kitchen. After removing the brickwork, which was originally put as a heat barrier between the stove and the wall, we have painted a feature wall in a rich red wine colour.  It has added depth and warmth to the room and I must admit, despite hating the painting process, it was worth the five coats!

On the farming front we have started counting bales and have worked out we have enough to feed the stock through winter if the season doesn't provide us with enough pasture. We recently bought some silage bales to supplement the feed and the cattle are very happy with our choice.

As calving is about to begin we have brought the herd up from the morass and hopefully we will soon have some new babies running around the paddock. The fencing contractor is due to start the new fence line in the next fortnight and two 22,500 litre poly water tanks will arrive this week. Another 104,000 litre zincalume water tank is on order. A new bore will be sunk this week and the ripper is also due to arrive any day and so the workload has increased substantially. On a recent trip to Farmworld we bought 100 native trees to plant along the boundary fence lines and the driveway. We have also expanded our orchard and have planted a range of fruit trees.

It is so nice to be building things rather than always pulling things down. However, the clean up has not ended (I'm not sure if it ever will!) and Daryl has off loaded a ute full of copper, which paid surprisingly well, and continues to cleanup old  timber railings, fallen trees, concrete and metal.

On this very cold evening, it is time to rest in front of the wood fire. The familiar smell of woodsmoke and occasional crackle of the timber is more comforting than any blanket and I am thoroughly enjoying this moment.  This is my kind of meditation.

Until next time, keep warm.

N

63 days

River running

Midst of the morass

It's been 63 days since my last blogpost, I'm not sure where those days and nights went but here we are mid March and it's still hot! High temperatures, hot winds and little rains, are setting us up for a poor Autumn growth season. With no feed on the ground, in the cleared paddocks, our herd is fortunate to have 80 acres of bushland to graze during this extended scorching season. Daryl has continued the bush cleanup and we now have tracks around the entire river bank, allowing us greater access to check stock. Last time I took the dogs for a run around the boundary I ended up lost, and what should have been a 15 minute quad bike ride ended up being over an hour. Sore legs, sore backside and tense, tingling arms were the end result of that adventure. The other day I did the same ride and managed it in 25 minutes, the dogs dipped in the river at every opportunity and I still ended up with sore arms from hanging onto the quad bike as it drove over the unforgiving landscape. But it seems the cows don't mind the tough ground, and I found them grazing happily in the shade of the gum trees. Not a snake in sight, unlike on previous occasions, I was relieved to not cross paths with the slithery sort this time round.

Eggs in abundance

Happy hens

Despite the lushness of the morass we have begun feeding out hay, a couple of times a week. They are keen to get their scratchy tongues around the feed and its a good chance for us to make sure they are all accounted for. With the girls all in calf (I hope), it is essential we look after them, and keep them well nourished, ready for calving to start in May. We have also been feeding them bread, collected weekly from a local baker, the cows and hens are enjoying fresh bread rolls and loaves. Our hens have increased in number and after losing one unexpectedly the other day, we now have 50 chickens. They are free to roam most days when we are home and enjoy the space of a large pen when we are out. Despite space, grass, shade and water some of the girls insist on escaping. Amazingly enough they have not been picked off by the foxes.

Ugly brickwork to go

We marked two years since moving onto the farm in February and it is nice to look back and see the progress made. The 'big' clean up continues but we are starting to build and create the farm the way we want it.

Combustion stove's temporary new home

With our former home finally sold we are looking forward to FarmWorld to get some bargains. Daryl has enjoyed his first major negotiation buying a new farm ute. Three car dealers were in the final running and I suspect Daryl loves the chase nearly as much as the final purchase. I'm looking forward to bringing our new wheels home this week.

This week will also see the beginning of some new renovations, making the dining/living area more open, spacious and hopefully welcoming. We will tidy up the old, ugly brick work which backed up the combustion stove and modernise the area, without losing the country 'charm'. At some point the kitchen will get an overhaul and then the floors will get some attention. It's very exciting to do some building as opposed to destroying.

Father & Son

This exciting progress follows swiftly on the tails of a fabulous event - the first wedding of one of the offspring. We enjoyed a delightful weekend in early March celebrating with family and friends as Jacob and Amy tied the knot. It's hard not to get nostalgic at weddings and it is especially evident when your own children are the stars of the show. Daryl did a sterling job making the father of the groom speech and he managed to get most of us to shed a tear or two.

R & R 

During the last 63 days we have celebrated Daryl's birthday, the twin's birthdays, a number of family events, enjoyed a weekend away with friends, thanks to our fabulous farm sitter (who enjoys pulling down fences - who knew!) and even managed a few nights out, just the two of us.

In between the social and farming pursuits, I have changed roles at work and have given shift-work a sharp shove, gone back to day-

Cheers!

work and spend my time working  as a rehabilitation and transition officer. It is a full time job, which leaves me drained at the end of each shift. But I'm a happy little vegemite, with no complaints. At least none that a little rain could't fix and a temperature drop of at least 10 degrees.



Til next time,

N

Sweet scent of autumn

Hello friends, how nice to be back at Rivergum3851.

Sunrise

It certainly has been a while and I wish I could keep up with all the tasks I want (need) to do, but alas, I have failed. I suspect, I am like most people who have high expectations of what is achievable, despite the reality check that says 'Your Dreaming Sunshine' in bright red letters. We become accustomed to re-prioritising and pushing out deadlines. Naturally, I find it gets even harder to be motivated once I've sat on the couch in front of the fire and poured a generous glass of red, after a long day at the office. Oh, how I would  love to only work two days a week, outside of the farm, if only the wage equated to full time pay.
Maybe one day, but for now let me update you with our progress.

Life is sweet here at Rivergum and Autumn is showing her beautiful colours. The temperature is dropping and you can feel the 'crispy' creeping into the air. The scent of the fire draws us home and is a welcome addition to the season. It's time to find the gumboots and remove the spiders, before long we will be trading our steel caps and dust for rubber and mud.

Fencing - Daryl style!

New chook yard

Hens will love it

Since the "tractor incident" Daryl continues to work on the farm-rebuild in between the everyday chores around the farm. The chook yard is progressing and it is exciting to see the new fence go up.  Naturally this project has its challenges. Fencing is always easier with two people, but given we need to pay our bills, I had to go off to work, leaving Daryl to do the hard yakka. Unable to tension the wire on his own he managed to get the ute to assist (see photo for explanation) A fine job in the end. The cows also appreciate it, thinking they now have new scratching posts. I suspect the electric fence will follow swiftly. For now the cows are banned from playing in this area. 
The tractor saga continues and today we finally got the good news it will be repaired and NOT written off as they wanted.Yikes! The damage bill is hefty and apparently close enough to the limit to consider not repairing it. For us that would be disastrous. It would leave us without a good tractor and not enough payout to buy another comparable machine. So the green beast will go for repairs next week and we will get a loan tractor to use (Daryl is not allowed in the bush with this one!)

It certainly hasn't been all work and no play.

ACDC 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle 

Sand and sea

Funny girls - Bek & Beth

Hens helping with the planting

We did get a few days away at the beach thanks to our friends Carol and Zac who did a farm stay,looking after everything, including some naughty escapee calves.  We also spent an enjoyable day at Farmworld bringing home a few goodies including some steel-capped boots for me. Did I mention my toe is not broken, but I have significantly damaged the nail bed - surgeons referral in my bag, along with a good supply of pain killers! We picked up a heap of native tree tube stock to start creating some wind breaks around the house and in the paddocks.


Following our first unfortunate venture into horse ownership, we have welcomed  "Kiwi", a very handsome horse to our home. He is Bek's baby and no doubt shall provide some stories down the track.

And finally Daryl bought an Ag bike yesterday, as you do when go to a clearing sale with your father-in-law!

 Until next time,

Cheers
N